F5 IELTS Discussion Essays: “Taking Risks”

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, prefer to take risks and think that change is a positive thing. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Band 8 Response

In general, people tend to have different outlooks about how change can affect their lives. Some believe it is better to live a safe, somewhat repetitive life with minimal change, while others believe creating change in life is a good thing. While I acknowledge that change can cause a lot of stress to people, I would argue that creating change and taking risks in life is essential for our growth as humans.

Some people feel that making changes in life causes too much stress and could be a destructive force for people. Stepping out of our comfort zone commonly involves such things as giving up work to travel or study, moving to live in another city or country, giving up a stable job to start a new business and so on. Taking risks like this can cost people considerable amounts of money, often resulting in debt, and can also put a lot of strain on relationships. These kinds of life changes are indeed stressful and it is understandable that many prefer to avoid them.

However, I would argue that experiencing change is an essential part of our development as humans and we should actively take risks in life in order to grow. Choosing to leave our current situation for any other situation gives us confidence and develops our ability to deal with the many challenges life throws at us as we walk its path. Giving up work to travel or study, or moving to a different place gives us precious life experience which makes us wiser and helps open our minds.Starting a new business develops our creativity and makes us stronger. It is very important to remember that life sometimes throws changes at us whether we welcome them or not, so to create them ourselves gives us more control and helps us to be ready to deal with any hardship. Hence, the more we experience change, the more we develop into stronger, wiser humans.

In conclusion, while it is certain that change can be stressful, it helps us to develop into better people, so it is an essential part of our lives and absolutely a positive thing. As the Buddha said ‘Nothing is forever except change”.

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