예비대학생 김혜빈: In order to succeed in studying or working, it is more important to have an ability to adapt to changing conditions or circumstances than to have excellent knowledge in the job or the study. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Use specific reasons and details in your essay.
Over the past few decades, the importance of having various types of abilities has been greatly emphasized in terms of succeeding in studying or working. So, it’s been argued whether it is more important to have the ability to adapt to changing conditions or circumstances than to have excellent knowledge in the job or the study. Some people might say that it is more important to have deep insight and knowledge about a specific field, while others might disagree with it. However, I am deeply convinced that having the ability to adapt to changing conditions or circumstances is more important than having excellent knowledge. Actually, I have a couple of reasons to support my opinion and will explain and develop them in the next following paragraphs below.
First and foremost, having the ability to easily and quickly adapt to new conditions makes you have better cooperation and team-atmosphere. Studying and working well with others is highly important when making a good result, and only the ones who can adapt to new environments can study and work with others very easily. Some people might say that having excellent knowledge is crucial when making a high-end result. Just knowing a variety of deep information might help you temporarily, but no one can succeed without having the ability to make better cooperation and teamwork with others. A famous movie called “Pursuit of Happiness” is a great example of this. In the film, the main character is a man who doesn’t have any depth in knowledge. He adapts, however, to new situations very well and could take on any type of problem in any circumstances. When he tries to apply for a job at a very large company, the company tests him by giving him a week to prove his usefulness. Though he isn’t particularly smart or intelligent, he tries to adapt to the new environment right away and even satisfies his soon-to-be coworkers. Finally, the company hires him because they thought of his fast adaptation as a very useful and important ability. They tell the main character that his depth of knowledge is not really important because having excellent knowledge is limited in the workplace in terms of meeting various types of people and numerous types of opportunities in the future. Therefore, it is obvious that having the ability to adapt to changing conditions or circumstances is better than having excellent knowledge in the job or the study.
Moreover, being able to adapt to new conditions prevents you from giving up and makes you stay motivated. Most people give up on their studies or work projects because they struggle with changing situations and conditions. However, the ones who adapt well to new environments are prone to easily facing new challenges and never give up. Though it is true that having excellent knowledge might give one creativity and confidence when doing something new, never giving up until a project or goal is finished is more crucial in having success. For example, one of the most famous quotes of Steve Jobs is “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” In the life of Steve Jobs before being the founder of Apple, he met many failures and rejections. He also experienced a lot of changes in his situations, such as suddenly dropping out of university, suddenly making a team, suddenly having a dream, suddenly getting back-stabbed by a friend of his, and suddenly meeting success. Throughout his lifetime, he never gave up on doing something productive. Even when he lost everything he had, he was constantly meeting new people and creating new things. He, a builder of inventions, made one of the best animated films in Pixar, “Toy Story 1.” When an interviewer asked him what his secret to success is, he answered that the best tip for success is admitting your failure quickly and moving on to the next challenge. If Steve Jobs had had only a university degree and hadn’t had the ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances, he couldn’t have founded Apple and now wouldn't become one of the greatest people in the world. Therefore, it is more important to adapt to changing conditions or circumstances than to have excellent knowledge in the job or the study.