Why students should be able to use cellphones in school

I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought — which I subsequently made into another corollary to my basic rule — ran through my mind: you can’t learn if you don’t try. So I accepted the assignment.

There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since, I have never hesitated to head for even the most exotic of places, without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.

The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition scary. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.

I’ve made parachute jumps, learned to ski at forty, flown up the Rhine15 in a balloon. And I know I’m going to go on doing such things. It’s not because I’m braver or more daring than others. I’m not. But I don’t let the butterflies stop me from doing what I want. Accept anxiety as another name for challenge and you can accomplish wonders.

Thinking Critically about This Reading

Collier writes that “Kierkegaard believed that anxiety always arises when we confront the possibility of our own development” (paragraph 9). How do Collier’s own experiences and growth substantiate Kierkegaard’s belief in the value of anxiety?

Questions for Study and Discussion

1. What is Collier’s thesis? Based on your own experiences, do you think Collier’s thesis is valid? Explain.

2. What is the process known to psychologists as “extinction”?

3. What causes Collier to come up with his basic rule for himself: “Do what makes you anxious; don’t do what makes you depressed” (4)? (Glossary: Cause and Effect) How does he develop the two corollaries to his basic rule? How do the basic rule and the two corollaries prepare you for his thesis?

4. What is Collier’s purpose? (Glossary: Purpose)

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5. What function do paragraphs 17–19 serve in Collier’s essay?

Classroom Activity Using Thesis

A good thesis statement identifies the topic and makes an assertion about it. Evaluate each of the following sentences, and explain why each one either works or doesn’t work as a thesis statement.

1. Americans are suffering from overwork.

2. Life is indeed precious, and I believe the death penalty helps to affirm this fact.

3. Birthday parties are loads of fun.

4. New York is a city of sounds: muted sounds and shrill sounds, shattering sounds and soothing sounds, urgent sounds and aimless sounds.

5. Everyone is talking about the level of violence in American society.

Suggested Writing Assignments

1. Building on your own experiences and the reading you have done, write an essay in which you use as your thesis either Collier’s basic rule or one of his corollaries to that basic rule.

2. Write an essay using any one of the following as your thesis:

Good manners are a thing of the past. We need rituals in our lives. To tell a joke well is an art. We are a drug-dependent society. Travel broadens one’s understanding of the world. Stage fright is an important part of performance. Making decisions by “gut” feelings is irresponsible.

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Chapter 4

Unity

Unity is an essential quality in a well-written essay. The principle of unity requires that every element in a piece of writing — whether a paragraph or an essay — be related to the main idea. Sentences that stray from the main idea, even though they might be related to it or provide additional information, can weaken an otherwise strong piece of writing. Notice how the italicized segments in the following paragraph undermine its unity and divert our attention from its main idea:

When the italicized sentences are eliminated, the paragraph is unified and reads smoothly. Now consider another paragraph, this one from an essay about family photographs and

how they allow the author to learn about her past and to stay connected with her family in the present:

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