The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and Lord of the Flies Comparative Essay Example

Sometimes, two completely different books can relate in many ways. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey and Lord of the Flies by Stephen Golding are two stories that deal with teenagers. Each of the characters in Lord of the Flies can relate to a habit in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. For example, Ralph and Jack can relate to habit number two, and Simon and Piggy can relate to habit number six. The characteristics of the children in Lord of the Flies ties into some habits in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. For example, Habit 2 is “Begin with the end in mind” which means that you have to develop a clear picture of where you want to go with your life. It means deciding what your values are and setting goals. 

In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is considered the leader. He is the one who calls all the meetings and tells people what to do. Ralph likes order. “And another thing. We nearly set the whole island on fire. And now we waste time, rolling rocks, and making little cooking fires. Now I say this and make it a rule because I am chief. We won't have a fire anywhere but on the mountain.” (Golding 81). This shows that Ralph was focused on getting rescued when no one else was. The ‘end’ was getting off the island, and he was taking steps towards that goal by creating rules and boundaries. Jack, however, is much different from Ralph. Jack does not care about anyone or anything but himself. When Ralph told him to pay attention to the fire instead of hunting, he got mad and told him that he did not have to abide by his rules. 

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, three ‘watch outs’ are negative labels, the ‘it's all over’ syndrome, and the wrong walls. Jack exhibits all of these behaviors which is why he is the opposite of Ralph.  Simon and Piggy are similar in many ways. They both support Ralph, are considered outcasts, and -most importantly- they are both considered proponents of society, which ties into habit number six. Habit number six is to synergize. Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create a better solution than either could alone. 

Synergy is all about teamwork and open-mindedness. Simon and Piggy are perfect examples of being open-minded and giving ideas to help them get off the island faster. In chapter 8, Simon suggests that since everyone is so scared of the beast, they should climb the mountain to see what the ‘beast’ actually is, whether it be a non-living thing or a gigantic animal. In another circumstance, Piggy suggests that they should make a clock. “I’ve been thinking, He said, “about a clock. We could make a sundial. We could put a stick in the sand and then-” (Golding 64). When the other boys scoff at him, he argues that it is a low-tech item and that if they kept track of time, then they could get more done and be rescued sooner. By Simon and Piggy suggesting these ideas, it helped create synergy within the group. In conclusion, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey and Lord of the Flies by Stephen Golding both relate to each other in one way or another. 

The characters in Lord of the Flies relate to at least two of the seven habits in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. For example, Ralph and Jack relate to habit number two, and Simon and Piggy relate to habit number six.