#042: What is a very important skill a person

[Erin]

What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

[ciquita0]

Originally posted by Erin Billy

What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.

As many career councilors are advising, to be successful in the world today you have to be flexible and to develop good human relations. I think the most important skill a person should learn is adaptability.

First of all, as the world is changing from one day to another one has to be prepared to face new challenges each day and to get a new start if necessary. For example, when you face an employer you'll have to show your adaptibility as you may have the opportunity to be advanced and to face new responsabilities and tasks. Or, as life is so unpredictable one may be so unfortunate as to be left without money or house. He for sure has to be adaptable and try to build a new life.

Second of all, if we think better everybody changes along the long road of life. If the person that you choose to spend the rest of life with changes, you have to be flexible and deal with the changes even accept those changes. Otherwise the relationship is in danger.

Finally, if we think that from different reasons we may someway along the way move into another town, have a new job, a new neighbour and so on, one has to adapt and integrate into the new community.

In the end, I want to emphasize that if one is flexible he can take advantage of the new turns of a situation, he can take advantage of the others' inflexibility and become successful.


[/SIZE]Can adaptability/flexibility be considered a skill???[/SIZE] ?

[Vaya]

Hello!

Well, it's a very interesting question if adaptability can be consedered a skill. I don't know for sure, but I tend to say no. I believe it's a character quality. But you can easily make some skills out of it: s/he is able to find comprosimes, to easily adapt in a new enviroment, to react/respond quickly... But it's philosophy

Anyways [from movie Mr. Deeds], this essay is quite nice. The 2nd and 3rd body paras are a bit too short, but I believe you can survive with it. Some how I miss some generalizations like: adaptability is helpful not only in your career, but also in your privite life (then follows the 2nd body para). The 3rd body para is somehow similar to the 2nd. I would advise you to connect them. I believe it's better to write 4-paras essay than 5-paras one, if those 5 paras are short.

Word 'successful' should be also mentioned in the body, not only in the intro and conclusion, because the conclusion seems a bit disconnected from the body.

To sum up, you have nice writing skills, but you don't really know how to use them Also I am a bit to finicky. I would give you 5.0/5.5
Good luck! Renata

[ciquita0]

Hello Vaya,

Thanks a lot for your advice and for the time spent to rate my essay.

You made me see some week points of my essay, that I haven't noticed myself. I'll try to stick more to the subject, but I was wondering if such skills can be learned? ?

Can you tell me from your point of view which is the most important skill?
This question is addressed to everyone that read these lines...

Thanks again and looking forward for your answer.

Peace.

[cpt10]

Hello,

Could you have, please, a look at this essay. I consider it somehow offtopic, but maybe the format is right.
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We are living in a very different world today, in respect with the world our forefathers have seen along the history. until present times, the absence of means of electronic communication and the absence of available air transport kept the world in the state of isolated entities. Nowadays, we are living in a 'global village', and, like in the villages we used to know, you meet all kind of people: hunters, shamans, and, well ... foreigners. In order to be successfull in this new world, one needs to have intuition.
First, being in contact with people who use their phisical power for making a living,
one should carefully estimate the force of the opponent. Understanding subtle messages
sent by the movments of the body, enables a person to decide weather to have a more or less agressive attitude when dealing with others. Understaing the correct signals increase
the chances of survival.
At the same time, when one meets persons who use their brains for making a living, needs a good, spees thinking mind. In this way, can control the other or, if the other is supperior, convice him that together would be a good team. He would increase in this way his level of success.
Also, developing a good sense of extrapolation helps when dealing with situations
when the other part is unknown. One can assume what reactions another might be, by considering what the reactions of the members of the group in which the unknown person might be included. The ability to generalize and emit judgements based on little pieces of information would be crucial for maximising success nowadays and in future.
I consider that all this abilities, together, make intuition, a skill hard to master, since it involves such a large number of talents. Nevertheless, with patince and dedication everything can be achieved, and, when having a high level of intuition, one will have success in the world today.

[sow1225]

Hi,
I have my exam on 23rd. I did not write this answer with time limit as I did not know how to answer this one. I agree with 'ciquita0'. I guess adaptability can be considered skill, but I am still not very sure. I took self-discipline and framed my answer,

Erin, Please do suggest. Can self-discipline be considered as a skill?. Thanks.

42.What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be
successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific
reasons and examples to support your choice.

In this fast paced era, people’s awareness towards the world is changing. Accordingly, many new developments are occurring in every other field within a blink of the eye in a society. An individual has to catch up with fast changing world to survive and be successful. Self-discipline is the important skill needed to be successful in the new developing world. Self-discipline can teach many skills to an individual in the journey of life. Skills like determination to survive, adaptability, and confidence that any kind of issue could be handled in no time.

An individual cannot learn as how to be self-disciplined. It should come from within. A person without self-discipline since he was a kid would remain without one throughout his life. He can manage to survive in the world. But, it is not something that can be initiated or inculcated in an individual. It should come naturally from an individual’s actions. Only then such skill would be beneficial in becoming successful in the real world. For instance, my father was born in a small village, in a family, whose main occupation was agriculture. People around used to speak abusive language. But, had the determination to survive, to come out of that village and explore the real world. Even today, he still says, self-discipline is the most important one needs to have. It gives tremendous determination to survive.

Another reason that can be cited is, skill like self-discipline can take one’s life into many turns. For example, an Indian family who got migrated to United States in 60’s had to go through so much. Initially, it was a big culture shock to them. They only had one skill in their hands and it was self-discipline. The lady of the family did not even know how to speak good English. With self-discipline, she understood the necessity of educating herself. She took many classes in English. After all those years of hard work she ended up working as an English teacher in school.

Another example is, self-discipline also teaches confidence. For example, first thing that is taught in many schools is self-discipline. If kids get used to self-discipline and work hard, they would get the confidence, that any kind of exam or an issue, in the real world could be handled.

In summary, the most important skill a person needs to be successful in the real world is self-discipline. Self-discipline is the foundation for any individual’s personality. With out self-discipline, though many can manage to survive, it is tough succeed. It is like the foundation of a large building. If the foundation is not laid out correctly in a proper form, there high possibilities that the huge structure could collapse anytime.

[Shirley]

In the current fast paced world which is constantly under change owing to the rapid technological advancements in every field, achieving success has become a matter of struggle where several people with equal calibre have to vie for same position. As a result of increasing awareness of knowledge and education, the present competition leaves people contending for status and success to improve one's living. In such a situation the ability to speak , listen and learn is worthy. So. I think the one skill which is important in today's complex world is effective communication skill.

The lifestyle of the modern world has made it incumbent on the individuals to effectively communicate and make their presence felt both on the personal and professional level.

On the personal level, an extroverted and broad minded attitude is more respected and fascinated as compared to a narrow minded approach. Being social, mingling with the people and being easy going gains appreciation from the society. To achieve such a position, one should develop communication skills to effectively communicate ideas.

On the professional level, effective communication and interpersonal skills help promote popularity in the work environment where people with equal intellectual levels meet. Such work requires the individuals to effectively communicate, present and elucidate one's point of view.The more convincing the ideas are, the less is the distance to success. Moreover, to achieve success interpersonal skills also lead to developing leadership qualities and avoid conflict through effective diplomacy.

In order that one has to stand out in a crowd , the grandeur of eloquence and clarity of speech are the most important attributes in the current professinal world. So I think the ability of effective communication skill is the most important skill today.

[tetyana]

Hi, Shirly. I love your essay. I do like your thoughts. I had to translate for myself some words from your essay such as "grandeur of eloguence".

[Erin]

Originally posted by sow1225

Erin, Please do suggest. Can self-discipline be considered as a skill?. Thanks.

I'd rather play it safe and say that no, self-discipline is NOT a skill.

From m-w.com:

skill 2 a : the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance b : dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks
3 : a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability <language skills>

As always, we should not take chances with our tests--too much is on the line!

[Mulan]

Erin, I want to know that in this kind of essay, whether we need to give the definition or even a concept of the skills such as "critical thinking skill" in my essay? Would you mind reading it and providing some comments?
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In their early days, men had to learn many skills in order to survive, such as hunting or self-defense skill. In our time, there are many more skills that people have to learn if they want to be succesful in this competitive and complicated world, namely communication skill, computer skill, language skill… And if I am asked to name the most important, it will surely be “critical thinking” skill.

To begin with, critical thinking is important to those who wish to gain knowledge. We are living in the so-called “era of intellectual economy”, where we can do nothing without knowledge. Critical thinking can not only show us access to knowledge, but also allow us to use previous knowledge to create new knowledge. We can say critical thinking is the very premise of innovation and creativeness, which always makes us successful either at school or at work.

However, critical thinking is not only important in the field of education or scientific, it is also imperative in all aspects of life, especially of the citizens of the 21st century. Each day we live, we have to face with lots of choice. Simple as it is for a schoolboy to choose between mathematics and Java class or serious as it is for the community to choose whether peace or war, each decision requires us to make our thinking purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed. Smart choice leads to success and benefit, while bad choice can destroy all.That synonymous with requiring each of us to think critically to improve our own lifes.

Last but not least, critical thinking also help people to develop and improve other important skills and characteristics as well. Generally, outstanding people who think critically also have willingness to plan, flexibility in thinking, persistence, willingness to self-correct, mindful attention to the thought process, and the seeking of consensus. Those are the very elements to make a person successful and help him to stand out from crowds of philistines.

In conclusion, I strongly believe critical thinking is not only the very imperative skill that people should learn, it is also the invincible and crucial power leading to success and achievement. And because critical thinking can be improved through practising and strategies, you could also learn to improve yourself, as it’s said that “ How you think decides who you are”.