Comfort Zone Definition

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." What Mr. Emerson means by this statement is that you must get outside of your comfort zone in order to grow as a person. It is my opinion that a person should go 'beyond what you have mastered' because it allows a person to learn new thoughts and ideas, grow as an individual, and experience new things. The first reason why it is important to step out of ones comfort zone is that it lets a person learn new thoughts and ideas. Think about it, never learning anything new or trying out any new ideas, it would be horrible. A good example of this would be a very naive artist. This hypothetical artist is really good …show more content…
The artist thinks to himself 'I'm the master of cubism and it's wildly popular too. It so popular in fact, that I think that I don't need to learn any new painting styles.' Alas for our hypothetical painter, popular option shifts and now surrealism is the new 'in' thing. Try as he might he just can seem to get the hang of surrealism and is therefore left all alone, poor and destitute. This is a prime example of why we must go beyond what we already know, so that we can adapt to the ever changing times. The second reason why one must 'do something beyond what you have mastered' is that in doing so you grow as a person. A perfect example of this point would be J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Hobbit. The story begins with a hobbit, a fantasy creature from the mind of Mr. Tolkien, named Bilbo Baggins. He lives a quiet life far away from any danger or adventure. Though the will of a wizard though, Bilbo is thrust into a hair-raising adventure and comes out a very different person for it. Throughout all his adventures in the book the reader sees Bilbo mature as a person and how he is forever changed by his exploits. This is why I agree with Mr. Emerson's option, it is in these moments of change that people grow and