English Standard: Mod C response

[Grace0702]

Hey all!

I was wondering if you could give me some feedback on my discursive/persuasive below, positive or negative i'll take it!

Thanks in advance


What makes you smile?

We sat still in silence, as though someone had hit pause on the remote, observing from the stands. Our eyes fixated on the movement of the ball as the last seconds of the game drew to a close.

We didn’t just want them to lose, we needed them to, they needed to be crushed, their dreams shattered. Our inner demons had taken over, we were a pack of wild animals ready to pounce on our prey at any given moment. The Soaring Eagles no more, this team would crash and preferably burn.

The buzzer dinged and the crucial shot was missed in this now decided game of basketball. The crowd roared. The reigning champions for the last 5 years were officially dethroned, by the underdogs, nonetheless. Nothing could wipe this smile from our faces. WE WON. But more importantly. THEY LOST.

Sports always brings out the worst in us. Fact. Something about competition and tension and watching people who have tried their very best, just for their dreams to be crushed brings us pleasure. The Germans put it best. Schadenfreude. The pleasure derived from the misery of others.

Schadenfreude if often thought of as empathy’s shadow. It’s the dark side of society that too often is left out of the picture. Once in your life I’m sure you’ve smirked when your friend falls over, or maybe when a child drops their ice cream and starts crying, or perhaps even when you are sitting comfortably on a train and glance through the window to watch people sprinting onto the platform only to realise the train has already left. Its cruel. But seriously you should see the look on their faces. Priceless.

This concept drives today’s society, it is at the core of what we live and breathe. Don’t believe me? A study conducted by the British Psychology Society in 2013 concluded that we actually experience schadenfreude from the age of four. They found children visibly enjoyed to the misery of others when they believed they deserved the misery. So, there goes that ideology that “children will save mankind one day”.

A journalist for the spectator in the 1920’s professed his opinion on the topic stating “There is no English word for schadenfreude  because there is no such feeling here.” He was of course wrong. Because this “empathy’s shadow” we feel is real, it is innate in our very being.

Take a look at Australia. Take a look at our infamous Tall Poppy Syndrome – that is everyone must be cut down to size. Australians resent those in society who are considered superior and so we sit in anticipation for their failure knowing that karma will come, eventually. Because that’s how our karma works, whether you have worked hard or not you cannot rise above the rest, you will forever be sentenced to stand beside those with the same hopeless dreams of becoming something more. And remember we can never show too much support to the over achievers because they can never know that they might be better than us. And when those overachievers fail, because they will, we will savour it, so they’ll never forget.

Australia politics. 2010. Julia Gillard. The very first female Prime Minster of Australia and we remember how that turned out don't we? Voted in by her party she held the seat of three years only to be voted out by those who once gave her power, they began to resent Gillard for her superiority. They must’ve thoroughly enjoyed her demise.

Does the revolving door ring a bell? A person’s time in power is limited. Because that’s the way it is. Not much to do, other than smile when they come tumbling down. So, if you are looking for a stable Prime Minister, you sir have come to the wrong place.

In reality, there isn’t much to be done, no one person can change all of mankind, half of which don’t even want to be changed. Is it an issue though. If this schadenfreude is so prevalent in society is it worth fighting against? Richard Trench Irish poet and archbishop proclaimed, “ the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing” specifically regarding schadenfreude. Why would a society create a word if they didn’t believe it to be true and continue to bear true? We all have our own joys and pleasures. We all have our own triggers. What do we have in common though?

Well, think about it.
 
What makes you smile?

[Joshua.romehinson]

Watch out for your expression in some parts, you can easily fix this by continuing to read your piece out loud. I don't do English Standard so I don't know the texts, but make sure you have techniques and conventions from you Mod C prescribed texts and additionally even your texts in other modules. This is important to include these techniques and conventions as they could and most likely ask for you to do a reflection on your piece and also ask a particular module, not just Mod C. Don't overly study the modules because of that because it could be unlikely. Great piece it is very engaging and expresses good points with valuable evidence.