Peter Elbow's Essay On The Believing Game

771 Words4 Pages

Theodore Roosevelt once said “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Everyone will struggle at some point in their life and how they handle these struggles can either bring a positive or negative outcome. Peter Elbow’s essay “The Doubting Game and the Believing Game-An Analysis of the Intellectual Enterprise” describes the believing and doubting game and the effects they can have on a person. I have personally struggled academically in Advanced Placement physics. By choosing the believing game,I was able to overcome this struggle and was given a deeper understanding on how to deal with future issues. In order to examine how the believing game can bring a positive outcome compared to the doubting game, Elbow’s essay needs to be examined. My personal experience will be shared, and I will discuss why believing had a positive impact and left me with a deeper understanding. Throughout Elbow’s essay, the reader is given the definition and rules for each of the two games, being believing and doubting. In this essay, Elbow leans towards the believing game and tries to persuade the reader to leave the doubting game behind. Elbow states rules for each game that are used to form a plausible conclusion. The …show more content…

The believing game helped me understand how life works and not become so stressed if something does not go my way. Not all teachers will teach to my specific learning style. Believing that I can do well in a class and learn from any teacher helped me not only deal with high school, but will also help me throughout college and life. The believing game does not just pertain to academic struggles, but also any obstacle one may face throughout life. I learned that changing my perspective allows me to see that sometimes things are my fault and it is myself that needs to change, not other