A winning entry from the SISC English Club x The Mover English Fortnight 2024 Essay Writing Competition.
Humanity has always been known to sin. Mindless violence and discord have been commonplace. What ended it, however, was the presence of a particular kind of art: language. From the beginning of humanity to even past the establishment of the UN, this piece of art has provided humanity with an incredible advantage. Knowledge passed down through generations is now possible, rather than relying purely on natural instincts. The symbol of today’s unity, the United Nations, alongside its goals and aspirations, flourishes due to the advantage, purpose, and unity that English, a common language, offers.
Language provides us with the ability to indirectly pass knowledge from one to another. That is what allowed us to properly unite and function as a single complex unit. We see this well in societies like during the Age of Reason, where the people sought order by understanding order itself or the countless scientific research that advanced our technology to beyond earth. It's no surprise that things like the Age of Reason eventually ended with the birth of one of the greatest nations known today, the United States of America.
What separates humanity from the brutality of nature is the perception of beauty. While many bits of literature provided information and explanations, they also served as inspiring pieces of entertainment that fought hand-to-hand with time itself, finding their way into today’s society. Stories of Greek Gods managed to find themselves still being explored today due to the translations into the English language. There was so much of such inspiration that one of the first things that humanity did after going beyond the earth was send the Golden Record, a trinket of humanity’s emotion, art, and creativity to the vastness of space.
At the same time, these emotions, art, and creativity allowed us to produce the famed pieces that propel our society today. The Bible brings hope to those who see themselves trapped in sin. The countless research papers flowing through our academics inspire endless curiosity. The US constitution brings the wish of freedom, order, and prosperity to fruition. All of these happen because there is a means that binds society together, which is the English language.
These lingual sounds are more than just thought-provoking melodies; they are torches. There will always be suffering in the world; it is natural and normal. What makes humanity so unique is the ability to wield communication and literacy in this manner. As we look back, we can see how far we’ve gone, how unity guides us, and how far it takes us in the near future. Before we can even begin to target the issues that plague humanity today, we need unity in our society; and that always begins with a common means, a torch to burn through the night.
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