IELTS Essay: Sosyal statü ve zenginlik

A person's value seems to be judged according to social status and wealth anymore, with almost no attention paid to old-fashioned values, such as honor, kindness, and trust.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Ele alınacak fikirler: eskiden hayatta kalmak için kendi isteklerimizi bastırmak gerekliydi, günümüzde kimseye iyi davranmasanız bile hayatta kalabilirsiniz, gücün tanımı zamanla değişti, hepimiz benciliz, kendimizi yücelteceğine inandığımız şeyleri yapıyoruz

It appears that old-fashioned values are no longer considered when judging a person's value, with all the focus on social status and wealth, a trend that I think has increasingly prevailed all over the world, especially since the rise of capitalist economies and social media.

By our nature, we are equipped with the instinct to survive by whatever means necessary. Whether by building alliances with other fellow human beings or by being mean to others, all we aim to do is survive as long as possible. In the past, when our species were not as dominant as today, we had to do our best to be part of large communities just to stay alive. This fundamentally changed our behavior, suppressing our selfish desires to some extent. Back then, it was necessary to fully co-operate for the greater good, as it was what we all needed. But in today's world, nothing is the same. Access to food or security is guaranteed even if you are a complete loner. You might end a relationship without further compromise, just because you can form another in an instant thanks to social media. We no longer need to act like saints to maintain our existence.

We should also not underestimate the significance of hierarchies. Thousands of years back, muscular power and endurance would ensure respect and obedience from other members of the clan. If you go back a few centuries, access to unique sources of information or being part of religious authorities would probably do the same. And today, personal or familial wealth has pretty much a similar effect on all. It has always been about power. Whoever has greater access to power has been valued more than the rest, ever since the dawn of humanity. Today, unfortunately, power equals to capital rather than how kind and nice you are.

This does not necessarily mean that old-fashioned values are of no importance. But we should all come to terms with the fact that we humans are selfish beings who prioritize our own survival over all other things. If it was kindness and honor to ensure that in the modern world, we would not hesitate to do so. Yet that is surely not the case.