YTA Essay Competition Agon 2025 Third Prize

YTA Essay Competition Agon 2025 Third Prize

Topic - Character over marks.

“Being a man with success is not important, but becoming a man with values is," is a well given quote by Albert Einstein. Success often shows marks, which by Einstein are not important, but values, meaning our character is. Character defines one's personality, how that person is around him, or how he treats others. What to say of a person behaves, when no one is around him, or how he treats others. What to say of a person, who has good grades in his or her respective field, but is often busy in harassing others, disturbing others, or - hurting people in direct or indirect ways. But, on the other hand if we see someone with good character, helping others in every way he can, making people around him smile, just with his good personality.

It is often said that success follows the one with positive mindset and a positive aura, which comes under a good character. Life’s success is not measured only with good academics but requires good character too. A successful life needs resilience, honesty, integrity and courage. More importantly, character has the ability to build a man, who could rise from any adverse situation, character has the ability to build leaders.

Talking of leaders, I would like to present an example of Captain Vikram Batra, a leader with a great character. During the Kargil war he and his team was assigned the task of capturing the Tololing, which was occupied by Pakistani soldiers. His personality and aura influenced his partners, to a great extent, that even after Captain Vikram Batra got shot, his troops did not give up and fought till they completed the mission. Such is character, of a true leader, who even after sacrificing life, sets an example for eternity to motivate everyone.

If a society, has people with good and excellent character, they would influence a town, which would affect a city, followed by a state, and at last, the country contributing to the growth of whole nation. I would state here an example of Premanandji Maharaj, who is a saint, living in Vrindavan. He is well known for his positive aura, and a great personality. Many people from around the world come to meet him and ask him their questions related to life problems, which he answers smilingly. His character is so powerful that he easily influences a person with bad or ruined mindset to follow the path of righteousness. This is the power of character, contributing in growth of country's youth, leading to overall country's growth and true success lies here.

In this results- driven world, there is now a need, an urgency of people with good character, who could influence others to become like them, who could become a leader and make new leaders, with great values and ethics, helping others, with great and positive aura, with high morals, even if not having high grades. This is the need of the world currently. Life demands more than marks, life demands values, empathy, helping nature, guiding and leading spirit, honesty, ethics, and excellence in character. It is true said that success is measured by character and not by report cards or grades. Character builds discipline, that helps in becoming a leader too.

To conclude I would quote, "That success is not measured by your grades or your position, but by how you inspire others to emulate you."

Cadet Om Uttam Patil