Learning to Rewrite with ChatGPT:
If you want to learn how ChatGPT can effectively elevate your writing, copy and paste either a paragraph or an essay and then write the following instructions to ChatGPT:
Instruction #A:
Rewrite the above and correct for grammar, sentence structure, usage, diction, and use an academic tone suitable for a college-level essay.
Then copy and paste the same text of your own writing again and put the following instructions for ChatGPT:
Instruction #B
Rewrite the above and correct for grammar, sentence structure, usage, diction, and use rigorous argumentation and salient rhetoric suitable for a college-level essay.
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Did ChatGPT produce significantly different revisions? Did you notice any significant revisions from your original version? Did ChatGPT make the revision process fun by adding a sense of surprise and discovery?
***
1A Essay 1: Is Following Your Passion Bad Career Advice?
The Purpose of Essay 1:
The purpose of your first essay is to explore the potential dangers and weaknesses of following your passion at the exclusion of other factors to achieve success. In what ways is following your passion dangerous? In what ways is the notion of passion a meaningless cliche? Why do such meaningless cliches become influential? What kind of audience hunger
for these empty platitudes? How is Cal Newport’s idea of the craftsman mindset offered as an antidote to the dangers of following your passion? What moral considerations should be factored into cultivating a craftsman mindset?
To explore these questions, you can choose from one of the following 2 prompts:
In a 1,200-word essay that adheres to current MLA format and provides a minimum of 4 sources for your Works Cited page, write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his online article “The Passion Trap” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" and Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why" that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources for Option A:
- "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your PassionLinks to an external site.," by Cal Newport
- Online article “The Passion TrapLinks to an external site.” by Cal Newport
- "The Career Craftsman ManifestoLinks to an external site." by Cal Newport
- Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's WhyLinks to an external site."
***
Building Block Assignment #1 for Follow Your Passion:
1A Essay 1 Building Block 1
In a 200-word paragraph, write about the conflict you have between passion and practicality in the context of your college major. Use at least two signal phrases to address content from the recommended online articles for Option A.
These articles come from Essay 1:
In a 1,200-word essay that adheres to current MLA format and provides a minimum of 4 sources for your Works Cited page, write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his online article “The Passion Trap” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" and Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why" that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
- "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," by Cal Newport
- Online article “The Passion Trap” by Cal Newport
- "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" by Cal Newport
- Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why"
Suggested Outline for Essay 1
Paragraph 1: In a 200-word paragraph, write about the conflict you have between passion and practicality in the context of your college major. Use at least two signal phrases to address content from the recommended online articles for Option A.
Paragraph 2: Write your thesis or claim and give 4 reasons in your thesis to show your explanations.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal paragraph.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion: a dramatic, powerful restatement of your thesis.
These articles come from Essay 1:
Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources for Option A:
- "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," by Cal Newport
- Online article “The Passion Trap” by Cal Newport
- "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" by Cal Newport
- Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why."
Lexicon
- ephemeral
- capricious
- ennui
- vicarious
- bereft
- pecuniary
- infantile infatuation
- chimera (chimerical)
- due diligence
Conflict Between Passion Dreams and Practical Plans
Stanley was the poster child for the “follow your dreams” brigade, the kind of guy who believed that sheer persistence could bend the universe to his will. After donning his cap and gown in 1977, he traded high school for a few acting classes at the local community college. But, like any good dreamer, he quickly ditched the books for the glitz of Los Angeles. The 1980s became a blur of waiting tables and pouring his hard-earned cash into an endless parade of coaches, mentors, acting gurus, body language wizards, voice instructors, and New Age quacks. Each promised to unlock his hidden potential, the golden key to Hollywood stardom.
His career? A smattering of forgettable bit parts—just enough to keep him hooked, like a gambler down to his last chip but convinced the jackpot was one spin away. The 1990s brought a flicker of hope when he rubbed elbows with a few film directors who dangled the promise of bigger roles just out of reach. Feeding on this pipe dream while squatting in a squalid apartment that could’ve doubled as a set for a horror movie, Stanley clung to the delusion that tenacity alone would guarantee his big break.
So, he soldiered on for another two decades, living in a cockroach-infested hellhole in downtown L.A., where the American Dream had apparently taken a wrong turn and ended up on Skid Row. To keep the lights on, Stanley sold his plasma and kneaded strangers’ backs as a masseuse—until arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome turned his hands into gnarled claws better suited for a Halloween costume than a massage parlor.
By the time he hit 60 in 2018, life had turned into a cruel joke. Strep throat hit him like a freight train, and without health insurance or a cent to his name, he couldn’t afford the antibiotics that might have saved him. Curled into the fetal position on a bare mattress, Stanley lay there as the roaches marched over him like they owned the place—because, let’s face it, they probably did. He sobbed, realizing that the American Dream had sold him a lemon. Four decades of relentless pursuit had left him with nothing but a pile of broken promises and a life as sour as curdled milk. His dreams hadn’t just failed—they’d soured into the rancid sludge you’d find at the bottom of a dumpster.
**Unpacking a Persuasive Thesis: A Guide for Crafting Strong Essays**
In his book So Good They Can't Ignore You and the accompanying YouTube video titled "'Follow Your Passion' Is Bad Advice," Cal Newport effectively challenges the popular idea of following your passion. He argues instead for adopting what he calls the "craftsman mindset." Newport's thesis is supported by four key observations:
1. **Passion without mastery is meaningless.** Simply being passionate about something isn't enough—you need to put in the time and effort to master your craft.
2. **Passion isn't something you find; it's something you develop.** It takes around 10,000 hours of hard work and dedication to turn a skill into a passion.
3. **Only 2% of people actually work at their "dream job."** The majority of us find fulfillment by becoming highly skilled and valuable in our roles, not by landing a dream job.
4. **Pursuing a dream without assessing your abilities and resources is risky.** Without an honest evaluation of your skills and the market, chasing your dream can lead to disappointment and failure.
This thesis is composed of two sentences, which is a technique you can use to clarify your essay’s direction. The first sentence presents the argument, while the second breaks down the reasons supporting that argument, effectively mapping out the body of your essay.
**Example Thesis:**
*Newport’s critique of “Follow Your Passion” is compelling because he argues for replacing the Passion Hypothesis with a craftsman mindset.*
**Clarifying Thesis:**
*He supports this argument with four key points: Passion without mastery is worthless; passion is cultivated through sustained effort; very few people find their dream job, and pursuing a dream without assessing your skills and resources is dangerous.*
By using this structure, you clearly outline your essay’s main points, guiding your reader—and yourself—through your argument. Each of these points can then be expanded into individual paragraphs, or even multiple paragraphs, to build a strong, cohesive essay.
This method not only helps you organize your thoughts but also makes your argument more persuasive and easier to follow.
Argument That Mostly Supports Newport
Cal Newport, in his best-seller So Good They Can’t Ignore You, takes a sledgehammer to the Passion Hypothesis—a sweet little fairy tale that whispers in your ear, “Find yourself, discover your passion, and the world will lay out the red carpet to your inevitable stardom.” But let’s get real: this theory is a flaming pile of nonsense, a wolf in sheep’s clothing that leads the naive straight into the abyss of disappointment.
The Passion Hypothesis sells you a dream that passion alone is the magic key to unlocking your potential. But here’s the unvarnished truth: passion without action is as useful as a chocolate teapot. Imagine your partner professing undying love while gallivanting off with the next charming face they see—does that love mean anything? Absolutely not. Passion, like love, requires more than just lip service. It demands fidelity, sacrifice, loyalty, and a dogged commitment to the grind.
Successful people don’t just feel passion; they bleed for it. They endure the soul-crushing drudgery and mind-numbing tedium that would make lesser mortals throw in the towel. They carve out time from the frivolities of socializing and the dopamine deluge of social media to hunker down and master their craft. They aren’t chasing happiness; they’re building an unshakeable work ethic and integrity that turns them into indispensable assets wherever they go. These are the people who don’t just survive; they thrive, and they do it on their own damn terms.
But here’s the kicker—many of these success stories didn’t begin with a passion-fueled epiphany. They started with a window of opportunity, often something they weren’t particularly thrilled about, and through grit and relentless focus, passion followed. The tales of these individuals are tangled webs of contradiction and complexity, far more nuanced than the dangerously simplistic Passion Hypothesis would have you believe. Passion is just one ingredient in the recipe for success—a sprinkle, not the main course. The real meat? The strength to endure solitary practice, the self-discipline to shun the siren calls of instant gratification, and the foresight to take the long view of their careers.
Now, let’s not pretend Newport’s argument is bulletproof. Even the most relentless work ethic won’t guarantee success—sometimes, it’s just a roll of the dice. Take Taylor Swift, for instance. Sure, she works hard, but luck has played a colossal role in her rise. With a voice that’s, let’s be honest, nothing extraordinary, she’s managed to market herself as a global sensation, raking in more cash than genuinely superior artists like SZA. “Good Days” by SZA is a masterpiece that eclipses anything Swift will ever write, but here we are, living in a world where luck often tips the scales.
Newport could also do us a favor and clarify what he means by “passion.” Not all passion is created equal. Mature, enduring passion is a far cry from the fleeting infatuations that fizzle out before you can say “career burnout.” Newport should hammer home this distinction, but even without it, his argument still packs a punch. It’s a valuable, cogent, and persuasive antidote to the toxic simplicity of the Passion Hypothesis, even if it’s not without its flaws.
***
1A Essay 1 Building Block 2
Write a 200-word counterargument-rebuttal paragraph to gain credibility with your readers by showing them you have considered opposing views to your thesis or claim. Use at least one signal phrase to address quoted or paraphrased material.
Crafting a Persuasive Argumentative Essay: A Guide
When writing an argumentative essay, it's not enough to simply present strong support for your thesis. To create a truly persuasive argument, you must also address and refute potential counterarguments. This not only strengthens your position but also shows that you’ve considered different perspectives.
The Importance of Counterargument-Rebuttal Sections
To gain credibility, effective writers anticipate objections to their argument and address them directly. This is done through a counterargument-rebuttal section, often placed after your supporting paragraphs and before the conclusion.
**Examples of Counterargument-Rebuttal Sentence Structures:**
- **Some people may object to my point X, but they fail to see Y.**
- **Some people will take issue with my argument X, and I will concede their point to some degree. However, on balance, my argument X still stands because...**
- **It is true, as my opponents say, that my argument fails to acknowledge the possibility that Y, but I would counter by observing that...**
- **I would be the first to agree with my opponents that my argument can lead to some dangerous conclusions, such as X. But we can neutralize these misgivings when we consider...**
**Example:**
*My opponents may take offense to my argument that “Follow your passion” is dangerous, accusing me of advocating for a life focused solely on money, reducing people to “soulless robots” devoid of passion in their career choices. However, these critics misunderstand my argument. What I’m actually advocating for is...*
Writing a Powerful Conclusion
Your conclusion is your final opportunity to leave an impact on your reader. It's where you should create emotional resonance and reinforce the purpose of your essay. To avoid falling into clichés or overused structures, steer clear of these common phrases:
- **In conclusion,**
- **As you can now clearly see,**
- **Before we get out of here let me just say,**
- **To wrap things up,**
- **Just in case you forgot,**
- **To sum up what I just said,**
- **Sorry for this lousy essay, but just in case you didn’t understand what I was saying...**
**Effective Conclusion Strategies:**
- **Full Circle Technique:** If you began with a story or image in your introduction, return to it in your conclusion.
- **Rhetorical Question:** End with a question that provokes further thought.
Here's an example of a rhetorical question you could use in a conclusion for an essay about Cal Newport's argument against the "Follow Your Passion" advice:
*"If true fulfillment comes from mastering a craft and creating value, then why do we continue to chase fleeting passions that may never lead to lasting success?"*
**Gut-Punching Quotation:** Conclude with a powerful quote that encapsulates your argument.
- **Indelible Image:** Leave your reader with a vivid image that resonates with your thesis.
- **Dire Warning:** Highlight the consequences of ignoring your argument.-
Here's an example of a "dire warning" you could use in a conclusion for an essay cautioning against following passion without the craftsman mindset:
*"If we blindly chase our passions without the discipline to master our craft, we risk waking up one day to find that our dreams have led us not to success, but to a life of unfulfilled potential, disappointment, and regret."*
- **Universal Truth:** Relate your argument to a broader, universal truth.
- **Emotional Restatement of Thesis:** Reiterate your thesis in a way that leaves an emotional impact.
#### Crafting a Strong Title
Your essay’s title is the first thing your reader will see, so make it count. Avoid generic titles like “Follow Your Passion” or “Essay 1.” Instead, opt for something catchy and relevant to your focus, such as:
- **Is the Passion Trap Really a Trap?**
- **Is “Follow Your Passion” a Worthy Life Principle or an Empty Cliché?**
- **“Follow Your Passion” Is the Most Dangerous Advice Ever Told**
- **Cal Newport Is Wrong About Passion.**
By following these strategies, you can write an essay that is not only persuasive but also memorable and impactful.
***
Why Passion By Itself as the Fuel for Success Is Bogus
You Need Passion to Avoid the Applebee’s Effect
Let’s not dismiss passion as an essential part of life. Passion has its place in our careers, hobbies, relationships, and even in our eating habits. After all, enduring a flavorless meal at Applebee’s can be a soul-crushing experience. For some, life—like that meal—can become one long, intractable, bland existence, especially if all we do is work in a cubicle for thirty years, retire, and fade away.
But there’s a pervasive myth about passion—a fantasy from the land of Hakuna Matata—that choosing a juicy, fulfilling career is as easy as picking ripe fruit from a tree. All you have to do is “follow your passion.”
Unpacking “Follow Your Passion”
When we really unpack what “follow your passion” means, we see that the concept of passion is far more complex than it appears. This leads to the first fallacy of the “follow your passion” mantra: it’s based on a simplistic idea when, in reality, it’s rooted in layers of complexity.
Fallacy #1: The Immaturity Trap—“Thirstiness” Is Not Passion
Let’s be honest—mature people have superior passions compared to those who are immature. A mature person’s drive to promote health in poverty-stricken areas or create beautiful music is far more meaningful than an immature person’s obsession with becoming a social media influencer.
The documentary *Fake Famous* highlights aspiring influencers who spend their days taking selfies, not out of any true passion, but out of a desperate need for attention. This kind of “thirstiness” or neediness is not passion, and it certainly isn’t a solid foundation for a viable career.
So, “follow your passion” means nothing if you’re driven by immature desires.
#### Fallacy #2: The Impoverishment Trap
Being obsessed with fame isn’t passion—it’s desperation, and it’s ugly. The thirst for fame and material success is often rooted in a deep psychological and spiritual impoverishment.
People with low self-worth often chase fame and power because they feel an internal void that they try to fill with external validation. This kind of pursuit is not about passion or purpose but about compensating for a lack of self-esteem. Vanity and low self-worth are just two sides of the same coin.
#### Fallacy #3: The Feeling Trap
As a society, we’re increasingly guided by our feelings rather than critical thinking—a trend that’s pushing us closer to the dystopian world of Idiocracy (Mike Judge, 2006). We’ve come to equate strong feelings with passion, but this is a dangerous misconception.
Having a strong feeling to play Brad Mehldau’s jazz transcription of Radiohead’s “Exit Music” is not the same as putting in the decade of practice required to actually play it. Similarly, feeling drawn to the power and prestige of being a neurosurgeon isn’t the same as dedicating over a decade of your life to medical training.
Feelings alone won’t help you become who you want to be, nor will they pay your bills.
Fallacy #4: The Ephemeral Trap
Passions are often ephemeral—short-lived and subject to change. For example, I had a student who changed boyfriends about once a month, each time choosing a completely different type—jock, nerd, hipster, intellectual, bad boy. Her tastes were fickle and whimsical, much like passions can be.
You might think you’re pursuing a life-calling when, in reality, you’re just chasing a fleeting illusion. Remember, passion is subject to change as you grow and mature. What you’re passionate about today might not be what you care about tomorrow.
#### The Solution to the Passion Traps: Strength of Character and Slowly Building a Passion Over Time
##### Solution #1: Strength of Character Is Far More Important Than Passion
Let me tell you about Pedro, a student from twelve years ago who’s still a close friend today. Pedro has exceptional character, discipline, and focus, and because of these traits, he excels in everything he does.
Twelve years ago, Pedro was a state-champion boxer, dominating his competition not just physically but mentally as well. However, when he started experiencing headaches, he sought my advice, and I told him his boxing career was over.
So, Pedro transitioned to training as a firefighter. He worked in Compton, received job offers from wildfire zones in Colorado, and eventually decided that firefighting wasn’t his calling. He then studied electrical engineering, which is his current profession.
At his firm, Pedro is a rockstar—he’s the only employee who’s both an electrical engineer and a software engineer. His skills and moral character make him valuable, reliable, and irreplaceable, not his passion.
Let’s be clear: Pedro’s success isn’t based on passion; it’s based on his talent and strength of character.
##### Solution #2: Real Passion Is a Function of Time and Mastery
Don’t be fooled into thinking that passion is something you can instantly possess. Real passion takes time to cultivate. According to Malcolm Gladwell, mastering your craft—and thereby developing true passion—takes over 10,000 hours.
For example, I started playing piano when I was 17. I was terrible at first and wasn’t particularly passionate about it. Now, after years of practice, I’m much better, and unsurprisingly, my improved skills have made me more passionate about playing.
Passion isn’t something that just falls into your lap; you earn it through hard work and dedication. Cal Newport emphasizes that work ethic, not feelings, is what leads to genuine passion.
##### Solution #3: Don’t Worry About Passion—Focus on the Kind of Student You Want to Be
I tell my students this: Don’t stress so much about finding your passion. Instead, focus on the kind of student you want to be. It’s your character, discipline, and commitment to mastering your craft that will ultimately lead to success and fulfillment—not a vague notion of passion.
***
Signal Phrases
Signal Phrases
Purpose to Make Smooth Transition
We use signal phrases to signal to the reader that we are going to cite research material in the form of direct quotes, paraphrase or summary.
You can also call a signal phrase a lead-in because it leads in the quotation or paraphrase.
Grammarian Diana Hacker writes that signal phrases make smooth transitions from your own writing voice to the quoted material without making the reader feel a "jolt."
For students, signal phrases are an announcement to your professor that you've "elevated your game" to college-level writing by accessing the approved college writing toolbox.
Nothing is going to make your essay more impressive to college professors than the correct use of signal phrases.
Purpose to Provide Context
Signal phrases not only establish authority and credibility. They provide context or explain why you're using the sourced material.
Example:
As a counterpoint to Yuval Noah Harari's contention that Foragers lived superior lives to Farmers, we read in culture critic Will Day Brosnan: "Elsewhere, I wondered the extent to which Harari was projecting an idealistic (even Rousseauian) vision of a noble savage on pre-state peoples. His depiction of a foraging lifestyle (‘A Day in the Life of Adam and Eve’) unencumbered by the complexities and worries of civilisational living could be read as reactionary atavism."
Same Example with Different Context:
Concurring with my assertion that Harari is misguided in his Noble Savage mythology, we read in culture critic Will Day Brosnan: "Elsewhere, I wondered the extent to which Harari was projecting an idealistic (even Rousseauian) vision of a noble savage on pre-state peoples. His depiction of a foraging lifestyle (‘A Day in the Life of Adam and Eve’) unencumbered by the complexities and worries of civilisational living could be read as reactionary atavism."
Different Example for Supporting Paragraph
Further supporting my contention that not all calories are equal, we find in science writer Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories that there are statistics that show . . ."
Signal Phrase Comprised of Two Sentences
English instructor Jeff McMahon chronicles in his personal blog Obsession Matters that his opinion toward comedian and podcaster Nate Nadblock changed over a decade. As McMahon observes: "Since 2010, I had found a brilliant curmudgeonly podcaster Nate Nadblock a source of great comfort & entertainment, but recently his navel-gazing toxicity, lack of personal growth, and overall repetitiveness has made him off-putting. Alas, a 10-year podcast friendship has come to an end."
Use the above templates and don't worry: you're not committing plagiarism.
As a counterpoint to X,
As a counterargument to my claim that X,
Giving support to my rebuttal that Writer A makes an erroneous contention, Writer B observes that . . .
Concurring with my assertion that X,
Further supporting my contention that X,
Writer X chronicles in her book. . . . As she observes:
Purpose of Credentials: Establishing Authority and Ethos
We often include credentials with the signal phrase to give more credibility for our sourced material.
The acclaimed best-selling writer, history professor, and futurist Yuval Noah Harari excoriates the Agricultural Revolution as "the greatest crime against humanity."
Lamenting that his students don't enjoy his music playlist in the writing lab, college English instructor Jeff McMahon observes in his blog Obsession Matters: "Two-thirds of my students in writing lab don't hear my chill playlist over classroom speakers because they are hermetically sealed in their private earbud universe content to be masters of their own musical domain."
You don't have to put the signal phrase at the beginning. You can put it at the end:
"The Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity," claims celebrated author and futurist Yuval Noah Harari.
You can also put the signal phrase in the middle of a sentence:
Racism, sexism, worker exploitation, and pestilence afflicted the human race during the Agricultural Revolution, claims celebrated futurist Yuval Noah Harari, who goes on to make the bold claim that "the Agricultural Revolution was the greatest crime perpetrated against humanity."
"Covid-19 fears make me recall Don Delillo's novel White Noise," writes Jeff McMahon in his blog Obsession Matters, " especially the Airborne Toxic Event chapter in which pestilence affords us a rehearsal for our own mortality."
Varying placement and types of signal phrases helps you avoid monotony, makes you a more impressive writer, and gives you more ethos.
Partial List of Signal Phrases
acknowledges adds admits affirms agrees answers argues asserts claims comments concedes confirms contends counters counterattacks declares defines denies disputes echoes endorses estimates finds grants illustrates implies insists mentions notes observes predicts proposes reasons recognizes recommends refutes rejects reports responds reveals speculates states suggests surmises warns writes
Examples of a signal phrases:
We are fools if we think we were put on Planet Earth to be happy. That is the fantasy of a four-year-old child. Ironically, this infantile pursuit of happiness makes us unhappy. In the words of John Mellencamp: “I don’t think we’re put on this earth to live happy lives. I think we’re put here to challenge ourselves physically, emotionally, intellectually.”
The idea of a meritocracy is that a healthy society allows people with merits, regardless of their economic privilege, to rise to the top of the power hierarchy. However, such a meritocracy does not exist as privilege, not merit, is the dominant force of acquiring power. As we read in Yale Law School professor Daniel Markovits' essay "How Life Became an Endless Terrible Competition": "Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale collectively enroll more students from households in the top 1 percent of the income distribution than from households in the bottom 60 percent. Legacy preferences, nepotism, and outright fraud continue to give rich applicants corrupt advantages. But the dominant causes of this skew toward wealth can be traced to meritocracy. On average, children whose parents make more than $200,000 a year score about 250 points higher on the SAT than children whose parents make $40,000 to $60,000. Only about one in 200 children from the poorest third of households achieves SAT scores at Yale’s median. Meanwhile, the top banks and law firms, along with other high-paying employers, recruit almost exclusively from a few elite colleges."
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