In any field of endeavor, it is impossible to make a significant contribution without first being strongly influenced by past achievements within that field.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement

The speaker asserts that it is impossible to make significant contribution in any field without getting influenced by the past achievements. I agree with the speaker’s assertion and being influenced and inspired by the past successes is indeed a major reason for advancement in any field.

History has shown us that great advancement were achieved only when they were inspired by the works of their predecessors. For example, Newton discovered the universal force of gravity after studying a lot of works of his predecessors like Galileo and Copernicus. Even Newton himself claimed that “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants”. Thus past achievements can never be ignored and are very influential in any field if used in proper manner.

Even in today’s world influence by past successes is playing a major role. It has acted as a source of inspiration. In fields like singing and acting, people are getting influenced and inspired by the past work and this force is driving them to contribute something fresh and innovative in their respective fields. Past has also helped in many other ways. It has prevented current contributors to learn from their predecessors mistakes and help them avoid such errors.

But, in contrast with the above points, it is not completely necessary to rely on past achievements for further advancement. For example, like in any form of art. Art is characterized by its purity, originality and freedom. If a painter is influenced by his field’s past achievement, his paintings will somewhere reflect his predecessor’s work and will lack originality. In the field of science, Einstein’s theory of relativity was not heavily influenced by any past achievements and yet it is one of major contributions in the world of science.

In sum, I conclude that few fields may not depend on their past achievements but a majority of current advancement in many fields can be attributed to the influence of the past works of the predecessors of that field.