07人生哲理类*自信（2007年真题）

It is symbolically illustrated in the cartoon that a striker is preparing to shoot at the goal
defended by a goalkeeper on a football field. In the goalkeeper’s mind, he is so much smaller than
he actually is that guarding the goal becomes an impossible mission. At the same time, the giant
guard seems to fill up the whole goal in the attacking player’s mind.
The purpose of the drawing is to show us that in the face of seemingly insurmountable
challenges or predicaments, possessing self-confidence is of the utmost significance. Regardless
of how much success one has had in school or at work, there are bound to be times when he or
she will encounter problems. It is at these critical times that one’s self-confidence, toward
difficulty and toward life in general, plays a crucial role in determining whether he or she can
turn failure into victory.
I can think of no better illustration than the following one. Helen Keller was deaf, dumb
and blind, certainly nothing to give her self-confidence. Nevertheless, she went on to conquer
her multiple handicaps to finally become a writer and lecturer, and an inspiration to all. This case
effectively illustrates that no matter what tasks we are confronted with, we should never
overestimate the difficulties or underestimate our abilities. (216 words)