March: Week 2, Prompt 4

“Of Studies”

By Sir Francis Bacon

Central Argument: Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.

                Learning is a great experience that broadens and deepens our understanding of the world around us. According to Sir Francis Bacon in his essay “Of Studies,” he says that “studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.” This statement is true as seen through personal experience, my dad, and the world around us.

                I’m sure all of us have had that experience where we were stuck on a question in math, and no matter how many times you try solving it, you don’t get the correct answer. However, there are moments where you do solve the question and you feel like you have conquered the world. We gain delight in studying because we know we have learned something for ourselves. We can then go about with the satisfaction of knowing that we understand this idea from history or that concept from math. Learning also brings a sense of satisfaction. To gain delight in studying is a great way to understanding.

                Studying also provides us with ornaments. In a society where studying is important for our future, many people try to gain the top rank or attend a prestigious school or gain a doctorate. For a good chunk of my life, I watched my dad studying all the time. At the time, I didn’t know what it was for, but I did find out later. He was writing this thesis paper for his doctoral degree. Armed with his degree, my dad teaches other students on his area of expertise. After countless years of studying, my dad knows many things and is a helpful tool when we need help in our homework. Agreeing with Bacon, I would say that my dad has “discourse” due to his studies and experience.

                Studies serve as a direction as to where our future may lead us, and so we believe that being good in school will get us into a great university. We believe that knowledge is a door-opener, so we try to enhance our abilities by studying. With great abilities, we can achieve greater things in our lives and in our world.

                As students, it is our job to study. However, this studying should be for delight, ornament, and ability as Bacon stated and can be seen in the world, my dad, and by my own personal experience. Studying can make us better people and hopefully also the world.