Essay – What Makes a Good Life?
For Your Essay Assignment: Use MLA Formatting Length 4 pages (1000 words) + 1 page for thesis and outline
What should be in your essay:
1. Watch the whole Ted Talk instead of reading summaries of it online.
2. A summary of Waldinger’s main claim.
3. Your thesis with a major claim/thesis
4. Support your thesis with 3 main points and facts/examples to support them.
5. Make sure that the essay is organized.
6. Make a separate page for thesis and outline ONLY ( submit an outline with your three major points)
Watch the Ted Talk “What makes a good life.” The URL is below :
https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_ma…
Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest is the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history.
“As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life. “
Essay Topic
Waldinger asks: “What keeps us healthy and happy as we go through life? Where would you put your time and energy? If you were going to invest in your future best-self, where would you put your time and your energy?”
Answer the three questions Waldinger asks in the context of your life and what are your plans for your future best-self? Write a clear thesis statement that expresses your point of view and provide reasons why you have made the choice to invest your time and energy in X, Y, or Z?
Write a 6 to 7 paragraph essay in which you argue your position. You may use first person to narrate, but do not use first person like “we” and “our” inclusive of the reader.
Follow the conventions of essay writing and essay structure. Use MLA formatting. If you use information from sources, then cite the sources and provide a works cited page. For additional help: to the following web links:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01… (MLA)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05… (Argument Essay)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01… (Thesis)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/01… (Evaluating Thesis)