If a goal is worthy then any means taken to attain it are justifiable Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take In developing and supporting your

Right from childhood, it is hardcoded in our brains that we need to set goals for ourselves and achieve them to be successful. In every age and sphere of life, everyday people are hustling and struggling to achieve their goals. Surely, there must be something that comes with the attainment of these goals which makes people push harder and achieve them through different means. I mostly agree with the claim that everything is justifiable in order to attain a worthy goal. My stance on this is because of three main reasons, as stated further.

People set personal goals to achieve things like work targets, personal growth, and skill development among other things. These guide one’s daily routine, lifestyle, and habits, and understandably so, since they are contributing to one’s progression in career and life in general. The hunger to achieve these set targets early is the primary motivator of a lot of people to get out of bed every morning. For example, individuals preparing for highly competitive public exams, like the coveted UPSC exam in India, leave everything and commit themselves to be successful in that exam. The aspirants are known to quit their jobs, move to different cities which are hubs of coaching for that exam, burn the midnight oil in preparation for the same, and whatnot. They get completely cut off from the online world and spend all their time in the strenuous books recommended for the exam. But once they clear UPSC and get the job of their dreams, every means they used to pass with flying colors seems like a good story to tell the future generations. Everything then seems justifiable since the goal attained was the most worthy in the country.

Secondly, on a societal level, common interests guide large groups to reach their goals. Events and things that impact society as a whole becomes the strong motivation for people to rise up as groups and work towards their betterment. I believe that to channel such strong motivation into action by running that extra mile, going out of the way, and thinking out of the box is completely justified. For example, in the struggle against apartheid system in South Africa, the revolutionaries and leaders left no stone unturned to fight for their rights and to stop racial discrimination by the all-white government. They faced brutal beatings, went on hunger strikes, faced backlash from many, and went to prisons, only to finally attain their one goal - the elimination of racial discrimination. Had they not been persistent and tenacious in their struggle, the system would still be active today in the modern world. This example highlights the fact that for goals that actually matter, it becomes essential to run that extra mile and attain them.

However, I concede that there must be a limit to where one would go on attaining their goal. It must never be at the cost of someone else. Goals need to be attained in an ethical and judicious manner, otherwise, those goals are simply ephemeral and consequently of no use. Every means and measure followed should be on one’s own accountability and no one else’s. For example, the cost of expansion of industries in today’s global economy is borne by local businesses and craftsmen. Large e-commerce platforms are putting small shop owners out of business by outrunning them in terms of convenience and price. A company would give a 20% discount to a consumer on a product and would earn that amount by charging their corporate client a hike of 30% in some other business. This, however, is not possible for a shopkeeper to do, who ultimately loses its customers to this giant conglomerate. These kinds of ways and measures are not at all justified in any way, and contradict the claim given in the prompt.

In conclusion, there is nothing wrong with attaining a goal through any means possible, but only if it is kept under a strict ethical check. If it comes at the cost of someone else, nature, or mankind, it is not justified and would lead to atrocious results in the long run.