Structure of the Essay:
Introduction:
You can start the introduction through following ways:
- Start with a general introduction/anecdote/an example/a short story/a poem/a quote/a recent event or trend etc which can help in describing the need for self-reliance.
- If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thesis Statement:
- It is a transition statement between introduction and body of the essay.
- In thesis statement, you should write outline of the body with your own arguments. You should prove these arguments in body of the essay with relevant examples.
Body of the essay:
When it comes to reading, most people think of books, but it can also refer to reading faces, behaviour, and occurrences. One can be a passive reader without delving deeper to comprehend, simply taking things at face value, only reading things superficially without a critical or curious eye or care. However, this mentality undermines the very purpose of reading because reading should be followed by desired action or reaction, for betterment and improvement, agreement or disagreement. Reflection is just thinking on what you have read, whether it is a book, an essay, a speech, a face, or even a phenomenon. Reflection reveals both obvious and hidden meanings. Reflection assists us in comprehending the aim and motives. We are motivated, inspired, and propelled to action when we reflect.
Without ‘reflection,’ reading is nothing more than a ‘collection of dead birds’- wingless thoughts, a waste of time that leads nowhere. Any ‘act,’ including reading, must be evaluated based on its ‘result.’ What is the point of ‘feeding’ if we don’t ‘digest,’ because digesting is what gives us power and beauty? The same reasoning applied to reading means that our act of reading results in some manifestation in our real acts and expression—this is what the ‘expanded meaning of reflection’ is—reading must be mirrored in a reader’s action and behaviour. Reading is extremely beneficial when it prompts reflection as ‘thinking’ and reflection as ‘activity.’
Reading that does not elicit thought and action in us is pointless and a waste of time and energy. Accepting any notion or behaviour without question because it is in a book is equally harmful. Reading books is essential for gaining knowledge and information. For clarity and understanding, a variety of ideas, thoughts, phenomena, and events from the past and present must be read. Reading can be either passive or active, with the latter being more significant, and this brings us to the issue of ‘reflection.’ Reading individuals, faces, social and political changes from the inside out, between the lines, and with their full meaning and essence enables us to respond in the appropriate, moral, ethical, and pragmatic manner.
Conclusion:
Thus, reflection is more than just ‘thinking.’ It also refers to ‘acting.’ Reflection is essential for understanding the intent, objective, and purpose, as well as for motivating and inspiring true aspirations and curiosity. The difficulty in modern life is that we read but do not think, and even if we think and comprehend, we do not act. People who are educated make no less purposeful errors and omissions than those who are uninformed. As eating must be followed by digestion, good health, and beauty, reading must likewise help in beneficial results in ideas and action processes; otherwise, it is worthless and a waste of time and energy. Accepting any notion or behaviour without question because it is in a book is equally harmful.