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Who Am I? (Philosophy Essay)
General guidelines for writing a philosophy essay on ‘Who Am I?’
If you will think about it, writing a philosophical essay about yourself is an easy task. However, it seems like some people find it difficult. But how come it is hard, anyway? What is there with the topic “Who Am I,” which makes it hard for people to write about it? The reason is simple. People know their own selves too much that they tend to become overwhelmed with so much information without any need for research, and so, they lose all the right words to describe who they are. Because of that, writing a philosophical essay about themselves tend to be so difficult even if in reality, it should not suppose to be.
So the question now is, how does someone write a philosophical essay about himself? How does one write an essay about, “Who am I”? In this article, we will provide you tips on how to start and slam that essay for you to be able to get it done right.
How to start
In writing about oneself, one must simply follow the basic features of essay writing. This subject is no different with others, so there is no need to pressure yourself. Just keep in mind that it needs to have an introduction, a body, and, of course, a conclusion. But before you start writing, you need to have an outline first and a thesis statement so that you will know how to start and which way your paper is going. You will need to establish your standpoint and emphasize the things that you want your readers to know. To help you with that, next are some tips that you might want to consider.
How to create an outline
In writing an outline for your philosophy essay, you first need to brainstorm and list down all the things you want to talk about. Of course, you may want to consider those which are interesting about your personality. You can talk first about your background such as personal information, educational attainment, your family, or organizations to which you are affiliated.
You may also talk about your interests and hobbies, likes and dislikes, good and not-so-good traits. On top of that, you may also want to focus writing about your achievements and principles in life, which you believe will eventually help you in accomplishing your life goals to become successful. So, here is a sample outline that might help you.
I. Introduction
- Personal Information
- Educational Attainment & Affiliations
- Facts about your family
II. Arguments/Reasons
- Personal Interests & Hobbies
- Achievements in Life
- Principles and Values
- Most Memorable Life Experiences
V. Conclusion
How to write a thesis for a philosophy essay on ‘Who Am I?’
In writing your thesis statement, you need to be more specific and precise. A thesis is a detailed summary of your outline, and the essay itself. When creating a thesis statement, one should consider the wholeness of the paper – it serves as the embodiment of the whole piece. Listed below are some tips which could help you in creating a thesis statement for your philosophical essay.
- Combine all the ideas in your outline and put them into one sentence.
- Select only the most important ones – those which you would like to emphasize in your essay.
- Make your statement detailed yet concise. It should be comprehensive enough for your readers to be able to realize your main point.
How to write an introduction
Once you have created your outline and thesis statement, you are now ready to expand those words into larger contexts. Naturally, you will need to start with an introduction.
An introduction is very important because this is where you captivate your readers’ hearts. The introduction is the point of decision making – whether or not they will continue reading your essay. So to help you with your problems in creating introductions, here are some tips that you would want to keep in mind:
- Your introduction should be striking. You may want to start with writing a quote or some lyrics of a song, which you consider is your mantra in life. You may also want to start with your motto or with a slogan that relates to your life.
- You do not have to keep it long. After all, it is an introduction. The longer part will be shown in the body of the paragraph. You just have to introduce to your readers what they will be learning in the next pages.
- You must relate it to the body. One should not let his readers be lost in transition. There must be a connection in between the words and ideas all throughout the essay.
How to write body paragraphs
The body should be the easiest part since you only have to explain those which you have stated in your introduction. Here are some guidelines you may follow in writing the body paragraphs of your philosophical essay.
Tips on body writing
- Refer to your outline and your introduction. The body is where one explain his thoughts, not in the introduction. This is where you expand your ideas and stories.
- Go straight to the point and avoid using unnecessary information. You will have to digest which stories are worth telling and which are not. Of course, you would want to share those which greatly impacts your life.
- Make sure to make it exciting. Engage your readers in your essay. Do not just go around writing about your life. Make it fun and interesting.
- Ensure that the body of your paragraph talks about these experiences and explain how such molded you into becoming the person you are today.
- Relate it to your thesis statement. For example, your thesis statement speaks about how your life experiences molded you to become a better person, make sure that the body of your paragraph talks about these experiences and explain how such molded you into becoming the person you are today.
- Relate each new paragraph to the preceding one. Again, you would not want your readers to get confused. There must be a connection between the new paragraph and the one which went before it.
How to finish a philosophy essay on ‘Who Am I?’
You must keep in mind that the conclusion is not just a summary of the thoughts and facts that you have stated in your essay. Since it is a philosophical essay about who you are, it would be nice to provide the readers some lessons in life that you think would also be beneficial for them. To get some guidelines, ponder on the following thoughts.
Tips on conclusion writing
- Make a brief summary of what you have talked about in your essay. One to two sentences will do. This will help you connect the things you said to the life lessons that you want every reader to realize.
- Do not provide longer and complex explanations. It is a conclusion; it should expressly state everything in simple sentences.
- Finish the essay with grace. Just like how you engaged your readers to continue reading your essay, engage them as well to contemplate on the things you want them to recognize and have a grasp of.
Paper revision
A one-time writing would not suffice, of course. You will have to reread and edit your essay to be able to make it perfect. So in revising your essay, read it a number of times and then proofread. Just be patient and you will eventually come up with the best philosophical essay about writing “Who Am I.”
Just like any other essay, writing about yourself is easier said than done. In fact, most people find it harder to write about themselves than to write about any other topic under the sun. But if you know how to start and what specific things to write, and by following the tips and guidelines provided above, you will surely find it easy to do it the same way how it was said.
Who Am I? (Philosophy Essay Sample)
“Let go, my child. Do not force things. Let go and let things happen the way they are supposed to be. In the end, everything will fall into their proper places.”
These were the last words of my most favorite person in the whole world, my father. It has been my mantra ever since. My name is Isabel Rivera. I am 27 years old. I live in New York with my mom and my younger sister, Addie. I am working as a writer and publicist in a publishing company here in the city. I am currently enrolled in the law program at New York University and my undergraduate course was Language and Literature.
I am the Vice-President of our campus’ student body and I am also a member of an organization dedicated to providing basic education needs for children who are underprivileged. All of these achievements would not be possible if it were not for a very memorable yet heartbreaking story that happened in my life – my father’s death, my hero’s birth.
My father died when I was only nine years old. He had a car accident. We had the chance to see him before he died because when he was rushed to the hospital, we were only a few blocks away. Back then, our life was miserable. My mother could not take the pain and agony brought about by my father’s death and my sister was only two years old. Since it seemed like our family was falling apart and became paralyzed upon his death, I had no choice but to stand up and keep fighting for whatever it is that was left. I have always admired my father. He was and still is, my hero.
He had so much influence in my life that nothing could ever compare to the respect I have for him. His values and principles became my guiding light, and they soon as well became my own values and principles. When he died, I had to take care of my mom and my sister. I had to be the father figure in the family. I struggled a lot. I took jobs everywhere. I made myself available for anything that would bring food to the table. I studied hard and devoted myself to any commitments that were offered. I made him my hero and inspiration and soon enough, I became my own hero.
I started to believe that impossibility can indeed be conquered. I started to believe that life, after all, is not hopeless. I took the strength I needed from my mother and my sister. Likewise, my mom soon became stronger and we both fought the battle. So when the opportunity came knocking on our door, a scholarship from NYU, I took it. I studied hard while my mom took care of me and my sister’s needs. I became a straight-A student whilst having to attend two jobs. Now, I am where I wanted to be and where I am supposed to be and this who I am.
My father was right. Be strong and everything will fall into their proper places. This is a lesson I would like everybody to learn. I would like to tell the whole world about my father and the most important thing he ever taught me: “Let go and let things happen. In the end, everything will end the way they are supposed to.” I did not force things. I let them fall into their proper places.