Definition Paper Reflection
Christian Amering
When I began writing this paper, I wasn't sure
exactly where I was looking to go with the topic. I knew I wanted to compare
the idea of a man and a gentleman. Before I started writing, I looked up a
bunch of quotes and pictures and found one that very closely related the two
different types of guys. This essentially then became the base and form of how
I wrote my paper.
While I wrote this paper, I found it really easy to
compare the two subjects. I feel that there is a clear difference in a man and
a gentleman such that a gentleman is willing to take the extra step for others.
I made sure to utilize this in my paper as I continued to write. One of the
harder parts however was what kind of paper to write. I wanted to use the
picture that I found that compared a man and gentleman, but wasn't sure the
best way to get the point across. I ended up using each statement made in the
picture, and then expanding upon it with more details. One example was, “A man
tries to make his mark,; a gentleman strives to leave a mark” and then expanded
upon this idea.
The best part of my draft is the way that I was able
to take a quote, and expand upon it. Despite this writing task being a
definition paper, I was still able to use other skills learned during the
exemplification paper to use in this paper. The draft I wrote initially got
good reviews from my peers and they said that using the quotes and then
expanding upon it really created a way to define what the quote was defining,
and how the quotes were defining the thesis of the difference between a man and
a gentleman.
As I read my peers papers in our peer review
session, I learned of different techniques of getting their thesis across. Some
would do the same as me and make a point, and then expand upon it. Others would
write the definition and either agree or disagree with what the technical term
is. Both of these techniques seemed to be effective, but some topics work
better with certain techniques.
Here is my revised copy:
A Man and a Gentleman
Immaturity is within every guy you
meet, and is something we will carry with us till the day we die. But how we
carry about ourselves is what really clarifies who each individual guy really
is. While some may see the word ‘Man’ and ‘Gentleman’ to be the same word or
descriptor, they are far from the same.
“A man tries to make his mark; a
gentleman strives to leave a mark.” Gentlemen not only seek to make a mark on
their own lives, and others, but will see it through. This is an aspect that
most people fail to see, as they only feel as though “nice guys always finish
last”.
Leave
it to all guys to admit that they strive to conquer more in their life, but
trust in a gentleman to make that dream a reality. Most actors today are
considered just a man. They try to make a mark by the movies the produce, and
their lavish lifestyles. The true gentleman actors, such as Brad Pitt, strive
to leave a mark, not only by having a strong set of morals, but by also giving
back to charity.
“A man accepts a favor, a gentleman
returns the favor.” There is a small difference between acknowledging a favor,
and returning the favor. While most man will appreciate a favor, few gentlemen
will return the favor. Not only do they recognize the thoughtfulness of the
others but they want to make them feel the same way.
“A man gives orders, a gentleman
inspires.” Men always believe their selves are dominant and will take charge of
a situation whether they believe they are capable of it or not. All though they
may not admit it, men believe they are the dominant gender, as most men take
control of most serious situations (Government, Sports etc.) A gentleman will
not only take charge, but he will morph his own personality into a leader. Most
men fail to see from this point of view. Whenever men play sports, they always
look to take over the game and be the best player, but the best players are the
ones that lead by example, lead others, and strive to meet new goals. The
controversy of who was the best teammate between LeBron and Michael Jordan is
the best example. Even though many argue that LeBron is building the best
skills in the history of the NBA, they fail to compare his leadership and
morals to those of Michael Jordan. While most stars are selfish, Michael Jordan
once said, “to
be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you
get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay
in touch. Don’t isolate.”
“A man fits the mold; a gentleman
tries to break it.” Most men may come across as the same person, all seeking to
be the dominant person, always capable of being lazy, and cocky. Whether you
believe it or not, men were all born with the same immaturity that probably has
either positively or negatively shaped their lives. Gentlemen do fit this mold
that our gender has shaped to today, but they also try and break free of this
depiction, and strive for more.
To simplify the matter, a man is
willing to do the bare minimum to keep him and others happy, while a gentleman
is willing to take the extra step. The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a gentleman as a man who combines gentle
birth or rank with chivalrous qualities. A gentleman brings qualities such as
generous with his time, a positive outlook, a life-long learner and known for
his integrity. George Clooney provides the dapper attire and attitude towards
life to classify himself as a top gentleman today. To achieve such a thing, you
don’t need to be born from with it, but acquire it overtime and have the will
to put others in front of yourself.
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