Something To Stop

Thomas Wiesner Ospina

Pre-AP English

September 1, 2009

Carelessness

Carelessness has become a trait that many people portray. It seems to be worse everyday and something must be done to make people aware of the damaging effects it has overall. When someone is careless, it is insulting to others’ effort. Imagine yourself as a teacher, you give your students some work and expect them to, not only do it well, but also, turn it in. A few days later, one person does not turn it in because he did not care to do it. With this action, he is telling you that he has so little respect for what you are trying to teach him, that he did something else. Obviously, there is a consequence for the student, but it still is demoralizing to the teacher.

Clearly carelessness can be seen as a synonym of negligence or mediocrity. When you are negligent, careless or mediocre, you are not giving yourself the chance to be the best that you can be. You give your body and your mind the option of doing nothing or very little, and therefore, in essence you allow yourself to fail. All, at some point must experience failure, but to fail because you are careless is really inexcusable. The experience of failure is essential to learning and growth, but the attitude with which you confront it, makes a big difference. It can either turn out to be a positive learning experience, just by showing you care, and want to know why you failed or you can just ignore it and fail again.

Mediocrity is contagious. If it is allowed, it permeates all those around you until no one realizes that everyone is being mediocre. Depending on others to pull you through or accepting the bare minimum standard is very common at certain levels and in specific groups. Many older people think that the old days were happier and that people were more responsible and hard working before, but this is not true. What is happening now is just another way to do things, which sometimes people do not understand. It is careless behavior that gives the young people a bad reputation. We must stop sending erroneous messages and tell the world that the future is going to be ok. The only way that this will happen is if young people become less careless and behave responsibly. Rashness makes your mind become lazy and you get used to doing less and accepting this as the norm.

I hate carelessness because it makes us all look bad. It groups us all into a mediocre mold and I certainly do not want to be labeled as careless in anything I do.