Celebrating Mediocrity - from "Serious Discussions"

[Undercover Monk]

I touched upon this in the post-modernism discussion. But I am interested in what my fellow labyrinthians think...

As a kid (literally a week or so after I was born) my parents took me to every high school basketball game each year. It is some of my fondest memories. The best part were the sectionals where schools from all over the county came and participated in a single elimination tournament and the fieldhouse (the largest highschool arena in the world) was standing room only. However a few years before I entered highschool the statewide single elimination tournament (the basis for the NCAA tournament) was scrapped in favor of four smaller tournament divided by size. at the time I didnt understand why. I just was informed there was no way my Trojans would ever be State Champs.

Now of course I know its because the principles of the smaller schools want to fill their trophy cases to enhance their own administration. Of course this thinking of rewarding more people isnt just at the highschool level. While going through some of my elememntary schools stuff this year I was shocked to find a bunch of medals and ribbons from track and field day. I never won a race in my life so I was pretty shocked til I read the inscription. Participation ribbon. I was fuming.

Particpation should not be rewarded with a medal or ribbon. what in the world are you supposed to work toward if just by showing up you get a prize. Excellence should be held up and striven toward. not bestowed upon every sad sack with a sob story. I worry about our future as a society if we continue to honor mediocrity. Ok getting off my soapbox does anyone agree with me or am I way off base here.
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The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[Zag]

You can see it in the workplace. The youngest generation of workers, the ones who got a soccer trophy every year for participating, etc. seem to think that just showing up is the bulk of the job. This is, of course, an over-dramatization, but sometimes it seems that way.

On the other hand, they collaborate far better than my generation does. And they don't have the issues with multi-tasking that I and others have. Of course, when you WANT them to focus, that can be a problem.

[MatthewV]

Showing up is the bulk of success.

One of the important lessons I learned is how to not always try my hardest. When you can be lazy... be lazy. You may need to muster every ounce of strength later.

As I child we entered the state fair with artwork, chickens, turkeys, vegetables, cookies... everything. I had a collection of ribbons from Grand Prize (for an ugly chicken!) to participant. So here is my opinion: it is right to get a participant ribbon. You just really shouldn't have kept it unless you were proud of it. It very well may have been an achievement for you to participate.

[MNOWAX]

My issue is the "we are all snowflakes" concept of it. Most people aren't smart. Most people aren't musically gifted. Most people aren't computer savvy. Most people aren't excellent knitters.

I'm about to say a few politically incorrect things, so watch out: you have been warned.

most people are AVERAGE. That is the definition of average. If we celebrate average, then there is no reason to strive for anything in life. ESPECIALLY if it is children. our generation was brought up to think "oh you are just so special". WE ARE NOT. Most "talent" is nothing more than a person striving to work hard and develop skills to create success. I don't have a talent for computers. I was just lucky enough to have one and a book of DOS programming when i was five and six years old. I worked hard learned as much as i could, More importantly I had an interest in it.

it is the same concept with myself and poker. I am one of the best poker players in my area. That isn't because I have a talent or a knack for poker. My father taught me poker when i was a young child, and I have spent many years working hard and honing my craft.

In both of those circumstances, I would not have succeeded if i was given a ribbon for "Yay!! I participated in looking at a computer!" Or "Yay! I participated in a poker tournament!" I was accomplished when I started my business of Computer Repair and made business contracts that even other more established companies couldn't land. I succeeded when I won my first poker tournament, and show a healthy profit in every cash game in which I play.

This head patting bullshit that is going on in the current culture is just that: bullshit. No discipline. No courtesy. All about themselves. Everyone must get what they want when they want. We must have our accolades. It's the American way.

And why not? It gives us self esteem. Or does it? The reason why real awards are won is due to the true excellence of the person winning it. What happens when everyone wins your award? It diminishes it. It's a temporary fix to a permanent problem. Low self esteem. If that is what you think our big problem is, you should look around more.

We are more interested in the appearance of excellence rather than the actual excellence themselves. We use cheat codes and exploits to excel in video games. We can buy our own degrees for our excellence in our own fields. We can manufacture our own trophies to make fake awards so we look like we are the best at what we do. Our teachers are forging grades to make it look like they excel in teaching. Our students are buying tests and grades so they look like they are excelling. It is sickening.

It used to be the United States was a great nation. We used to be a symbol of excellence. It is not the case anymore. Still many Americans believe we are the best nation in the world. WE ARE NOT. More importantly, we have given ourselves, as a nation, a participation trophy. A fake trophy of excellence. We have no reason to strive to be the best in the world, when we think we are, whether as a nation, or as a person.

The first thing to do to solve a problem is acknowledge it. This problem badly needs recognition.
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The Man The Myth The Legend
MNOWAX

[Zag]

I ran into this issue the two years that I was an "Odyssey of the Mind" coach. One of their big precepts is that "all kids are super-creative."

My opinion on that was "horse hockey!"

Just because it is harder to measure creativity and get a score or test result, that's no reason to consider the field totally flattened. Those kids who are great at sports get to excel on the playing field. My son was great at math and he got to excel in the MathCounts and other math competitions. My daughter, who frankly, could run creative circles around some of the other kids, never really got recognized for being the best at the one thing the competition rewards, because the organization refuses to consider that some kids might be better at it than others.

[Jedo the Jedi]

This notion of "all are equal(ly average)" is a big problem for me. It's why I believe mandatory education (to the extent we have it) and touting higher education as the pinnacle of humanity is a flaw in our system. Many people are not cut out for education. They should not be forced to attend school. Some people are stupid when it comes to books, but they may be exceptionally brilliant when it comes to fixing cars. We should be encouraging such people to be mechanics, not telling them to get a Master's Degree.
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Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[MatthewV]

I started working with clay in elementary school and currently have the blessing to do it full time. I think I am starting to get good at it. Maybe with another 1000 hours I will be Great!

One thing I have learned is that it is hard to tell how somebody thinks. There isn't a good way for me to easily translate what is in my head into a language anyone else can understand. But I try.

Now as for everyone is special-- I do believe that most people have a similar capacity to think. But not really. Just like how an endurance athlete will have a larger, better heart, a thinker will have a better brain.

There is a story I heard many years ago about a fellow who wanted to a grandmaster at chess. He worked his arse off at this goal and had the dedication and resources to pursue the dream. After 20 years he was a really good chess player. But not a grandmaster. He had worked longer and harder but still came up short. So, he started researching why I am I not a grandmaster?
The results showed he had a different thinking pattern. In interviews he found that great chess players really didn't know why they moved pieces in the way they did. It just fell into patterns that they felt was favorable to them. While he was trying to work out a good sequence of moves, the grandmaster was just finding a pattern.
I still cannot play chess on a computer screen. I require a physical board. Also, when the bishop/queen or king/queen look too similar I get confused.

[jesternl]

While I agree in general that we should not award people for merely showing up, I do think that in young children participation should be way more stressed than result.
I've coached 5 and 6 year olds in soccer, and I had a blast. in every group there is maybe only 1 or 2 with actual talent, but the best part was to see the joy of the less talented ones when they (finally) score. I would not under any circumstance put the better ones on the field at the cost of the lesser players to achieve a victory, which is what would be promoted if the only thing that counts is being the best.

to Zag...My wife's mother was a Odyssey coach for years, and my wife went to the state finals with her team several times, Mrs. NL remembers it very fondly.. If only my kids' current school would participate.

Oh, and obligatory You are not special commencement speech link

[Scurra]

[MatthewV]

We should reward great effort.

1- It requires no effort to show up to a marathon.
2- It requires a significant effort to finish a marathon.
3- It takes significant effort and talent to be 1st in a marathon.

1- is usually rewarded with a T-shirt, paid for by the race fee. Expect the T-shirt to be worn infrequently.
2- is usually rewarded with nothing more then friends cheering you on (and the T-shirt which you will keep with pride)
3- is rewarded with medals etc

Here is the thing-- #3 isn't possible without 1 and 2. Who has ever said "I got first place in the marathon! I am the best! I finished in 10 hours...". If we don't reward 1 and 2 at all-- why should they bother to run at all?

I am not a runner and don't believe I will ever finish a marathon. Or even show up to one. So just by signing up and starting you are doing better then me.

[Thok]

So I'm curious: are we complaining about Baby Boomers, Generation X, or Millennial in this thread? Because all three generations have gotten the rewarding mediocrity critique.

[MNOWAX]

[Jedo the Jedi]

Just watched the speech. I really enjoyed his language. You don't here "cosseted" used very often.
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Paragon Tally: 18 mafia, 3 SKs (1 twice), 1 cultist, numerous chat scum...and counting.

[MatthewV]

Birthdays are a wonderful celebration of mediocrity. Every year I grow older without much effort. Every year people send me gifts and good tidings for getting older.

I used to use the admin powers to make birthday titles for people. Alas, the good ones were wiped out with the recent glpics server problem. I really liked some of them.

[Undercover Monk]

except I dont see it as celebrating the passage of time more as an excuse to eat cake and ice cream and give gifts to people you care about which will then be reciprocated on your birthday.
_________________
The Classic Blunders:
1. never get involved in a land war in Asia
2.Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line
3. Never release Peyton Manning

[The Ragin' South Asian]

Thought I should post this redonkulus article here. I don't know anything about this Andrew Hacker guy, so maybe it's a clever satire that went over my head...

[extropalopakettle]

From the article:

[itisally]

This comes up at school all the time. I consistently have students who think that because they try hard they should get an A. I gently remind them that we all have different skills and challenges but an A represents an ability to not just give answers but assimilate and produce new works based on what they have learned. I teach at a nontraditional college and I get this from all ages and backgrounds.

I agree that participation should be recognized when some many fail to participate, especially at the younger levels, but dealing with disappointments, finding your own calling and recognizing your own skills should also be taught. My son wanted to play baseball, he was awful at it. He stuck it out, learned the commitment of a team was rewarded participation ribbons and encouraged to try other sports, but it was only 1st grade. It encourages them to seek a variety of experiences rather than sitting in front of the TV or computer playing mindless video games. At the high school level I would have been horrified.

I have often joked that my mom told me I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, but she forgot to tell me that I can't be everything! The fact that whatever it was would take hard work was a foregone conclusion.
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