Proverb Analysis Essay, Research Paper

Have you ever helped a friend or family member in need? Or even a stranger? You probably did this out of good intent and wanted to be a good Samaritan. Well I applaud you! Well done! However, have you ever thought about what would happen if that person was in trouble again? I answered this question by writing my own proverb, ?Help a person in need, and he will think of you again when he is in trouble.? It is pretty self explanatory. Once you help a person, they will go to you again when something goes awry. This may continue until a person stops it or the person being ?helped? no longer needs assistance. It takes the idea of being a kind and courteous person in which it is a selfless good deed, to looking at the bad side of it.

This proverb is meaningful to me because I made it up and secondly, because it actually makes sense. There have been a few incidents in my life that involved me helping others and being asked for help repeatedly afterwards. I know it doesn?t sound like I?m very nice but I just believe this because of previous experiences. I also know it may sound pessimistic but this proverb can only be fully understood when a person has had it happen to them. If you think of times where you helped someone, be it a friend or another, they usually come back again when they require assistance. Let?s try an example: A friends comes and asks you for help on homework. You help them being the nice person you are and they thank you and leave. A while later, they return asking for more help but this time in a bit more urgent and less appreciative manner. You still help them. This continues on until they do it so much it gets on your nerves and no matter what you say, they still keep asking for help. They might tell friends and they?ll ask you for answers as well as him, or he might never stop. This may be resolved but you have learned a lesson. Some people cannot be trusted. That is what I believe! However I believe that you shouldn?t trust anyone just to be safe. Now this has happened to a friend of mine exactly how I described in the example. What convinced me to believe in this proverb is when I loaned a family member some money because they were broke. Afterwards, he asked for more money when he was out again. It was easy to stop this cycle by saying no and ignoring him but believe me; the process can be very difficult.

I?m sure that everyone has helped a person in need. That is very thoughtful and considerate of them. However, I believe it is a mistake to do so. When you help a person, they are grateful, but they could have done something about it by themselves. It is laziness and unbelief that drives them to ask for help. When you help a person in need, even though the short term effect are good, the long term is usually bad. Instead of having the person learn for themselves, you have given them the easy way out. There is always an answer and that is what people should believe. Not that the person next to them will give them the answer. By helping people, we are no better than those who help others cheat or con each other. We are fooling them and ourselves. When you see a homeless person on the street, you want to give them spare change or some food. What is keeping them from going out and getting a job? What will they do with the money or food when it is used up? They will want more. This proves that man is greedy. Once they have had something they like, they want more. Like an addiction. Some people may say that there are people out there who cannot get jobs or money because of certain circumstances. I say that they should overcome those obstacles. What is life when you don?t make anything of it? The greatest joy is overcoming an obstacle and becoming able to do something. That is how everyone should think. Not that there will be others who will help them. Next time that someone asks for help for something that they can complete by them selves, remember ?Help a person in need, and he will think of you again when he is in trouble.?