GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文七

　　Some people think that the best way to advise people is simply to find what they

　　want and help them attain it? In my view, this method is generally not the best way to

　　proceed in advising others; it ignores the plain truth that many people do not know what

　　they want and do not know what is best for them.

　　My main reason for rejecting this technique is that people very rarely have any

　　clear idea of what they want. This applies not only to consumer items such as clothing,

　　cars and luxury items but also to what they want out of life in general. In fact, numerous

　　studies have shown that most people cannot list the ten things they want most out of life,

　　even if given considerable time to think about it.

　　My second reason for rejecting this method is that more often than not what

　　people want is not what is best for them. Parents continually face this problem when

　　advising their children. For example, suppose a child wants to quit school and get a job.

　　Surely, the parents would be derelict in helping their child attain this want instead of

　　convincing the child that continuing education would be in his or her best interest.

　　Admittedly, following the proposed advising method would result in a high rate of

　　compliance, since the person being advised would act consistently with his or her own

　　will by following the advice. However, as noted above, acting according to what one

　　wants is not necessarily desirable. Proponents of this method might also point to college

　　counselors as models of this technique. However, college counselors should not

　　necessarily be held up as models for advising people generally, let alone as models for

　　advising students.

　　In conclusion, I do not agree that the best way to advise people is to find what

　　they desire and help them achieve it. In my estimation the pitfalls of such a technique

　　outweigh any of its potential advantages.