Dr. Sack's article initially appears as an argument against the use of prescription drugs in academics, however, his real message is a warning to parents about the ramifications of pushing their children to win and achieve. Throughout the piece, he poses questions challenging the benefits of being competitive and notes the long-term dangers of relying on medications to maintain a competitive edge. I found though that his most powerful statement was this: "The humiliation of losing can leave lasting scars, while the euphoria of victory fades quickly because it is based on a shaky sense of self-worth" (Sack).
Not only did I find the word choice powerful and strangely poetic, but I also felt that the statement itself could stand as a thesis to his argument against the focus on winning. Using a word such as humiliation in place of embarrassment has an emotionally stimulating quality about it. One could picture embarrassment as a short-term feeling that can be laughed about later on, but humiliation is something that sticks negatively with a person for a long time. Likewise, the use of the word euphoria over joy, happiness, or excitement demonstrates how fleeting the sensation associated with winning is. Euphoria brings to mind the high associated with drug use, a short-lived sensation that is dependent on
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Since a reader of the website is more likely to skim through the content on their lunch hour or while working on other projects it is important for authors to make their material succinct, interesting, and even emotionally charged. Dr. Sack's article is no exception to this as he uses more pathos in his article to keep the reader engaged as opposed to delving deeper into the data on the problem. This would also explain why he chose the words he did on the humiliation and euphoria of