3rd 500 words

Due to the presence of quality in everyday life, the importance of knowing what quality is for the single individual is vital. Through Pirsig’s novel one can understand the rationale behind knowing what quality is in their life, and that is, in order to have peace of mind one must know what quality stands for in their life. It can be seen through the lives of both the narrator and Phaedrus that they did not have peace of kind. What did they have in common? They suffered from not knowing how to define quality in their lives. All their struggles in life came form not knowing how to define quality. Without knowing what quality is, how are they supposed to enjoy life? How are they supposed to know if what they are doing with life is of positive quality or not? All the hardships they endure through the novel are directly related to the mysterious quality factor that embodies their lives.

            As a result of not knowing what quality is, Phaedrus was forced to let go of his self, which in turn brings about the narrator’s character. He loses his job, seems like a horrible professor and is humiliated. At the same time, the narrator, as he attempts to procure his past self and the definition of quality, ruins his relationship with Chris, as he they grow further apart throughout the novel. From what Pirsig provides in the story, one can definitely state that not knowing the definition of quality in their lives has no positive effects, but only negative. 

            Positive effects of determining what the definition of quality is in your life include many factors that will allow you to live with peace of mind. Once one has the definition marked in stone, they will understand that quality has multiple faces, different definitions but an overall same effect on every life. By conquering quality, one is able to experience pleasure, work towards positive aspects in life, and deal with other mind-boggling aspects in their lives other than being stuck in trying to find out their own definition of quality. Quality in one’s life allows for easy brainstorming, effective and efficient use of time to complete a required action and the ease of mind to focus on other struggles of life. Not knowing what quality is is a major obstacle in one’s life. It is much like a wall separating the real life from the life of struggle. Once that wall is breached, it opens their lives to a complete paradise of opportunity, free from struggles and inefficient use of time in attempting to define their quality.