Question

Argue for or against the statement – “We live in deeds and not years”

Answer 1

Hint: The aim of the proverb, “we live in deeds, not years”, is to remind every man that human life has a great purpose and is not to be wasted idly or vicariously.

Complete answer:
Life spent in action is life well spent. The great dramatist Shakespeare rightly observed that life should be measured by deeds, not years. Age is no criterion for meaning of life. It is the actions, good deeds which give meaning to life is desired by all. One may even live for hundreds of years or more. But if one does not do any noble deed, then such a life has no worth. He is not remembered by people after his death. He is soon forgotten because he lived in years, not in deeds.

The mission of life is not simply to eat, drink and be merry. One should have a noble aim. A selfish person many live long, but nobody has any regard for him or remembers him after his death.

Life does not mean merely existing. A person may die young, but if he does something that contributes to mankind, he is remembered forever. Keats and Shelly die young, but they are remembered for their contribution to the world of poetry. Bhagat Singh was hanged to death in the prime of youth. Even today, his name is counted among the great patriots of the country. Such men do not fear death. They devote their lives to selfless work. Swami Vivekananda died in his thirties. The world today remembers him for his contributions for society. His life has been an inspiration to many.

Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Abraham Lincoln, and many others are remembered by people even after so many years of death. People still take inspiration from their lifestyles and preachings. It is only the great deeds of these leaders which have inspired many generations

One does not have to live long to make an impression. A lily flower lives just for a day, but it is remembered for its fragrance and sweetness. Life should be counted by deeds, not by years. No man is immortal. Death is inevitable. But noble deeds make him immortal. Respect is earned by actions and not acquired by years. Life becomes exciting when it is lived for others or when it does something beneficial to mankind. The contribution may be in different fields starting from arts, music, science, technology, inventions, literature, etc. One who commits crime also lives for some time after death. But people remember such a person with hatred and contempt. The scandalled wood smuggler Veerappan committed innumerable crimes.

International terrorists are committing heinous crimes against humanity. People remember them with strong dislike. We all should have a noble aim in life. We generally work for the whole day, earn money and spend it on our needs. These are some common things, which everybody does. But we should do some noble deeds also. We should share our happiness, advice, money. If we can not do these, we can give company to our fellow beings. These things may give them happiness and they remember us when we are not around.

The worth of a thing depends upon quality and not quantity. Similarly, a noble lives by deeds and not by years. However a long life is a blessing of God as it enables a noble man to do useful and constructive work for the good of humanity for a number of years. There are many who became immortal. Mother Teresa devoted her life for the poor and the needy. Though she is no more, she is immoral. Hence the saying, “We live in deed, not in years.” Proves to be true.

Note: While writing an argumentative essay, you must gather all your facts and formulate an outline. It must have three parts - an introduction, a body and a conclusion.