A Definition Essay Sample: Word “Malleable”

What if people “could be hit or pressed into different shapes easily without breaking or cracking?” This description refers to the definition of the word “malleable” provided in the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. Of course, the first definition the word is also perfectly applied to describing personalities.; however, the word is also perfectly applied to describing personalities. In this context, it would be defined as “easily influenced or changed.” If a person is malleable, he/she is really susceptible to some outside influence. In other words, due to some convincing arguments of others, a person’s viewpoints, actions, attitudes, and even beliefs can be altered.

Being malleable can have both pros and cons. How successful a person is depends on how strongly the person wants to change when being under pressure, in stressful situations, or under other unfavorable circumstances. Therefore, it depends on a particular situation whether this malleability will work for the better or not. However, being totally rigid (which is the contrary of being malleable) does not always prove to be good either.One can see a parallel in metals: when metal is overly rigid, it is easier to break it if to apply much force.The same is with people: if a person is not malleable, he/she may find it hard to adapt to some new environments or situations. Besides, a person will be keen on rejecting any inescapable changes. Such failure to adapt to something new might have negative consequences for one’s inner harmony, and therefore it is important to strike a balance between rigidness and malleability.

A person must decide for himself/ herself when to be rigid and when malleable. For example, being rigid is always beneficial when it comes to one’s beliefs, opinions, and values. A person should have a strong standpoint in life. Besides, he/she should have certain strong beliefs that form the backbone of one’s personality. For example, if a person has negative opinions and attitudes to drinking alcohol, then any outside influence should not affect this belief. However, when it comes to certain habits, it is perfectly OK to be malleable, especially when giving up old habits eases life.For example, when a person has to learn to perform certain calculations on the computer by using software instead of calculating different figures and numbers with the help of a calculator, it brings him/her more benefits concerning work productivity.

Personally, I have noticed that being malleable is really positive and beneficial for a person when it comes to introducing some favorable change in life. It helps in situations when you have to make compromises and avoid conflicts, which are the characteristic of unhealthy atmosphere in relationships. However, you should never cross the line of your malleability limits so that people do not take advantage of this flexibility.