essay influence person

Sample Essays: Influential Person

Please select from the following sample application essays:

Essay 1: Wellesley | Essay 2: Harvard | Essay 3: Harvard

Note: The following essays were not edited by EssayEdge Editors. They appear as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers.

Sample Essay 1

Wellesley, Influence of mother

It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She's the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children, and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist Washington's impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.

My mother's enthusiasm for learning is most apparent in travel. I was nine years old when my family visited Greece. Every night for three weeks before the trip, my older brother Peter and I sat with my mother on her bed reading Greek myths and taking notes on the Greek Gods. Despite the fact that we were traveling with fourteen-month-old twins, we managed to be at each ruin when the site opened at sunrise. I vividly remember standing in an empty ampitheatre pretending to be an ancient tragedian, picking out my favorite sculpture in the Acropolis museum, and inserting our family into modified tales of the battle at Troy. Eight years and half a dozen passport stamps later I have come to value what I have learned on these journeys about global history, politics and culture, as well as my family and myself.

While I treasure the various worlds my mother has opened to me abroad, my life has been equally transformed by what she has shown me just two miles from my house. As a ten year old, I often accompanied my mother to (name deleted), a local soup kitchen and children's center. While she attended meetings, I helped with the Summer Program by chasing children around the building and performing magic tricks. Having finally perfected the "floating paintbrush" trick, I began work as a full time volunteer with the five and six year old children last June. It is here that I met Jane Doe, an exceptionally strong girl with a vigor that is contagious. At the end of the summer, I decided to continue my work at (name deleted) as Jane's tutor. Although the position is often difficult, the personal rewards are beyond articulation. In the seven years since I first walked through the doors of (name deleted), I have learned not only the idea of giving to others, but also of deriving from them a sense of spirit.

Everything that my mother has ever done has been overshadowed by the thought behind it. While the raw experiences I have had at home and abroad have been spectacular, I have learned to truly value them by watching my mother. She has enriched my life with her passion for learning, and changed it with her devotion to humanity. In her endless love of everything and everyone she is touched by, I have seen a hope and life that is truly exceptional. Next year, I will find a new home miles away. However, my mother will always be by my side.

The topic of this essay is the writer's mother. However, the writer definitely focuses on herself, which makes this essay so strong. She manages to impress the reader with her travel experience, volunteer and community experience, and commitment to learning without ever sounding boastful or full of herself. The essay is also very well organized.

Sample Essay 2

Harvard, Favorite fictional character

Of all the characters that I've "met" through books and movies, two stand out as people that I most want to emulate. They are Attacus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird and Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham from Field of Dreams. They appeal to me because they embody what I strive to be. They are influential people in small towns who have a direct positive effect on those around them. I, too, plan to live in a small town after graduating from college, and that positive effect is something I must give in order to be satisfied with my life.

Both Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham are strong supporting characters in wonderful stories. They symbolize good, honesty, and wisdom. When the story of my town is written I want to symbolize those things. The base has been formed for me to live a productive, helpful life. As an Eagle Scout I represent those things that Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham represent. In the child/adolescent world I am Mr. Finch and Dr. Graham, but soon I'll be entering the adult world, a world in which I'm not yet prepared to lead.

I'm quite sure that as teenagers Attacus Finch and Moonlight Graham often wondered what they could do to help others. They probably emulated someone who they had seen live a successful life. They saw someone like my grandfather, 40-year president of our hometown bank, enjoy a lifetime of leading, sharing, and giving. I have seen him spend his Christmas Eves taking gifts of food and joy to indigent families. Often when his bank could not justify a loan to someone in need, my grandfather made the loan from his own pocket. He is a real-life Moonlight Graham, a man who has shown me that characters like Dr. Graham and Mr. Finch do much much more than elicit tears and smiles from readers and movie watchers. Through him and others in my family I feel I have acquired the values and the burning desire to benefit others that will form the foundation for a great life. I also feel that that foundation is not enough. I do not yet have the sophistication, knowledge, and wisdom necessary to succeed as I want to in the adult world. I feel that Harvard, above all others, can guide me toward the life of greatness that will make me the Attacus Finch of my town.

This essay is a great example of how to answer this question well. This applicant chose characters who demonstrated specific traits that reflect on his own personality. We believe that he is sincere about his choices because his reasons are personal (being from a small town, and so forth). He managed to tell us a good deal about himself, his values, and his goals while maintaining a strong focus throughout.

Sample Essay 3

Harvard, Family illness: Mother's fight with cancer

I am learning, both through observations and first-hand experiences, that there are many mishaps in life which seem to be unexplainable and unfair, and yet have devastating consequences. Disease fits into this category. Its atrocity does not stem from the fact that it is a rare or uncommon occurrence, since illness and disease pervade our lives as we hear numerous stories of sick people and come into contact with them each day. However, there is a marked difference between reading in the newspaper that a famous rock star or sports icon has tested H.I.V. positive and discovering that your own mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

Undoubtedly, the most influential people in my life have been my mother and father. It is to them that I credit many of my accomplishments and successes--both inside and outside of school. Throughout my childhood, my parents have always fostered and encouraged me in all my endeavors. At all my sporting events, spelling bees, concerts, and countless other activities, they have always been front row and center. My parents, in conjunction with twelve years of Catholic training, have also instilled in me a sound belief in a loving, caring God, which I have come to firmly believe. It therefore should not come as a surprise that the news of my mothers sickness would greatly alter my entire outlook on life. Where was my God?

My mother, in fact, had been aware of her condition in the spring of my junior year in high school. She deliberately did not inform my sister or me of her illness because she did not want to distract us from our studies. Instead, my mother waited for the completion of her radiation therapy treatments. At this time, she brought me into her room, sat me down on the same wooden rocking chair from which she used to read me bedtime stories, and began to relate her story. I did not weep, I did not flinch. In fact, I hardly even moved, but from that point onward, I vowed that I would do anything and everything to please my mother and make her proud of me.

Every subsequent award won and every honor bestowed upon me has been inspired by the recollection of my mother's plight. I look to her as a driving force of motivation. In her I see the firm, enduring qualities of courage, strength, hope, and especially love. Whenever I feel discouraged or dispirited, I remember the example set by my mother and soon become reinvigorated. Instead of groveling in my sorrow, I think of all the pain and suffering that my mother had to endure and am revived with new energy after realizing the triviality of my own predicament. For instance, last year, when I was playing in a championship soccer game, my leg became entangled with a forwards leg on the other team, and I wound up tearing my medial cruciate ligament. I was very upset for having injured myself in such a seemingly inane manner. Completely absorbed in my own anguish, I would not talk to anyone and instead lamented on the sidelines. But then I remembered something that my mother used to say to me whenever something like this happened: If this is the worst thing that ever happens to you, I'll be very happy, and you'll be very lucky. Instantly, many thoughts race through my mind. I pictured my mother as a young thirteen-year-old walking to the hospital every day after school to visit her sick father. She had always told me how extremely painful it had been to watch his body become emaciated as the cancer advanced day by day and finally took its toll. I then pictured my mother in the hospital, thirty years later, undergoing all the physically and mentally debilitating tests, and having to worry about her husband and her children at the same time. I suddenly felt incredibly ashamed at how immature I had been acting over my own affliction. I gathered my thoughts and instead of sulking or complaining, helped coach my team to victory.

I am very happy to say that my mother is now feeling much better and her periodic checkups and C.A.T. scans have indicated that she is doing very well. Nevertheless, her strength and courage will remain a constant source of inspiration to me. I feel confident to greet the future with a resolute sense of hope and optimism.

The majority of the suggestions for this essay highlight the danger inherent in relying on an overly poignant topic, in this case the writer's mother's bout with cancer. Part of why the reactions to this piece are so passionate (and why there are so many of them) is because had the applicant just taken a slightly different approach, he could have had a powerful and touching composition on his hands. It is always frustrating when a piece with so much potential misses the mark. In this case, the material and emotion are all there. Had he spent more time and written with more sincerity, this essay might have been a real winner.

I wish this kid had started the essay with his mom sitting him down in the rocking chair. That would have been a powerful beginning. In general, using the introduction of the essay to paint a scene or mood can be very effective.

He should begin with the most simple and striking sentence possible, such as "On January 5, 1995, my mother learned that she had cancer." Use real times and exact places. Let the most dramatic point go where it belongs, at the end of the sentence--also known as the stress point.

Because this topic is so personal, I yearn to know more about the student's reaction to his mom's cancer, how he and his family dealt with it over time. As written, things just seem a bit too tidy.

The author describes a valuable life lesson, but I find the writing style to be artificial and a bit maudlin. I imagine he resorted to the thesaurus more than once.

The writer tells us a sad story about his mother with cancer and how he has strived to do his best because of what his mother has been through. The topic can be a tear jerker, but this essay lacked the depth and richness that other essays with similar topics possess.

The experience obviously impacted the student very much. But what students do not realize is that they do not have to share such personal issues within the confines of a college essay.

I don't believe the "epiphany" in the conclusion as it's described. It's too easy and convenient to be believable. He begins his description with "For instance," which negates almost everything that follows. When he sees his mother in his mind, he "instantly" thinks this and "suddenly" does that, and finally "helped coach his team to victory." He "coached" the team. "Cheered" maybe. "Coached?" No way.

This essay smells of contrivance. Yes, his mother's bout with cancer affected him. Just not in the way he wants me to believe. This is the "lasting sanctifying effect" essay. Look at what the writer is actually saying (using his own words): I used to be "absorbed in my own anguish" and "lament" my bouts with adversity. But, "instantly" or "suddenly" (take your pick), I became a young man "confident to greet the future with a resolute sense of hope and optimism." Why not say, "I used to be a thoughtless, immature teenager. My mother got cancer. I'm now a thoughtful, mature adult. You should admit me to _____." His essay is no less subtle.

Return to: Lesson One: College Essay Questions

Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Admission Essay
Statement of Purpose Editing
Personal Statement Editing
Recommendation Letter
Motivation Letter
Cover Letter
Supplemental Essay
Letter of Continued Interest
Scholarship Essay
Role Model Essay
Our Editors
College Admission Essay Examples
College Cover Letter Examples
College Personal Statement Examples
Graduate Personal Statement Examples
Graduate Statement of Purpose Examples
MBA Essay Examples
MBA Personal Statement Examples
MBA Resume Examples
MBA Recommendation Letter Examples
Medical School Personal Statement Examples
Medical School Recommendation Letter Examples
Pricing Plans
Public Health
Dissertation
Research Paper
Thesis Editing
Academic Editing
Motivation letter
Letter of Recommendation
Personal Statement
Statement of Purpose

‘Someone Who Has Made an Impact On Your Life’ Essay Sample

EssayEdge > Blog > ‘Someone Who Has Made an Impact On Your Life’ Essay Sample

“Describe a person who has influenced you” is the opening phrase of several personal statement prompts that go on to ask that you provide details of what that influence was. The major mistake made in these personal statement essays is that candidates make the essay about the individual and that individual’s achievements and character, which is all fine, but not if it is at the expense of detailing how that person has influenced you. The other mistake candidates make in response to this prompt is that they answer with the intuitive “first response,” which is usually a parent. And there is nothing wrong with offering a parent as the influential person – but only if in so doing, you can show that it was your parent who provided you with the abilities and interests that set you apart and can contribute to the target program.

As is the case with most personal statement essays, the success of your essay is determined before you begin writing – by what you decide to offer as content. In this essay there are many approaches to use – parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, friends, political leaders, celebrities – all of these categories can be tapped when it comes to the choice of who it was that influenced you. Let’s discuss how to write an essay about someone who influenced you and avoid the most typical mistakes.

The Trap to Avoid in Your “Who Has Influenced You the Most in Your Life” Essay

The trap to avoid is the trap of selecting a person without thinking through what you can offer as the influence. What is the strongest aspect of your candidacy? Your creativity? Your communication skills? Your technical background? Your professional background? The answer to this question – “What is the strongest aspect of your candidacy?” – is what should determine your subject matter for personal statement essays about a person who influenced you.

If your strength, say, is your background in a particular field, in your personal statement about a person who influenced you, identify the person who steered you in the direction of that field.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

By doing this, you will use your essay about a person who influenced your life not only as a means to describe someone with positive traits you would like to emulate, but someone whose influence in your life was critical in letting you develop those skills that most set you apart as a candidate.

Writing a Great Personal Statement
Describe a significant experience or achievement
Discuss an issue that is important to you
Why is our school right for you?

You certainly had someone who changed your life, even if you feel it difficult to remember who it was. This essay topic is fantastic because it lets you look at yourself from a different angle, so try to analyze your life and express it in writing. Our experts edit essays 24/7 , so if you need professional guidance and advice, you’re welcome.

A Person That Has Influenced My Life, Essay Example

Pages: 1

Words: 311

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Throughout my life I had met hundreds of people who had somehow influenced me either physically or emotionally. However, there was only one person who had a substantial impact on my inner world and changed my understanding of life drastically.

His name was Frank Carpenter and he was a pastor in a local church. This man, though occupying a rather high rank in the church, was never obsessed with cynicism and was always ready to give any person a hand in a difficult situation. His friendly and inviting smile was probably the main thing, which magnetized me to come to the church again and again. One day I was brave enough to make a confession. I have long desired to open my soul and cleanse it from the earthly dirt of negative emotions and anger, and finally accomplished my goal. I talked for almost half an hour and when I finally stopped, the priest behind the curtain commenced to give me a feedback. This was the moment when I realized that the priest to whom I confessed was Frank Carpenter, the minister himself. To my astonishment, the man answered all my questions concerning life, sin, future, family, school, and other things that bothered my mind. His speech was long and educative and covered the aspects of my life, which I have never even thought of before. His attitude to the modern world was filled with love and tenderness, despite all the fears, dangers, and misunderstandings. He loved people and they, in most cases, responded in the exact same manner. He never lied, and people seldom lied to him. He truly did to others, as he wanted them to do to him.

This person became my hero and my teacher. He changed my way of thinking and my attitude to human beings. I am forever grateful that I was destined to meet this person.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Who Is Jesus Christ and What Is His Mission to the World? Essay Example

Strategy of Containment, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

Introduction.

My life has been significantly influenced by my grandmother. She is a person of great strength and wisdom, and her life stories have always inspired me.

Her Influence

My grandmother’s resilience in the face of adversity has taught me to be brave. Even during hardships, she never loses her positivity.

Lessons Learned

From her, I’ve learned the importance of hard work, patience, and kindness. Her selfless nature has made me more compassionate towards others.

In conclusion, my grandmother’s influence has shaped my character and outlook on life. Her teachings will always guide me.

250 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

The beacon of wisdom.

My grandmother, a woman of immense wisdom and resilience, has been my guiding star. She has always been a strong advocate for education, believing that it is the key to freedom and self-improvement. Her life stories, filled with struggles and triumphs, have taught me the value of perseverance and the power of determination.

The Embodiment of Empathy

Her empathy towards others has always been infectious. She always emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting the feelings of others. This has greatly influenced my interpersonal relationships, making me more considerate and compassionate.

Instilling the Love for Learning

One of the most significant influences she had on me was instilling a love for learning. She encouraged curiosity and exploration, teaching me to question, investigate, and learn. This has not only impacted my academic pursuits but has also shaped my approach towards life.

In conclusion, my grandmother’s influence has been instrumental in shaping my character and life philosophy. Her wisdom, empathy, and love for learning have left an indelible mark on me. Her influence serves as a reminder that individuals can significantly impact others, shaping their perspectives and ultimately their lives. This influence transcends time and space, living on in the hearts and minds of those they touch.

500 Words Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

In the journey of life, we encounter numerous individuals who leave a profound impact on our lives. However, there is always one person who stands out, casting a significant influence that shapes our personality, values, and life perspective. For me, that person is my grandmother. Her resilience, wisdom, and unconditional love have profoundly influenced my life.

Grandmother’s Resilience

My grandmother, a woman of strength and resilience, was born in a time when women’s roles were confined to the household. Despite these societal constraints, she pursued her education with a relentless spirit. Her resilience was further tested when she became a widow at a young age, left with the responsibility of raising five children single-handedly. Her determination to overcome these adversities instilled in me a sense of resilience. Witnessing her strength has taught me to face challenges head-on, turning adversities into opportunities for growth.

Wisdom and Life Lessons

Beyond her resilience, my grandmother is a wellspring of wisdom. She has an innate ability to turn mundane life events into profound life lessons. From her, I learned that life is not about the trials we face, but how we respond to them. She taught me to value patience, understanding, and kindness over material possessions. Her wisdom has shaped my worldview, enabling me to approach life with a balanced perspective, appreciating the simple joys while also acknowledging the inevitable challenges.

Unconditional Love

Perhaps the most significant influence my grandmother had on me is her demonstration of unconditional love. Despite her struggles, she always prioritized the happiness and well-being of her family. She showered us with love and care, reminding us that we are cherished and valued. This unconditional love has influenced my relationships, teaching me the importance of empathy, compassion, and understanding. It has made me a better friend, sibling, and citizen, as I strive to extend the same love and kindness to those around me.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

How to Write a Descriptive Essay on an Influential Person in Your Life

How to Write a Speech About Someone I Admire

A descriptive essay on an influential person can be about someone who has had a positive or negative impact on your life. This person can be a teacher, a coach, a family member, a friend, an employer, a political figure, a historical figure or even a fictional character. The key element of writing this type of essay is to reflect on how and why the person has influenced you.

Focus Your Essay

As in any essay, when writing about an influential person in your life you should include a thesis statement. In this case, the thesis statement declares how or why this person has influenced you life. For example, if writing about your soccer coach, you may write, "Through his advice and the example of his character, my soccer coach has inspired me to never be lazy, to get back up after a fall, and to be a confident leader." The thesis statement gives you, the writer, a focus and direction so that you are not only describing a person, but exploring the causes and effects of that person's impact on you.

Start With an Anecdote

Instead of starting the essay with an explicit physical or personal description of the person, you can more meaningfully reveal who the individual is by sharing a personal story. For example, if you are writing about your sibling, you can begin the essay with a specific memory of a moment or experience you shared in which your relationship or your sibling's strengths and weaknesses are revealed through actions. This is an engaging way to entertain the reader while imparting valuable information about the person you are describing.

Describe the Person

At some point in the descriptive essay, you need to describe the influential person. This description -- which can include physical attributes, biographical information and personality traits -- should be related with concrete language. The description should paint a vivid picture of all that matters about the person. The writer needs to be judicious in which descriptive material she selects for inclusion in the essay; the information should be determined by the overall point being made in the essay. For example, if your thesis statement is about how Abraham Lincoln is your hero because of all his accomplishments relative to the social and political conditions of the time, descriptions of his favorite hobbies or hair color may not be pertinent. The description serves to give a deeper and more vivid portrait of the influential person, but should ultimately serve the higher cause of the thesis statement and the effect of the person on the writer.

Describe Your Relationship

When writing about an influential person, you have to talk not just about the person, but also about the reason the person has made an impact on your life; this means you have to talk about yourself, what specific things you have learned from this person, and how those lessons affect you today. An important strategy for successfully describing the relationship between the person and the writer is to give specific examples. For example, don't just say, "my grandmother is generous"; give specific examples of her generosity: "she always makes sure everyone is fed before eating," or "she sold her jewelry to help pay for a car so that I could drive to work." These specific examples are more powerful and evoke more empathy than general descriptive words such as "kind" or "generous."

How to Write an Autobiography for a Scholarship

How to Write a Self-Portrait Essay

How to Determine the Tone of an Essay

How to Write a Good Personality Essay

How to Write a Retreat Letter

How to Write a College Character Analysis Essay

How to Write a Thesis Statement for "Robinson Crusoe"

Purpose of a Pronoun

The University of Texas at El Paso: How to Write an Expressive or Descriptive Essay
Butte College: Writing a Descriptive Essay

Soheila Battaglia is a published and award-winning author and filmmaker. She holds an MA in literary cultures from New York University and a BA in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley. She is a college professor of literature and composition.

How to Write a College Essay About an Influential Person

November 2, 2022

When brainstorming topics for your college essay, you’ve probably considered writing about a person who has influenced or inspired you–a parent or grandparent, a sibling, a teacher, or another significant figure in your life. You may be writing an essay of your own design or responding to the fourth prompt on this year’s Common Application: Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Writing about someone else in a college essay can be tricky—after all, your ultimate goal is still to tell admissions officers enough about you to help them decide whether to offer you admission. But there’s a way to do that even while writing a specific, insightful essay centered on another person. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of choosing someone to write about, brainstorming, and pulling your ideas together into a finished essay.

Choosing a person to write about

One of our favorite college essays about someone other than the writer is Zoya Garg’s essay about her mother, which was published in the New York Times . Garg writes about her mother’s dreams of a career as a stand-up comedian and how a gift from Garg helped set her on the path to achieving those dreams:

“My mom finds a baffling delight from drinking from glass, hotel-grade water dispensers. Even when three-day-old lemon rinds float in stale water, drinking from the dispenser remains luxurious. Last year for her birthday, I saved enough to buy a water dispenser for our kitchen counter. However, instead of water, I filled it with handwritten notes encouraging her to chase her dreams of a career.”

One of the things that works well about Garg’s essay is how precisely Garg pinpoints the ways her mom has inspired her—Garg mentions her mother’s curiosity, her sense of humor, and her ability to “light up conversations” with and “reach the hearts of” everyone she encounters. If you’re going to write an essay about someone else, choose someone about whom you can identify these kinds of details, rather than someone who has inspired you from afar.

Inspiration doesn’t always have to be positive—perhaps you were inspired by not wanting to be like a particular person in your life. But if you choose to write about someone who inspired you in a more indirect or negative way, be mindful of the tone you’re striking in your essay and the impression it might leave on an admissions officer. Remember that your essay is an opportunity to show the kind of community member you would be if admitted to the school.

Brainstorming your essay

A successful essay about someone who has inspired you will have two key ingredients: examples and reflection. (To learn more on the importance of reflection in the college essay, check out our Complete Your College Essay Online Course .) But unlike a recipe, you don’t have to add these ingredients in any particular order—you can begin by brainstorming either one and still find your way to a powerful finished essay.

If you’d like to start with examples, spend some time thinking about moments when this person inspired or influenced you. Try to pinpoint them as precisely as possible: Did you have a conversation with your father or a driving lesson with your mother that particularly taught you something? Did time spent with an older sibling while on a family vacation show you something about the person you hope to become?

Once you have your list of moments, try writing a sentence or two about what you learned in each instance. For example: Driving with my mother, who always wanted to take the scenic route, reminded me of the importance of patience, something I have long struggled with.

If you already know what you’ve learned from the person you’re focusing on, you can just as easily do this brainstorm in reverse. Try first writing out the “lessons” you’ve learned. Then, under each one, list as many examples as you can think of that illustrate how this person taught you what you’ve learned from them—the driving lesson, the meaningful conversation, the morning spent surfing, and more. The most evocative examples and moments on the list will be excellent material for your essay.

Beginning to write

You’ve probably spent a lot of time with the most important people in your life. (If you haven’t, that might be an essay in itself!) That can make those people even harder to describe, because we know so much more about them than can fit into a single essay.

As you begin to write, return to some of the questions you asked during the brainstorming process:

What one illustrative story can you tell about this person?
What one or two key things have you learned from them, or what one or two things have they inspired you to do?
Was there a specific experience one of you went through during which they inspired you?

Think back to Zoya Garg’s anecdote of a birthday gift, which tells a much larger story about her relationship with her mother and about Garg’s own ability to understand and support those around her.

Sometimes the easiest way to build this kind of essay is to work backwards. Consider this person’s traits – what does the reader need to know most about the person, and what have you learned from them? Perhaps it’s your mother’s fondness for taking the scenic route, or your sister’s willingness to try new things. Then make a list of experiences, traits, or adjectives that best capture those elements: Is it the way they laugh, how they take charge in difficult situations, how they walk into a room? In Garg’s essay, one telling detail is her mother’s “baffling delight” in drinking out of fancy glass water dispensers, which kicks off the entire story. Those are the perfect kinds of characteristics and small moments to include in your essay.

And remember—it isn’t enough just to describe this inspirational person. You’ll also need to describe how their influence shows up in your life, in big or small ways.

Revising your essay

Once you’ve drafted your essay, and perhaps taken some time away from the draft, look at your essay with fresh eyes . This is a great opportunity to check that your essay is specific and precise in the way you describe the person who inspired you, so that the admissions officers reading your essay will come away feeling like they know that person. Keep in mind that even if you’re writing about an experience of anti-inspiration, or someone who inspired you not to be like them, it’s worth trying to strike a positive tone in your essay.

And finally, remember that your ultimate goal is to give the admissions committee insight into who they might be inviting into their campus community. You want them to feel as though they’ve gotten to know you —no matter who else you introduce them to along the way.

Complete your College Essay

Conquer the Common Application Essay with confidence from the comfort of your home with our virtual on-demand course, providing videos, resources, prompts and weekly office hours to help you achieve success.

Students will walk away with a complete, authentic Personal Statement that they can be proud to submit to the colleges of their dreams.

Tips for Writing for Canadian Universities vs American College Applications

University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, McGill University, Universite de Montreal and many more – Canadian Universities like these

college essay tips from admission counselors Q&A with Jason Locke

College Essay Tips from Admission Counselor Jason Locke

In the following Q&A, former Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell University Jason Locke shares college essay tips from admission

Boost Your Writing Skills and Connect with Other Writers: 3 Reasons to Join Write the World’s Virtual Writing Summer Camp

Looking to Improve Your Writing Skills? Join our Virtual Writing Summer Camp Now! Whether you’re an aspiring writer seeking to

Subscribe now to learn more about our virtual camps, college essay programs, and more.

20 University Road, Suite 500, Cambridge, MA 02138

Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience. Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

In everyone’s life there is a person who is considered to be the closest one in the whole world. For me this person is my mother. My mother influences every step of my life: how I live and interact with other people. She is an inspiration for my achievements and guidance into the successful future. She has always helped me to overcome any difficulties that I faced since early childhood trying to give me hopes for better future. My mother combines the best features which a person may have; she is a clever, kind and open woman with beautiful appearance and rich inner world.

My mother is Dominican; she is quite a pretty and well educated woman. Despite her age she looks young and beautiful. My mother is not very tall though her height underlines her regular features. She has short curly black hair and shining brown eyes. I want to note that her eyes deserve additional attention because they are so kind and frank that one cannot but notice her open and friendly character at once, during the first seconds of communication with her.

I like her smile most of all in the world. It is so beautiful that when she smiles I cannot but smile too. Her light complexion and big blushed cheeks especially emphasize her charming smile. My mother’s skin is very soft and tender; when I hold her hands in mine I feel that I am protected from the whole world and I feel the happiest person. I like the way my mother dresses. She always tries to keep pace with fashion though her style is unique and individual.

She is slim and has a wonderful figure; her clothes lay a stress on her beautiful features. I would like to note that my mother is a wonderful person not only out but also inside. To my way of thinking she is the reflection of light; not in vain her name Lucia is translated from Italian as “light”. She is an open, responsive and light person who is always there to help and support me at difficult moments of my life.

For me my mother is the cleverest person in the world. I can speak a lot about my mother because she is considered to be my reflection and my hero. One day I had to clean my room before the arrival of my relatives. My mother asked me: “Please, do something with your box of old posters. It takes a lot of space.” I was in hesitation but answered: “Ok. I’ll try…” She knew that they were very important for me to throw them out. I was really upset because they took too much place in my room.

Next day when I returned home from school I found out that my box disappeared. I was in despair. Suddenly my mother asked me to bring something from our attic. I went there and found out that all the walls in the room were decorated with my posters. That moment I felt really happy. I cried: “Thank you, mom!!!” Her idea to use my old posters as a decoration was just wonderful. I can surely say that my mother is the cleverest person.

My mother is really the kindness person in the world. When I was small, my mother made a special present for me. I came after school and she gave me a puppy. “He is so cute” I said. “This is for you! Take care of him. He is very small and helpless. He really needs your care.” – said my mother watching how happy I was. It is difficult to describe my feelings that day. It was my dream and my puppy became a member of our family. Two days later I got to know that my mother found this small creature near the store. It was hungry and miserable. My mother could not but took puppy home, washed and fed him. Now this puppy is a strong big dog which lives with my family and we love him very much. I can say without hesitation that my mother is the kindness person in the world.

My mother is a very wise person who can always find solution to any problems. I understand that her life experience helps her to make right decisions. But there are some situations when her opinion completely contradicts my own. And as a result she always appears to be right. Her logical thinking helps our family to live in harmony and happiness. We have never quarreled because of some trifles and my mother taught me to find a half way with people even when you cannot agree with their views.

For example, when my cousin and I quarreled who would do the work about the house, my mother offered to work in the form of a game. The speed and high quality of work enabled us to win a price. “I bought two tickets for the concert. If you combine your efforts, you would enjoy the play of your favorite group this evening.” The work was shared equally and done in time. This idea was really wise. I consider that my mother knows the way out of any difficult situation!

Of course it is impossible to describe all the features of my mother in the short piece of writing but I would like to say that this person takes the first place in my life. I would be always thankful to her for all she has done for me. I am pretty sure that she is the reason for all my achievements and victories. Her qualities helped me to understand how people should behave in life. She taught me a lot and now I can easily overcome any problems I face. My mother is the only hero of my life.

She combines only positive features which a person can have. I am really proud to have such a mother as mine. I consider her the greatest person in my life who helped me to become the person I am now and influenced every step of my thoughts and behavior. She is the only inspiration for all actions and decisions of mine. I am really proud of her!

Roman Catholic Church: Congregational Worship Experiences
Knowledge Through the Pain of Trial-and-Error
Hesitation and Indeterminacy of Hamlet
Hamlet’s Hesitation in Revenge: Four Separate Theories
Operant Conditioning in Dog Training
An Aesthetic Experience of Nature
The Long Road of My Life
Pressures in Life: Definition, Illustration, and Analysis
My Visit to the Great Rift Valley
Interviews Comparison Between With a Child and With an Elderly Person
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 27). Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience. https://ivypanda.com/essays/describing-a-person-who-influenced-you-personal-experience/

"Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience." IvyPanda , 27 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/describing-a-person-who-influenced-you-personal-experience/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience'. 27 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience." September 27, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/describing-a-person-who-influenced-you-personal-experience/.

1. IvyPanda . "Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience." September 27, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/describing-a-person-who-influenced-you-personal-experience/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience." September 27, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/describing-a-person-who-influenced-you-personal-experience/.

An Essay about Someone Who Has Made an Impact on Your Life

Who has made a significant impact in your life and why? Essay on the topic might be challenging to write. One is usually asked to write such a text as a college admission essay.

A topic for this paper can be of your choice or pre-established by the institution. Either way, you may have to describe a person who influenced your life.

Here, we’ll tell you how to write about someone who had a huge impact on your life:

Learn story-telling techniques.
Choose the right person that affected you significantly.
Describe the representative situation in an engaging way.
Focus on yourself and the meaning of your journey.

However, it may not be enough to write about someone who had a great impact on your life. You should know some other peculiarities which we are going to discuss right now. Don’t forget that you can always find help here with any academic task.

📃 Writing about a Person Who Influenced You

Writing your essay about someone who has made an impact on your life starts with learning a few techniques. One of the main things you should know is that you will have to create a captivating story. Thus, you should know how to write personal narrative essays , some basic rules of story-telling.

Here is what you should keep in mind:

Tell a story. A great way to engage your audience is to say something in the form of a story. Human brain processes information better that way. With words and sensory details, you can create a mental image of the person you are describing.
Be personal. It can resemble composing an autobiography or memoir as you have to talk about your actual experience. There is nothing more moving than an individual story, so do not be afraid to open up in the reflective essay. Talk about the change you’ve experienced after meeting the person that influenced you.
Don’t be predictable. A good story needs some level of suspense. There are many ways in which it can be done. You can try to tell the story chronologically or go back in time and include flashbacks. Try to surprise your readers with an intriguing essay title.
Create a three-dimensional character. The focus of the story is not the sequence of events. It’s the character. Provide enough details and explain to the reader what makes that unusual.
Show instead of telling. It’s a core idea of good story-telling. By doing that, you invite the readers to the scene. For starters, try using dialogue instead of narration.
End on a positive note. Even if you had to face challenges, tell about a positive influence in your life. The biggest impact might be harmful, but it helped you grow nonetheless. Help the readers to see a piece of wisdom or a lesson you have learned.

Besides, we have listed some quick hints. With them, you’ll complete your essay on someone who has made a significant impact on your life and why successfully:

Someone’s impact that you can describe may be either positive or negative. A vast majority of essays written about influential persons speak positively about them. However, do not try to overidealize. It’s fair to talk about negative as much as about positive. A person that influenced you does not have to be likable or perfect. It is enough to recognize the positive qualities that made an impact on you. It will help the commission to see you as a thinking and just person.
Be as specific as possible. Describe a particular incident that explains this person’s impact on you. You have to describe the qualities of the person through the actual events that took place and the overall environment. However, remember that the story is also about you and how the person influenced you. Be specific about your growth and journey. The essay is the best way to demonstrate your thoughts and personality.
The main character of your essay might be someone you do not know personally. Stay truthful and honest to yourself. If someone who has made an impact on your life is a person you have never met, write about it. You could talk about your grandparent whose story you’ve heard or an author of your favorite book. Describe how a person that you’ve met on social media and the friendship with them changed you.

Whoever it is that inspired you, remember that the essay is also about you. It is not the best practice to talk about celebrities, though. You might appear as a fan and not as a thinker.

🎯 College Application Essay

Why are you writing paragraph after paragraph about the person who has made an impact on your life? If this essay is for some contest or is a part of the college application package, be careful.

We’ve gathered some tips on writing an application essay:

Construct a story. Every story should have a good beginning, a middle, and an end. The first paragraph should serve as an introduction to your information. At the same time, leave the last section for the conclusion. The middle part is where you describe the events in your account.
Outline it. To make every paragraph count, you should create an outline. It will help you to understand what you want to say in each particular moment in your story. As well as stay on track and coherently describe the incident in your essay.
Provide examples. They can help you prove your point and demonstrate your role model’s qualities. Instead of saying my father is a generous person, you can find an example in which he showed generosity. These parts should always lead back to you. The goal here is to show how their good conduct influenced your life decisions.
Be honest. Staying true to who you are is essential. Read successful college essay examples if you’re not sure about it. After all, the paper is not about the role model, but it is about the influence. Try to write something that will be creative and unique. Honesty is the key to reach your reader’s heart.
Ask someone to read it. Once you finish, ask a friend or a relative for their honest feedback. They can evaluate the content, the grammar, the readability, and the style. An independent reader can help you to improve all of these points.
Don’t include the prompt. Remember that the admissions committee will receive hundreds of essays on this subject. Do not repeat standard templates and writing prompts. Your goal is to stand out from the crowd, and the only way to do it is by writing something meaningful and personal.

Most importantly:

You will have a particular word limit. It means you need to be very precise and clear when writing your essay on the person who has had the greatest impact on your life. You should be able to express the main idea and explain the effects in 200 or even fewer words.

Tips on how to prepare “remembering a person” essays can also be useful for your task. Look up successful someone who has impacted your life essay examples as well.

Who Has Made a Significant Impact in Your Life & Why: Essay Example

Every person has a unique character that is formed under the impact of various factors. These include the environment, social status, financial status, and many other elements that play a vital role in the life of any individual. However, being social creatures, people are most of all impacted by other people as they since the first minutes of their lives, up to the last ones, they live in society and interact with its representatives.

People Who Influenced You: Essay Topics

Teacher’s influence on my personality .
Discuss how your teacher’s attitude influenced your desire to study.
Describe a teacher who had a negative impact on your zeal to learn the subject.
How the example of Henri Cartier-Bresson influenced my desire to become a photographer.
Parental influence on my life outcomes.
Explain how a conversation with happy spouses changed your views on marriage.
How James Brown influenced my dancing style.
Effect of an online friend on my life.
Analyze how the example and behavior of your parents influenced your character.
School bullies and their impact on my life.
Discuss the impact Disney cartoon characters had on your perception of gender roles.
Narrate how Maria Montessori work impacted your desire to become a teacher.
Describe how your vegetarian friend influenced you to change your eating habits .
Examine the role of your coach in your decision to take up football.
Role of influencers in American society.
How your Italian relatives impacted your view on family and your cultural values.
Discuss the way Aristotle’s understanding of ethics influences your ethical values.
Analyze the impact if your father’s beliefs on your career choice .
How meeting my best friend affected my life.
Teacher’s impact on my choice of career .
Why I think George Washington is a true hero: the impact of his personality on my life.
Describe how life and example of Florence Nightingale inspired you to become a nurse.
A fictional character that influenced my worldview.
My mother’s influence on my ideals of beauty .
Hayao Miyazaki and his influence on me.
How my uncle helped me to overcome my fear of riding a bicycle .
Write about a celebrity you consider a role model .
Why Steve Jobs’ story inspires me.
Discuss how your physical education teacher motivated you to take up a healthy lifestyle.
Describe the way Jane Austen influenced your love for reading.
Teacher’s impact on my personal life .
Analyze how the example of Greta Tunberg inspired you to become an environmental activist.
My friend helped me to overcome my fear and it changed my life.
Influence of Martin Luther King on my beliefs.
Why Roberto Clemente is my hero.
How superheroes affect modern society.
Examine how your favorite K-pop group influenced your personal style.
The role of my grandparents in building up my identity.
Impact of my parents on my self-confidence.
Explain how your mother’s example influenced your desire to enter a college.
The way Mother Theresa’s life and example changed my worldview.
A person who inspired my interest in Indian art .
Jay-Z’s biography and influence on me .
The role of my family in my decision to lead a healthy lifestyle .
Discuss how Jane Addams legacy influenced your resolution to become a social worker.
Why Helen Keller is a person I would like to resemble.
Analyze the role of Edgar Allan Poe in shaping your literature taste.
How the activities of Eleanor Roosevelt motivate me and a lot of other Americans.
Abraham Lincoln and his impact on my life .
Impact of my coach on my professional development and success.

Thank you for reading the article. We hope you found it helpful. Don’t hesitate to share it with your friends and peers. Leave your comments below, and good luck with your college admission essay!

Tips for the College Interview Question "Who Has Most Influenced You?"

Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

Interview questions about influential people can come in many variations: Who is your hero? Who deserves the most credit for your success? Who is your role model? In short, the question is asking you to discuss someone you admire.

Interview Tips: Who Has Most Influenced you?

You don't have to be creative with this question. Just be honest and thoughtful. Family members, teachers, and friends are all fine answers.
Be careful with polarizing political figures since it can a challenge for your interviewer to be entirely unbiased.
Don't try to impress your interviewer with historical figures like Abraham Lincoln or Mother Theresa.
Focus on a human, not a pet.

Good Interview Answers About an Influential Person

So, who should you name as a hero or influential person? Speak from the heart here. There is no right answer other than a sincere answer. Also, realize that unlike a "hero," an influential person isn't always a positive example. You may have grown and changed as a result of someone whose mistakes or inappropriate behavior taught you what not to do with your life. Answers to the question can draw from lots of different options:

A Family Member— For most of us, parents and siblings have a huge impact on our lives. Answering with a family member is fairly predictable but also perfectly appropriate. Just make sure you can articulate the specific ways in which the family member influenced you.
A Teacher— Is there a particular teacher who got you excited about learning, a subject area, or continuing your education? Since you're interviewing in an effort to continue your education, focusing on an educator can be an excellent choice.
A Friend— For good or bad, your close friends have a huge influence on your decisions and behavior. Do you have a close friend who has helped you succeed in high school? Or, depending on how the question is worded, do you have a friend who influenced you in a negative way?
A Coach— Coaches often teach us leadership, responsibility and teamwork. As long as your response doesn't reveal that you value athletics more than academics, a coach can be a great choice. Try to articulate how your coach has helped you succeed in areas other than sports.
A Community Member— Do you have a mentor in the church or some other community organization? Community members often teach us to think outside of the narrow sphere of our families.

Bad Interview Answers

This question about an influential person, like many common interview questions , is not difficult, but you do want to think about it for a few minutes before your interview. A few answers can fall flat, so think twice before giving responses such as these:

Myself— In truth, you probably are the person who is most responsible for your success. You may, in fact, be self-reliant with no real heroes. However, if you answer this question with yourself you will sound self-absorbed and selfish. Colleges want to admit students who help each other out and work as a community. They don't want solitary egotists.
Gandhi or Abe Lincoln— If you have great respect for an admirable historical figure, that's wonderful. Such answers, however, can come across sounding like you're trying to make a good impression, not like you're answering the question sincerely. In your day-to-day life of classes, extracurricular activities , tests, and relationships, is Abe Lincoln really influencing your behavior? If he is, fine. If not, rethink your answer and work to speak from the heart.
Donald Trump or Barack Obama— Here, as with the example above, is the president (or Senator, Governor, etc.) really influencing and guiding you in your day-to-day life? This question has an added danger. Your interviewer will do his or her best to be unbiased, but interviewers are human. If you name a Democrat and your interviewer is a staunch Republican, your response could create a subconscious strike against you in the interviewer's mind. Both Trump and Obama can be polarizing figures, so be aware of the inherent risks before choosing a prominent political figure for your response.
God— At a college with a religious affiliation, God could be a fine answer. At many colleges, however, the answer is a crap shoot. The admissions officer may admire your faith. Some interviewers, however, will be skeptical of students who attribute their successes to prayer and divine guidance rather than commitment and hard work. That said, you certainly don't need to shy away from your faith in your interview, and a priest or rabbi can be an excellent choice for this interview question.
My Dog— Fido may be a great pet who has taught you responsibility and unconditional love, but keep your answer in the world of humans. Colleges are made up of humans.

A Final Word

Whatever your answer, bring the influential person to life for your interviewer. Avoid vague generalities. As with an admissions essay on an influential person , you'll want to provide colorful, entertaining, and specific examples of how the person has influenced you. Also, keep in mind that a strong answer provides a window into your life and personality, not just the admirable qualities of the influential person. The ultimate goal of the interviewer is to get to know you better, not the person you admire.

Finally, make sure you dress appropriately and avoid common interview mistakes . College interviews are generally congenial exchanges of information, so try to relax and have a good time chatting with the college representative.

Why Are You Interested in Our College?
What Can You Contribute to Our University?
What Did You Do This Summer?
Tell Me About Yourself
What Would You Do Differently? Interview Question Tips
How to Answer "What Can I Tell You About Our College?"
High School Grades Don't Always Accurately Reflect Your Ability
What Do You Do Best?
What Do You Do for Fun?
Recommend a Good Book to Me
What Do You Want to Major In?
What Do You See Yourself Doing 10 Years From Now?
College Interview Tips: "Tell Me About a Challenge You Overcame"
Common Application Essay Option 6: Losing Track of Time
What Should a Man Wear to a College Interview?
What Colleges Look for in an Applicant

Entertainment
Environment
Information Science and Technology
Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life

Essay Samples on Someone Who Inspires Me

At its core, inspiration is a powerful force that ignites passion, propels dreams, and molds individuals into extraordinary beings. It is the vibrant pulse that surges through our veins, pushing us to achieve greatness even in the face of adversity. Crafting an essay about someone who inspires you allows you to shine a spotlight on the transformative power of such individuals.

How to Write an Essay on Someone Who Inspires Me

Here are some useful example you shpuld consider when writing a college essay about someone who inspires you:

Consider beginning with a heartfelt introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and sets the stage for the awe-inspiring journey to come.
Share a personal anecdote or a defining moment that sparked the connection between you and your inspirational figure, allowing the reader to empathize with your experience.
Delve into the qualities and actions that make this individual so inspiring. Explore their accomplishments, perseverance, and unwavering determination. Showcase how their words and deeds have impacted your life, shaping your values and aspirations. Be vivid and descriptive, illustrating the profound influence they have had on your personal growth and development.
Weave in personal reflections throughout your essay. Share introspective thoughts and revelations, highlighting the lessons you have learned and the ways in which your perspective has evolved. By doing so, you invite the reader to embark on a transformative journey alongside you, creating a powerful emotional connection.

To aid you in your writing process, we provide a sample essay about someone who inspires you. It serves as a guiding light, illustrating the structure, tone, and depth needed to craft an outstanding piece. Drawing inspiration from this sample, embrace your unique voice, infuse your essay with passion, and let your words leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of the readers.

A Bond Beyond Words: Reflecting on My Relationship with Someone Special

There are moments in life when we cross paths with someone who transforms our world in inexplicable ways. For me, that person is someone special who has walked alongside me, sharing laughter, tears, and countless memories. Our relationship is a testament to the beauty of...

Someone Who Inspires Me

A Beacon of Inspiration: A Descriptive Peace about the Person I Admire

Amidst the myriad of individuals who have crossed the path of my life, there is one who stands as a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the way with her unwavering determination, boundless compassion, and unyielding spirit. Her name is Emma, and her presence in my life...

A Person I Will Always Remember: My English Teacher

Throughout our lives, we encounter countless individuals who leave a lasting impact on us. Among them, there is always that one person who stands out — a person whose presence, actions, and words etch a permanent mark in our memories. In this essay, I will...

Influential Person

My Grandmother as My Role Model: Her Role in Shaping My Identity

The identities of Americans are diversified. One’s identity is made up of a person's culture, heritage, personality, and how they strive to succeed. The identity of a person is created, through the hardships faced and their history, whether it is that one is born in...

Grandmother
Grandparent

My Role Model and My Heroes: Mother and Father

Heroes can have a massive superb have an effect on on your life. My heroes are my mother and my dad. They are heroes to me each day and I have continually seemed up to them. I have always wanted to be just like my...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

100% unique papers
3 hrs deadline option

Audrey Hepburn: Life Of A Timeless Inspiration Of Mine

When I think of an individual who I look up to and aspire to emulate, the first person that comes to mind is Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn’s career in both entertainment and humanitarian work is a path I know I will follow because it is...

Audrey Hepburn

Oprah Winfrey and Ariana Grande: Women That Inspire Me

Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi on January 29,1954. Her parents were not married and broke up soon after she was born. Oprah Winfrey’s grandmother was strict and gave her plenty of discipline as she grew up on an isolated farm. Her grandmother taught her...

Oprah Winfrey

St. Bernadette: The Woman That Inspires Me

The qualities that St. Bernadette of Soubirous has that I admire are; being humble, being modest, being obedient, and loving. I admire these qualities because they make a person better. Saint Bernadette was modest and humble because, she didn’t brag about seeing Mother Mary, and...

Catholic Church

Simone De Beauvoir One of the Greatest Woman

Simone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie-Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French writer, political activist, feminist thinker and existentialist philosopher. She had worked alongside other famous existentialist such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Maurice Merleau-Ponty and was able to produce wonderful works such as She Came to Stay, Pyrrhus and...

Existentialism
Simone De Beauvoir

Ned Kelly: American Hero Or Villain

Ned Kelly was a bushranger and was born in June 1855 at Beveridge, Victoria. His father was John Kelly and his mother was Ellen Kelly. Ned became the father of his family at a very young age because of his fathers early death. In 1869...

Joan of Arc One of the Most Heroic Women in French History

Joan of Arc was one of the most heroic women in French history. She has claimed to hear voices that told her to lead France in the Hundred Years War leading France to some victories. Although some believe that the Joan of Arc heard the...

Joan of Arc

Who Inspired Me to Become a Nurse

To me, nursing is a selfless job. You put the patients’ needs before yours to provide them with the care that they deserve. As a nurse, you are the healing hands. With the energy, compassion, and dedication you build with the patients, you make a...

Life Changing Experience

Mary Kom, The Person Who Inspired Me to Pursue My Dreams

A question simply arises in my mind that how someone can be a great leader. I thought on this and then I came across various leadership qualities which leaders are having in them. Let me explain first about the leadership qualities. Leader is a word...

The People Who Shaped Me

At a young age of 7, I subconsciously started noticing my mom reminisce about her past and it made me see the way music connected her to her roots and in a way, made her human. It was waking up and witnessing a scene that...

Three People Who Influenced Me Throughout My Life

My parents are undeniably the people who gave me the most profound influence. I would not talk about them separately because they are truly in one flesh. My parents met each other at bible college, and after they married, they served in church and drug...

Personal Life

Life Lessons in the Diary of Anne Frank

Anne Frank was a 13-year-old Jewish that has made a big impact on people around the world. Making us realize the crimes we create are destroying all of humanity just because some of us have different views and beliefs are certain things. If you don't...

The Diary of Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich: An Inspiration to All

How would one respond to the most miserable and unpromising situation? In The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the main character, Anne Frank, is deprived of her freedom and forced to hide in a secret annex. As a Jewish girl...

Tara Curb, Her Acts of Kindness Association, and Her Unique Vision of Kindness

It is a late-afternoon, November 7, 2019, on a freezing thirty-five degree and gloomy Thursday at the University of Oklahoma Bizzell Memorial Library. In one of the conference rooms held a Acts of Kindness Association meeting. Running the organization meeting was a smart young woman,...

Biography of Jackie Robinson - National Hero

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” (Jackie Robinson). In the United States in the 1940s, segregation was the way of life. You probably know Jackie Robinson as number 42; the first black man to play major league...

Jackie Robinson

Life And Art Of Andy Warhol

I remember the first time I saw Andy Warhol’s artworks was about ten years ago at an exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan. At that time, I was not a big fan of Andy Warhol and I didn’t understand why all the works that only show some...

Andy Warhol

Best topics on Someone Who Inspires Me

1. A Bond Beyond Words: Reflecting on My Relationship with Someone Special

2. A Beacon of Inspiration: A Descriptive Peace about the Person I Admire

3. A Person I Will Always Remember: My English Teacher

4. My Grandmother as My Role Model: Her Role in Shaping My Identity

5. My Role Model and My Heroes: Mother and Father

6. Audrey Hepburn: Life Of A Timeless Inspiration Of Mine

7. Oprah Winfrey and Ariana Grande: Women That Inspire Me

8. St. Bernadette: The Woman That Inspires Me

9. Simone De Beauvoir One of the Greatest Woman

10. Ned Kelly: American Hero Or Villain

11. Joan of Arc One of the Most Heroic Women in French History

12. Who Inspired Me to Become a Nurse

13. Mary Kom, The Person Who Inspired Me to Pursue My Dreams

14. The People Who Shaped Me

15. Three People Who Influenced Me Throughout My Life

Career Goals
Personal Experience
Personality

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Essay Service Examples Life Influential Person

Most Influential Person in My Life: Essay

Proper editing and formatting
Free revision, title page, and bibliography
Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Join our 150k of happy users

Get original paper written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.

Provide your email, and we'll send you this sample!

By providing your email, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Say goodbye to copy-pasting!

Get custom-crafted papers for you.

Enter your email, and we'll promptly send you the full essay. No need to copy piece by piece. It's in your inbox!

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Positive influence by a person on my life

Save to my list

Remove from my list

Positive influence by a person on my life. (2016, Jul 05). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay

"Positive influence by a person on my life." StudyMoose , 5 Jul 2016, https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). Positive influence by a person on my life . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay [Accessed: 30 Aug. 2024]

"Positive influence by a person on my life." StudyMoose, Jul 05, 2016. Accessed August 30, 2024. https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay

"Positive influence by a person on my life," StudyMoose , 05-Jul-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay. [Accessed: 30-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). Positive influence by a person on my life . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/positive-influence-by-a-person-on-my-life-essay [Accessed: 30-Aug-2024]

Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center Questionnaires and Positive Psychology Pages: 5 (1366 words)
The Significance of Unconditional Positive Regard in Person-Centered Therapy Pages: 5 (1411 words)
Explain How Groups Can Influence People in Positive and Negative Ways Pages: 4 (902 words)
Positive and Negative Influence of Texting on Writing Pages: 5 (1446 words)
The Positive Influence and Challenges of Community Clean-Up Events Pages: 3 (721 words)
The Positive Influence of Implementation of School Uniform Pages: 3 (666 words)
The Positive Influence Of Peter Pan Movie On Children Pages: 5 (1391 words)
Person Centred Approach In Health and Social Care: Influence Pages: 14 (3995 words)
Does Art Influence Culture, or Does Culture Influence Art Pages: 4 (1014 words)
Positive And Negative Aspects Of Technology As a Part Of Everyday Life Pages: 2 (444 words)

Positive influence by a person on my life essay

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

We need your support today

Independent journalism is more important than ever. Vox is here to explain this unprecedented election cycle and help you understand the larger stakes. We will break down where the candidates stand on major issues, from economic policy to immigration, foreign policy, criminal justice, and abortion. We’ll answer your biggest questions, and we’ll explain what matters — and why. This timely and essential task, however, is expensive to produce.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Why I changed my mind about volunteering

My generation was taught to change the system. That lesson came at a cost.

by Rachel M. Cohen

Last fall, a reader asked me what they could really do, as one person, to aid people living on the streets. “I often feel helpless to enact change,” they wrote. I’d been covering homelessness in America and knew that even the sprawling support organizations that have been working on outreach for decades had failed to end the crisis. My mind immediately went to systemic solutions, like voting for candidates who prioritize building more housing, or supporting efforts to loosen zoning codes.

But when I called experts, their answers surprised me. Some of our ideas overlapped, but many of their suggestions were ones I had admittedly not entertained: passing out socks or hand-warmers, donating items like sleeping bags to local shelters, or giving office supplies and bus passes to nonprofits serving unhoused people.

The reporting left me uneasy. Why did I think only about structural change and disregard more immediate help? And why don’t I do more of those day-to-day charitable things, or know many people who do, either?

I did growing up. I have clear memories of bagging meals at food pantries, of cleaning up parks, of Walking for the Cure. I sold lemonade for Darfur and baked brownies for victims of Katrina. In Hebrew school, I learned about giving tzedakah, a form of charity, and our obligation to “repair the world.”

But over time, those childhood activities started to look, well, childish. My coming of age in the 2010s coincided with critiques of individual action that were gaining prominence in media, politics, and academia — overlapping with a growing national focus on inequality and the climate crisis. It was the era of Occupy Wall Street and Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, and our whole country grew more fluent in rebukes of billionaires and plutocracy.

Different arguments began to emerge: Volunteering, donating, and modifying one’s personal behavior were, at best, unproductive; at worst, they were harmful distractions from the change we really need. Be wary of those tote-bag shoppers at Whole Foods, championing recycling and reducing one’s carbon footprint. Didn’t they know that BP coined the idea of the “carbon footprint” to shift blame off its own oil production? Didn’t they understand that “ lifestyle politics ” was not the answer? Volunteering or bake sales didn’t threaten the status quo. They were what people in power wanted you to be doing.

Real social change would come only from mass protest and collective pressure on governments and corporations. It didn’t hurt that such protests against poverty, police brutality, and rising global temperatures were also exciting, and seemed to offer young people better and more visible ways of making a difference.

As a left-leaning college student, I was persuaded by leaders who warned that personal consumer choices would never amount to real social change. I also grew familiar with arguments by activists and intellectuals that nonprofits were too often complacent and even disincentivized to solve real problems, since doing so could threaten their own funding streams. Contributing my time and money to this “ nonprofit industrial complex ” would be a mistake. Cutting checks wouldn’t change anything other than the balance in my savings account. For real social progress, we’d need systematic policy shifts, comprehensive legislation, and political power.

Since I received the reader’s note about homelessness last fall, I’ve been thinking more about the cost of all this cynicism. Were the arguments against individual action even helpful?

I also started to wonder if these beliefs contributed to the American “ friendship recession ” and loneliness crisis I kept hearing about. Back in 2000, in his book Bowling Alone , political scientist Robert Putnam highlighted declines in American church attendance, volunteering, civic associations, and team sports ; it seems our “social cohesion” had only gotten worse since then. Gen Z and millennials volunteer at lower rates than adults born in earlier generations, even though there is pretty overwhelming research that volunteering and donating makes people happier , and boosts their self-esteem , physical health , and lifespan.

It’s not considered socially acceptable to tout personal benefits derived from charitable acts. It’d be unusual to hear volunteers say they’re going to a soup kitchen to improve their self-esteem. Perhaps this is because those gains suggest that there are more selfish motivations for behaviors we want to think of primarily as selfless. But wealthy philanthropists don’t seem shy about citing their self-interest, and often say their humanitarian work leaves them with deep feelings of pleasure, optimism, and agency.

It struck me as rather sad that those of us who are not billionaires may have convinced ourselves that volunteering or fundraising was mostly a waste of time.

When did I become someone who placed such exhausting value on optimizing my time, anyway? It suddenly felt much more arrogant than altruistic. Convenient, and uncaring.

Perhaps most importantly, had distancing ourselves from charity and service made the world a better place? Has it made my own life better?

A few developments helped sour so many in my left-leaning generation on individual action.

The climate movement over the last 15 years played a leading role, rejecting solutions based on individual responsibility, and emphasizing the limits of forgoing meat or driving hybrid cars. Activists organized worldwide youth climate strikes and pipeline protests , focusing the public’s attention on governments, oil companies, and fossil fuel lobbyists.

People protesting in front of a Hilton with a banner that says “stop funding fossil fuels.”

In the 2016 presidential primary, where he captured over 70 percent of the Democratic youth vote , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took aim at “corporate polluters” driving the climate emergency. And perhaps no claim had more cultural influence than the widely shared, though misleading , statistic that just 100 companies were responsible for 70 percent of the world’s emissions .

There was also a largely successful effort to link curbing climate change with anti-capitalism. The 2011 Occupy protests got an even bigger boost following Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century , published in English in 2014. ( Vox called it “the most important economics book of the year, if not the decade.”) Naomi Klein’s influential book This Changes Everything , also published in 2014, made the case that capitalism itself was an existential threat, that saving the planet would not be possible without overhauling the economic order.

In many ways, the growing emphasis on collective action felt clarifying, righteous, and long overdue. Student debt activists who emerged from Occupy helped millions of people process their feelings of shame and guilt over falling victim to predatory loans. New and influential left-wing outlets, like Jacobin, helped shape my generation’s consciousness and inspire us to demand more from those in power.

At their best, these collectivist messages inspired hope, agency, and empathy — spelling out a concrete playbook for a more just planet. At their worst, though, they fueled despair, cynicism, and nihilism, promising a better world only if near-impossible political changes were made, and fast. Social and economic conditions were characterized as terribly as possible, to galvanize more people to upend them. Even those who weren’t necessarily looking to foment a revolution contributed to growing negative attitudes around individual action. The Effective Altruist movement , for example, argued that most charities were wasteful and ineffective, save for some rare exceptions.

A recent Harvard Institute of Politics poll found that young people are far more fearful than hopeful about the future: They worry about the moral direction of the country, don’t think their vote will make a real difference, and don’t volunteer for community service. It’s not that people today are choosing to protest instead of recycling; it’s that in our current environment, many people are doing neither. Despite all the attention on collective action and solidarity, many young adults are isolated and pessimistic about social change.

I set a New Year’s resolution to volunteer. Here I was, a self-motivated journalist with professional research skills; finding charitable work I could donate my time to shouldn’t have been too hard.

But it was more difficult than I expected. I’m not a member of a faith-based organization, neither my workplace nor my union organizes volunteer events, and my initial inquiries to nonprofits through volunteermatch.org went ignored. Lacking something I could easily plug into, I felt the poverty of my institutional connections in a new way. Robert Putnam would be nodding sagely, I thought.

Finally, I stumbled on something called a “giving circle,” where people donate money collectively, mostly to local nonprofits. It resembled a book club but for philanthropy, and I found one focused on women and children in the DC area. The full group, roughly 250 people, convenes annually to vote on donating their pooled membership funds, though those who want to be more involved can participate in subcommittees that review grant applications to help narrow down the list. Since I report on housing, I decided to join the housing subcommittee and our group of roughly 20 began meeting weekly on Tuesday nights. It was unfamiliar work, but I appreciated it and all the women involved who took the reviews so seriously. I learned about extraordinary groups in the DC area, like Together We Bake , which has trained hundreds of women in food production, and SafeSpotDC , which helps victims of child abuse.

I also started reading books on volunteering, grasping for new ways to make sense of what I was feeling. I read in Arthur Brooks’s book, Who Really Cares , that secular liberals like myself are stingier givers — less likely to donate to charity or volunteer than the general population, and much less likely to donate or volunteer than religious conservatives. The larger decline in organized religion loomed over this research.

“For many Americans, political opinions are a substitute for personal checks,” Brooks writes. He even observed that proponents of income redistribution were less likely to give blood. “If everyone in the population gave at the same rate as government aid advocates, the supply would drop by about 30 percent,” he reported.

I squirmed when I read this. I’d never given blood. I found a study that said among first-time blood donors, the most frequently cited reason for giving was “influence from a friend.” I couldn’t think of anyone encouraging me to donate, but that felt like a weak excuse.

Around the same time, the Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage ; donors had dropped by 40 percent over the last two decades. With Brooks’ book fresh in my mind, I decided to sign up. In early February, I went downtown to a blood donation center; the whole thing was relatively quick, and I felt happy when I left.

I caught a charitable bug. None of this was hard, I realized. I just hadn’t prioritized any of it. I found a local homeless organization that had an Amazon wish list of needed items. I sent them tampons, pads, wipes, underwear, and hand-warmers, and chided myself for not having done such easy things sooner.

The US has long been defined by its culture of volunteerism. When French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville came to America in the 1830s he marveled at the many civic groups, later arguing that such volunteer organizations were integral to American democracy. Our bustling nonprofit sector would become a global symbol of entrepreneurialism and freedom.

It’s become common to say this vibrant civic fabric has since frayed. America is hanging out less. Our “social fitness” in shambles . But over the last year, I’ve found plenty of data that complicates this narrative.

Volunteer rates have not fluctuated very much over the last 75 years. There were declines in the 1980s, then surges following the 9/11 attacks and again during the Trump presidency. Researchers find mixed evidence that social capital is declining, though there’s more consensus that volunteering itself has become more episodic and time-limited than before. Nonprofit donations are down , but crowdfunding contributions keep soaring .

Some scholars say the Bowling Alone thesis was always missing the forest for the trees, that Putnam’s analysis privileged the kinds of activities white people of means were most likely to do.

“You had the largest immigration rights mobilization in 2006 ever, and then the white people were all reading Putnam,” Erica Kohl-Arenas, a professor of American Studies at the University of California, Davis, told me. “Numbers are not down in terms of people as part of associations, groups, or affiliated networks, but they might be down in terms of those who say, ‘I’m going to go look at the Yellow Pages to do five hours of service a week.’”

In contrast to the Yellow Pages form of service, so-called informal volunteering — meaning unpaid acts of service not coordinated through legal nonprofits — is harder to track, practiced more by communities of color, and almost never included in official counts of philanthropy.

“There’s lots of volunteering that doesn’t involve an organization,” said Mark Snyder, the director of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society at the University of Minnesota. “When neighbors on a block shoot a message to your group text asking if someone can keep an eye on your kid, or bring over a meal, these things aren’t considered volunteering. But do you get paid for it? Do you get a sense of benefit by helping?”

Paul Schervish, a retired sociologist who directed the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College, spent his career urging colleagues to take interpersonal and intra-family caregiving more seriously. He noted that while charitable giving is measured at roughly $500 billion annually in the US, remittances to relatives in poorer countries exceed $100 billion per year.

“None of those payments are included in what we talk about when we talk about philanthropy,” he told me. “Furthermore, Hispanics rank lower on charitable giving than other ethnic groups, but part of that is they are offering their homes up to family and living with extended family members so much more often, and carrying out these remittances. Care for each other, and even within your own family, is something that we don’t pay attention to.”

Schervish argues that a proper understanding of philanthropy has always been more vast than the way Putnam and conventional theorists have sliced and diced it. It should encompass both informal aid for friends and family, and acts of service for people more distant from you. Look no further than the Greek word philia , he says, referring to non-romantic love, that shares the same root as our modern word philanthropy.

“ Philia or friendship love, for Aristotle, extends out in concentric circles from the family to the entire species,” Schervish has written. “Friendship love is a relation of mutual nourishment that leads to the virtuous flourishing of both parties.”

Or put differently, rather than debate whether acts of philanthropy are motivated by selfishness or selflessness, or whether it “counts” if it’s service for your aunt versus your neighbor versus a child in Africa, Schervish encourages thinking about donors, volunteers, and all caregivers as people who take action in connection with others, who “view others in need as familial.”

I took the point that the popular view on social cohesion may have oversights. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that people today are feeling more despair, especially younger people.

I know firsthand that many Americans are overwhelmed by negative news stories, which compound in exhausting ways. It’s become far too hard to know what’s true, and all the contradictory information leads some to give up trying to make sense of the world altogether. The proportion of readers who say they avoid news is close to an all-time high.

Volunteering wouldn’t solve these problems, but given what we know about volunteering’s benefits, it seems it could certainly help. One University of Oxford researcher surveyed over 45,000 employees whose companies offered wellness benefits like massage classes, coaching sessions, and mindfulness workshops. The only option that seemed to actually have a positive effect on well-being, the study found, were those jobs that provided workers with opportunities for charity or volunteering.

Volunteers help bag to-go meals at Catherdral Kitchen on August 21, 2013, in Camden, New Jersey. Cathedral Kitchen is a multi-service soup kitchen that has been serving the Camden homeless community since 1976. They serve between 300 and 600 dinners each night, as well as offering biweekly dental services, and periodic medical and legal services as well.

A friend from my giving circle pointed out that the vast number of activities billed as self-care are pricey beauty treatments, boutique fitness classes, and other ways to “treat” ourselves. They all tend to advance the idea that feeling better, and even simply feeling good, is found in helping oneself rather than each other.

Still, it can be harder for young people today to volunteer, Snyder, from the University of Minnesota, told me. “Young people are scrambling more than cohorts before to make a living, making ends meet through multiple jobs,” he said. “There are fewer discretionary hours available in a day.”

I reached out to the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. In 2014, it found that a large majority of American teenagers value personal achievement and happiness over caring for others, priorities they felt their parents also shared. Richard Weissbourd, who directs the center, told me they’ve re-surveyed youths several times over the last decade and found similar results. Teens consistently rank happiness and personal achievement most highly, and caring for others and concern for the common good at the bottom.

“The irony of course is that by encouraging everyone to prioritize individual success and happiness, people are getting further from the kinds of activities and mental frameworks that drive satisfaction, fulfillment, community, and peace,” Weissbourd said.

While most news stories on mental health tend to focus on youth struggling in middle and high school, Weissbourd said his research has him worrying most about people ages 18 to 25, who he finds doing “twice as badly” as younger teens. “There’s a lot of apocalyptic thinking and not a lot of action there,” he said. “It’s like a deep tiredness, a feeling like people are in deep winter.”

Meanwhile, though the climate crisis drove people like me to be more distrusting of calls for individual action, some climate leaders have been calling for a different approach. More activists now stress that systemic and individual change should be understood as two sides of the same coin , and that individual action can be necessary for building sustainable, transparent political movements.

“A fixation on system change alone opens the door to a kind of cynical self-absolution that divorces personal commitment from political belief,” Jason Mark, the editor of Sierra magazine, wrote in 2019 . “This is its own kind of false consciousness, one that threatens to create a cheapened climate politics incommensurate with this urgent moment.”

In his book Giving Done Right , Phil Buchanan, the president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, refers to a longstanding debate over whether it’s useful for donors to spend money on alleviating effects of problems, rather than attacking the problems’ underlying causes. Philanthropy certainly has some great victories in funding “root” solutions, but Buchanan urges against the mentality that only permanently eradicating a problem is worth doing. “You shouldn’t assume that a focus on roots is necessarily superior,” he writes. “Trimming branches is also important.”

In a way, it can feel safe to distrust the value of individual action. Being wary of philanthropy and charitable groups that promise to better the world resonates with the skepticism I’ve been trained to have, professionally and culturally. It also allows me to avoid making sacrifices; there’s no real vulnerability or bets required.

But as time goes on, and as I think about the family I might one day raise , I’m coming to appreciate the value of letting go and taking gambles on hope, as long as they point generally in the moral direction I want to go.

With all these questions swirling in my head, I cold-emailed a local rabbi. She offered to meet and pointed me to a story in Exodus about Jews who agreed to accept the Torah from God before really knowing what was in it. “Naaseh v’nishma,” the Israelites said, which roughly translates to “we’ll do, and then we’ll understand.” The lesson, the rabbi told me, is about diving in with imperfect information, of learning through doing.

Schervish, the retired sociologist, thinks I should worry less about carving time outside of my regular routine to volunteer, and to count acts of service I take for my friends, partner, colleagues, and others just as much as philanthropy organized through 501c(3)s.

“Meeting the true needs of others is how you nourish somebody, but what that nourishment is, and what those true needs are — we’re always going to find people debating about that,” he told me. “And you’re going to have debates within yourself. But it’s always the right question.”

This was his gentle reminder that determining how to live morally requires wrestling that is messy, personal, and evolving. I haven’t figured it all out yet. But I don’t want imperfect information to stop me from diving in, now.

Naaseh v’nishma, I signed up to donate blood again.

Today, Explained

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

This is the title for the native ad

More in Culture

The surprisingly subdued resurrection of Abercrombie & Fitch

How the once-maligned retailer quietly became a closet staple — and a stock market giant — once again.

The difference between American and UK Love Is Blind

The pods across the pond feel a lot less toxic.

All the nonsense you need to know about Sabrina Carpenter

The singer’s new album, Short n’ Sweet, is full of the sexy clown wordplay she’s known for.

Theo Von’s interview with Donald Trump makes more sense than you think

Cocaine, UFC, politics, and the former president’s podcast bro tour, explained.

Why did anyone think Beyonce was going to play the DNC?

Kamala Harris was the main event, but fans, the internet, and the media fell for rumors of a Beyoncé concert.

Pumpkin spice lattes — and the backlash, and the backlash to the backlash — explained

Pumpkin spice is America’s most hatable seasonal flavor. But Starbucks is leaning in even more heavily this year.

How to Influence People—And Make Friends

The key to persuasion is not beating people over the head with your better ideas—it’s listening sincerely to what they have to say.

An illustration of three people collaborating to hold a large arrow pointing in one direction.

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

Want to stay current with Arthur’s writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out.

T ertullian , a second-century North African theologian, is often called the “father of Latin Christianity.” A prolific author, he was the writer credited with first using the Latin term trinity for the belief in the oneness of God, Jesus, and the holy spirit. He also chronicled the everyday lives of ordinary Christians in the Roman empire, critically commenting on how their powerful pagan overlords regarded them:

It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many [Romans] to put a brand upon us [Christians]. See , they say, how they love one another , for [they] themselves are animated by mutual hatred; and how they are ready even to die for one another, for they themselves will sooner put [others] to death.

Tertullian’s fellow Christians didn’t just love one another, of course. They followed the teachings of Jesus, who had enjoined them to love their enemies as well.

This love was seen as stupid and weak by many Romans at the time, but it eventually won out: The once-fledgling faith gradually drew converts from all over the empire and in the end became the official religion of Rome. If those early Christians had been violent and hate-filled, the faith would probably have come and gone like any number of cults over the centuries.

No matter what your religious views, if you want to persuade others to consider a better way through the strong disagreements of these tumultuous times, you can take a valuable lesson from these early Christians. Amid a contentious election, unrest on campuses and in cities, and a world full of conflict, you may find that if left to your instincts, lashing out is all too easy.

If you succumb to rage, you are likely to end up wielding your most sincerely held values as a weapon. Doing so will influence no one who doesn’t already agree with you. Worse, it will provoke equal-but-opposite angry dogmatism. If, however, you fight such reflexive inclinations and learn instead to offer your values as a gift , others might actually change their mind and follow your lead.

From the May 1892 issue: Private life in Ancient Rome

H umans have a need to share their beliefs and values with other people. When you feel strongly about something, positively or negatively, it’s hard not to talk about it; opinions feel as though they were made for sharing. This has a solid logic: Sharing emotions and opinions can lead to imitation, which can in turn create coalitions and reinforce relationships. When you share a feeling about something and someone agrees in both their behavior and expression, social psychologists have found , you may become more emotionally attuned to one another and have more positive social interactions.

The emotions and opinions we share with others to build a relationship are as likely to be negative or critical as not. Think of a conversation you had with a work colleague when you complained about your idiot boss—how your colleague sympathetically adopted your attitude of bitter disdain and how that exchange reinforced the bond between you. Researchers have shown that gossip is a common way to promote trust among members of an in-group, even if it involves reckless calumnies about others.

Positive emotions, though, may be better at eliciting mimicry than negative emotions. In one 2007 experiment, people were shown videos of people laughing, yawning, frowning, or maintaining a neutral expression. They found that viewers were 83 percent more likely to emulate laughter than frowning (and they were even more likely to mimic yawns). Similarly, in 2015, psychologists writing in the journal Emotion found that people tend to imitate the behavioral mannerisms of people who intentionally helped them.

Arthur C. Brooks: Why it’s nice to know you

Besides creating a bond, another reason you might want to induce someone to model themselves on your feelings is to get them to modify their views. To achieve that result, you can usually choose whether to frame your views positively or negatively. So you might tell someone either that you’re voting for a particular presidential candidate because you believe this person will make the country stronger and fairer and you want that better future, or that the other candidate will ruin democracy forever and anyone who disagrees is a fool.

The angle you choose is important, and that choice will depend on your goal and your interlocutor’s disposition. If the intended audience—say, your carefully curated silo of social-media followers—already agrees with you, then your negativity can raise the intensity of their views. In particular, as the psychologist Ronald W. Rogers demonstrated in the 1970s with his influential “protection motivation theory,” people can be very effectively influenced when an appeal focuses on the noxiousness of a threat, the probability that it will occur, and the potential efficacy of a response. For example, you might try to fire people up by saying, “If we don’t all work for Candidate X, this will probably be the last democratic election in U.S. history,” or, “If we don’t turn out to vote for Candidate Y, immigrants will bring crime to our town and take our jobs.”

Of course, this kind of negative framing won’t work for someone who isn’t already inclined to think the way you do. If I don’t think the opposing candidate actually is a threat to democracy, I will simply judge your statement to be hyperbolic and biased—and you won’t get me to mimic you at all.

To an even greater degree, if I disagree with you and your views contain hatred and anger toward opponents, what you say will harden my values against yours. This is the so-called boomerang effect, demonstrated in the 1960s by two psychologists who showed that when people are insulted over the opinions they hold, they are much more likely to dig into their position against that of the insulter.

Arthur C. Brooks: A gentler, better way to change minds

T he boomerang effect can be hard to observe when we’re dealing with a complex social interaction involving such abstractions as opinions and feelings. To give a more concrete instance: Imagine I came to your house with a beautiful bunch of flowers to share with you, but when you opened the door, I hit you with the bouquet. Obviously, the gesture would hardly make me a persuasive person or recommend my views to you; all you’d want is to get me off your porch. This is essentially what happens when you use your values as a weapon, not as a gift.

If you suspect you’ve been inflicting your views and feelings on others as though you were walloping them with what you wanted to share, that imaginary scenario may be worth reflecting on. On a larger scale, this kind of behavior may be why every debate in America today seems to go straight to DEFCON 1, a level of alarm and vigilance on the brink of outright war. So, if you want to be more persuasive, consider a few new ways to understand and manage your own feelings, and share them more positively—in other words, turn them back into a gift, rather than wielding them as a weapon.

1. Focus on what we agree on. Agreement in beliefs can be quite hard to come by when all that you and those around you have been focusing on is your disagreements. But this can be done. Consider the words of President Barack Obama. After his hard-fought reelection victory in 2012, a campaign that was at times bitter and vituperative, he could have reinforced the ideological differences he had with Republicans and said that their views were inferior, dangerous, and rejected by all right-thinking people. But that would have simply boomeranged the losing side in that election even more into greater bitterness.

Instead, Obama focused on unity, on “the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth … love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great.” Even more impressive, perhaps, in their magnanimity were the words of concession from Mitt Romney, the defeated candidate. After congratulating Obama on his victory, Romney exhorted the country to unite behind the president. “We look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics,” he said. “I believe in the people of America.”

2. Stop talking. The easiest way to turn your values from a weapon to a gift is to close your mouth and listen when someone disagrees with you. This was the fundamental conclusion from two scholars in 2016 writing in the journal Science . The scholars were seeking to understand how people might change their views on sensitive topics, such as minority rights. What they found was that it did not involve forceful arguments, righteous anger, or overwhelming data. In fact, people were most likely to shift their sympathies when they were prompted toward “perspective taking”: Canvassers asked respondents to talk about a time when they felt judged negatively for being different, and then, after listening to the respondents’ answers carefully, the canvassers encouraged them to apply that experience to how they might think about other people considered different. True listening is a gift—and people find it very persuasive.

3. Refuse to be used. I have my own version of the old saying “If you’re playing poker and don’t know who the sucker is, it’s you.” Here’s mine: “When you hate for ideological reasons, someone is profiting—and it isn’t you.” In today’s controversies, many people are eager to conscript you into a culture war in order to gin up political support, increase their power, build television viewership, gain greater social-media following, or boost their ego. This year, declare your independence from the Outrage Industrial Complex in politics, in media, and on campus by offering your views as a source of hope and love.

George Goehl: How we got Trump voters to change their mind

I f weaponized values are not effective in persuading others, why do we persist in using them this way? The answer is simple: It feels satisfying, like scratching an itch. But the ultimate effect is more like scratching a poison-ivy exposure: It’s devilishly hard to resist and momentarily feels wonderful, but the result gets worse and worse as the itch turns into a festering wound.

We can realize far greater happiness in the long run when we resist that immediate urge. In the Apologeticus , Tertullian makes this point when he speaks of “the joy of the people in our trouble.” Such a cheerful display of love and acceptance in the face of persecution seemed “utterly reasonless” to non-Christians, but Tertullian’s fellow believers were making a gift of their faith in a way that eventually overcame the hostility.

Similarly, if you decide to share your values as a loving gift and turn your back on hate, you will probably, at first, hear harsh words from some former allies that your new outlook is reasonless. Smile, listen, and answer them with kindness and more listening.

About the Author

More From Forbes

The good, bad and controversial of the social shopping model.

Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to Linkedin

Guy Yair, CEO, Revuze .

In recent years, short-form content like TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have become a global cultural phenomenon. Social media is a transformative cultural force that's consistently redefined how we engage with content and brands. Part of this recent evolution is social shopping: the ability for consumers to make purchases seamlessly within social media apps.

Despite the meteoric rise of this trend, social platforms face increasing scrutiny from policymakers concerned about data privacy and national security. The looming possibility of a ban on TikTok in particular has ignited heated debates regarding the societal role of social media platforms and their impact on consumer behavior.

In light of these discussions, it's important to consider how short-form content and social shopping are shaping the contemporary landscape of e-commerce and retail.

The Short-Form Phenomenon's Influence On Customer Behavior

The rise of short-form content has been nothing short of meteoric. Launched in 2016, TikTok quickly gained traction among younger demographics. Instagram’s Reels feature entered the scene in 2020, followed by YouTube Shorts in 2021. Social media companies were capitalizing on the growing appetite for bite-sized, visually engaging content that's easy to consume and share.

Election 2024 Swing State Polls: Harris Leads Or Ties Trump In All Battleground States, Latest Survey Finds

Kamala harris defends biden admin’s economic record in first big interview—but says ‘more to do’, ‘the rings of power’ season 2 premiere review: a dreadful, jumbled mockery of tolkien’s ‘the lord of the rings’.

Consider the sheer reach that social media platforms boast. TikTok boasted the highest engagement rates among social media platforms in 2023, and Instagram users spent an average of 31 minutes per day on the app that same year. This unparalleled level of engagement, combined with the apps' use of algorithms to curate users' feeds, presents a lucrative opportunity for brands to reach their target audiences in ways that will resonate. Many major brands are leveraging various social platforms to connect with consumers and stay relevant online.

It's essential to recognize the positive influence of social networks. Despite the well-known negative effects of social media, recent research is showing that it can do as much good as it does harm. Social platforms are avenues to foster connection, community and awareness because users can express themselves authentically while contributing to their understanding of privilege and social issues globally .

The Social Shopping Revolution And Its Potential Benefits

We know that the popularity of short-form video content has become a driving force behind consumer trends and purchasing decisions. For example, the popular hashtag #BookTok has caused book sales to rocket , and the platform has even led to products selling so quickly that they disappeared from shelves.

With the introduction of social shopping features like TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping and YouTube Shopping, these platforms' influence on shopping is only increasing. The convergence of social media and e-commerce has unlocked new possibilities for brands to capitalize on short-form videos' vast reach and engaged user base. It's become a crucial strategy for brands that sell products or services online, and social commerce revenue is currently expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2025 .

Moreover, platforms that encourage short-form content offer significant benefits for businesses because of their dynamic and interactive nature providing brands with unparalleled opportunities to engage audiences in creative and authentic ways. Incorporating social shopping offers substantial business advantages. Here are just a few examples.

• Enhanced Consumer Engagement: By expressing your brand's creativity with your online content, you can strengthen how people connect with you. This, in turn, fosters customer loyalty.

• Expanded Brand Awareness: With the diversity of social platforms' user base, you can boost your brand's visibility with effective marketing campaigns. While you shouldn't chase virality, it can attract new customers and broaden your market reach.

• Innovative Marketing Strategies: The nature of short-form content will prompt you to explore unconventional approaches for marketing. For example, you might put out a fun challenge to consumers or collaborate with influencers. Having an innovative mindset about marketing can enable you to stand out in competitive markets.

• Valuable Consumer Insights: With social shopping, you can gain crucial data on market trends and audience preferences, refine your segmentation strategies and drive long-term growth.

The Concerns That Come With Social Shopping

Although social shopping presents substantial opportunities for businesses, it's not immune to criticism. This is epitomized by restrictions in various countries worldwide, as well as proposed legislation aiming to ban TikTok in the United States.

Here are some common concerns around using social media platforms to engage with consumers.

• Data Privacy: Social platforms are under scrutiny for their data collection practices, so companies may be worried about the protection of their user data and potential exploitation.

• National Security: Foreign entities' ownership of platforms like TikTok may prompt fears regarding foreign influence and espionage.

• Algorithmic Influence: The algorithm-driven nature of content delivery raises questions about harmful content or misinformation being amplified. There's also the possibility of these platforms shaping user behavior in undesirable ways.

• Content Moderation: Maintaining a safe and healthy online environment is a constant struggle on social media platforms. With the rapid spread of content, effective moderation of your brand's social space is particularly challenging.

The Future Of Social Shopping

Short-form social content's dynamic nature has revolutionized how businesses can engage with consumers, generate better visibility and, ultimately, drive saves. From forging deeper connections with audiences to being a source of valuable consumer data, social media platforms and utilizing social shopping can be powerful tools for navigating the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.

As we look to the future, it's evident that the integration of social media and e-commerce will continue to reshape the retail landscape. Businesses must adapt to this paradigm by embracing platforms' social shopping capabilities and leveraging their unique features to drive brand growth and consumer engagement.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

Editorial Standards
Reprints & Permissions

Share full article

Supported by

Guest Essay

My Son and Gus Walz Deserve a Champion Like Tim Walz

The Walz family at the Democratic National Convention.

By Tina Brown

Ms. Brown is the author, most recently, of “The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil."

The sight at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night of Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son leaping to his feet, with streaming eyes, a hand to his chest with a cry of “That’s my Dad” was heart piercing.

As the mother of Georgie, a 38-year-old on the spectrum who still lives with me, I recognized him immediately as one of “ours,” a sweet, unfiltered, slightly bewildered-looking young man who wasn’t quite sure what was expected of him in this epic moment of political adulation.

Gus Walz has, according to his parents, a nonverbal learning disorder, A.D.H.D. and an anxiety disorder, all of which they regard not as a setback but as his “secret power,” that makes him “brilliant” and “hyperaware.”

I know exactly what they mean. One of the joys of my life in the social churn of New York is living with a son whose inability to read the room makes him incapable of telling anything but the truth. Once, as my husband, Harry Evans, and I left a pretentious social gathering in the Hamptons, Georgie told the host sunnily: “Thank you very much. No one spoke to me really, so it was a very boring evening. The food was OK. I doubt I will come again.”

“I have never been prouder of you in my life!” shouted my husband in the car. How many times have all of us wanted to say that as we gushed about the fabulous time we just hadn’t had? Then there was the moment he went up to Anna Wintour at one of my book parties and asked if she was Camilla Parker Bowles. And the time at the intake meeting for a supported work program, when the therapist asked Georgie, “Has anyone ever molested you?” “Unfortunately not,” he replied. Georgie teaches me every day how much we depend on social lies to make the world go round. His sister — his forever best friend — and I feel so lucky to have him in our lives. So did his dad, who died in 2020.

And yet for people who are different and have no support, the world can be bleak. Their loneliness can be agonizing. Some people assume the school days are the hardest, but it’s the years after that are the social desert. Having a friendly, forgiving workplace to go to is critical. It’s often their only taste of community and what makes them such reliable and rewarding employees. The work from home movement has been a killer for people with special needs, often depriving them of the only social connections they have.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

Want all of The Times? Subscribe .

IMAGES

A person who has had a great influence in my life Essay Example
Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience.
Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience.
Social Influence Essay Example
The Most Influence Person In My Life (500 Words)
College Essay Unit Topic Fact Sheet Influential Person.doc

VIDEO

How to Influence Others as a Leader
How To Influence People
Ielts essay: Influence of TV on children
Sociological Imagination as Proposed by C. Wright Mills
Essay on "Personality"
Elon musk🚀 ☺️ said that the X is a platform where the influence person spends their time 🕐🌎🌎🌎

COMMENTS

Sample Essays: Influential Person
Sample Essays: Influential Person. Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff. Â. Please select from the following sample application essays: Essay 1: Wellesley | Essay 2: Harvard | Essay 3: Harvard. Note: The following essays were not edited by EssayEdge Editors. They appear as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers.
Person Who Has Influenced Me: [Essay Example], 475 words
Person Who Has Influenced Me. When it comes to reflecting upon the people who have had a profound impact on one's life, it is difficult not to think of those who have contributed to our personal growth, values, and aspirations. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to have many people who have influenced me in various ways.
'Someone Who Has Made an Impact On Your Life' Essay Sample
EssayEdge > Blog > 'Someone Who Has Made an Impact On Your Life' Essay Sample. "Describe a person who has influenced you" is the opening phrase of several personal statement prompts that go on to ask that you provide details of what that influence was. The major mistake made in these personal statement essays is that candidates make the ...
A Person That Has Influenced My Life, Essay Example
Essays.io ️ A Person That Has Influenced My Life, Essay Example from students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and other elite schools
Essay on A Person Who Has Influenced My Life
High-quality essay on the topic of "A Person Who Has Influenced My Life" for students in schools and colleges.
Who is The Most Influential Person in Your Life
Certain people in our lives have this special ability to inspire. They give us strength when things get tough, when we feel pessimistic due to some events in our lives, or they motivate us to do the things we want but are afraid of. They influence us by the way they live their lives. For many, the question arises, "who is the most influential person in your life?" For me, there are many people ...
Influential Person Essays
View our Influential Person essay examples to understand how to write about your life experiences. You can also download 📝 these papers.
How to Write a Descriptive Essay on an Influential Person in Your Life
A descriptive essay on an influential person can be about someone who has had a significant positive or negative impact on your life. This person can be a teacher, a coach, a family member, a friend, an employer, a political figure, a historical figure or even a fictional character.
Tips for an Admissions Essay on an Influential Person
6 tips for writing a college admissions essay about an influential person. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and craft a winning essay.
How to Write a College Essay About an Influential Person
November 2, 2022. When brainstorming topics for your college essay, you've probably considered writing about a person who has influenced or inspired you-a parent or grandparent, a sibling, a teacher, or another significant figure in your life. You may be writing an essay of your own design or responding to the fourth prompt on this year's ...
Describing a Person Who Influenced You: Personal Experience. Essay
In everyone's life, there is a person who is considered to be the closest one in the whole world. Who inspires you and influenced you.
The Person Who Influenced Me The Most (Free Essay Examples)
You are welcome to use these essay samples on "The Person Who Influenced Me The Most" for your research, term paper or school, college, or university project.
An Essay about Someone Who Has Made an Impact on Your Life
Who has made a significant impact in your life & why? Essay on the topic might be challenging to write. 😨 Use this guide 📜 to describe a person who influenced you.
The Greatest Influence In My Life: Free Essay Example
This free essay example discusses the greatest influence in the author's life. The paper argues that this person has had a profound impact on the author's development.
Answering the Question "Who Has Most Influenced You?"
As with an admissions essay on an influential person, you'll want to provide colorful, entertaining, and specific examples of how the person has influenced you.
Essay Samples on Someone Who Inspires Me
Essay Topics At its core, inspiration is a powerful force that ignites passion, propels dreams, and molds individuals into extraordinary beings. It is the vibrant pulse that surges through our veins, pushing us to achieve greatness even in the face of adversity. Crafting an essay about someone who inspires you allows you to shine a spotlight on the transformative power of such individuals.
Most Influential Person in My Life: Essay
Most Influential Person in My Life: Essay. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Everyone needs to be inspired, and inspiring others can only have positive effects. They can be the people that surround us in an everyday life.
Who Influenced My Life: [Essay Example], 789 words GradesFixer
These influences have come in various forms, ranging from personal guidance and mentorship to exposure to new ideas and perspectives. In this essay, I will explore the individuals who have influenced my life and how their impact has helped me to grow and develop as a person.
Positive influence by a person on my life Free Essay Example
Essay Sample: For the past eighteen years that I have walked this earth, the most influential person in my life has been my mother. Although the passing of my father
Most Influential Person Essay
951 Words4 Pages. To me, the most influential person in your life is the one whose actions have had the most impact on your life, for better or for worse. For many people, that person is probably a family member, friend, or maybe a favorite celebrity. When asked to pick a most influential person, most people will pick the person who was there ...
Personal Influence Essay Examples
Stuck on your essay? Browse essays about Personal Influence and find inspiration. Learn by example and become a better writer with Kibin's suite of essay help services.
Can one person make a difference? I wanted to find out.
Different arguments began to emerge: Volunteering, donating, and modifying one's personal behavior were, at best, unproductive; at worst, they were harmful distractions from the change we really ...
How to Influence People—And Make Friends
Doing so will influence no one who doesn't already agree with you. Worse, it will provoke equal-but-opposite angry dogmatism. ... Obviously, the gesture would hardly make me a persuasive person ...
The Good, Bad And Controversial Of The Social Shopping Model
The Short-Form Phenomenon's Influence On Customer Behavior. The rise of short-form content has been nothing short of meteoric. Launched in 2016, TikTok quickly gained traction among younger ...
Free Someone Who Inspires Me Essay Examples & Topic Ideas
Argumentative essay on Someone Who Inspires Me from GradesFixer Best writing team Examples by straight-A students High-quality paper
23 Lesser-Known Facts About Kamala Harris
Beyond the headlines, Ms. Harris has taken ballet, collected Converse sneakers and felt the influence of her grandfather, a diplomat. By Andrew Trunsky and Alyce McFadden Kamala Harris's long ...
Making a Positive Impact on Others: The Power of Influence: [Essay
As human beings, our lives are intricately intertwined with those of others. We live in communities, work in teams, and build relationships that shape our personal and professional experiences. In this essay, we will explore the profound concept of making a positive impact on others and how it can have far-reaching effects on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.
My Son and Gus Walz Deserve a Champion Like Tim Walz
Ms. Brown is the author, most recently, of "The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil." The sight at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night of Tim Walz ...