the unrealistically high expectations and hopes of society
in my short, young and protected life, i have been fortunate to study and be involved in certain elite insitutions. i find a common problem in those insitutions, is that they seek to incalcate into everyone under their charge the believe that they have huge enormous potential in everything and that they should try all means to achieve this potential.
firstly this will create a very competitive society. achievement is placed above education. im not suggesting that achievement is not good, in fact it is great, great for self esteem and as a stepping stone to further development. no one can do without achievement. on the other hand, i am saying proper education is far more important than achievement. footballers talk about the winning mentality, but they must be educated in that winning mentality; it doesnt arise from achievement alone, and it is achieved as a team. this leads me on to my second point.
focusing on achievement will discourage teamwork, team dynamics, and selflessness in students, especially young impressionable children. when we are young our parents often teach us to share and care, to cooperate and take turns, yet when time comes for us to do all that, they teach us to fend for ourselves, and only do things that benefit us. we are after all profit maximising agents. but what they dont realise that the world at large, especially the corporate world is realising that a team is greater than the sum of its parts. many american unis have realised that, as has smu, but the rest of the field is lagging far behind. the MOE has taken steps to fit this into the current curiculum in the form of project work, but that plan has failed miserably leading the the abolishment of the module in a short 3 years of implementation. what is needed is a complete overhaul of the system, not doing things for the sake of doing it.
high expectations and hopes at a young age leading to selfish thinking and self centred behaviour. it discourages doing things that help others but not yourself. when weighing 2 options, one will choose the option more beneficial to himself, neglecting the effect it has on the other person. in an economic sense it causes welfare lost to the society as a whole.
but my main point is that the unrealistic high expectations and hopes that the institutions gave its students is that many cannot fulfil these expectations and hopes. why this is done is to make everyone work hard so that fewer fall short of expectations. and a higher percentage of those with the potential to succeed will eventually succeed, helping the institution. also, some who do not have the potential can develop themselves to eventually fit the bill somewhat. even if they dont they impress people and some superiors can be taken in easily by effort alone. effort is not to be underestimated.
it is good that a higher percentage of people fulfil their potential. but 3 groups of people develop that is detrimental to society. firstly, those with the potential but did not succeed. secondly, those without the potential and cannot succeed. lastly, those without the potential who did succeed. it the the last group that i am most worried about, and will speak out most strongly against.
for the first group, they will feel insecure as they have failed society. they know their potential but know they have failed. for the second group, they will realise that they are not as capable as they have been led to believe. hopefully for these 2 groups, they can pick themselves up and continue on with life, and seek to make the most out of their lives, in whatever way they wish.
the 3rd group is a very dangerous group; people who are recognised with no talent, and have worked their way up with pure labour. i am not against industry and hard work, but i feel that if industry and hard work is allowed to overtake potential and genius at their expense, then it is detrimental that genius and potential are not given the chance to contribute to society. also, if this success is possible, then success over potential and genius can be achieved through underhand dealings, backstabbing and politicking. and i have seen many of these cases in real life, and how my friends and me have suffered from such people.
the creation of such a class, a social demograph, will tear society apart. all the pillars of society are filled by little mediocre people who get there not by virtue or greatness but by hardwork, and the occasional dagger in someone's back. these daggers need not be serrated or sharpened, they may be blunt and rusty, or small and painless, but they all go a long way to put one in a favourable position over others. and such innocent betrayal is still betrayal. creating an unfair advantage over others that doesnt exist due to virtue.
i shall not give explicit examples in this entry. i shall say, however, that i value virtue and greatness in man far more than industry and good political manouvering. in fact i feel political manouvering is terribly disgusting and i hate to see people engaging in things like that in front of me. it is not honourable and it is sure not cool. and industry is nothing spectacular, because everyone is capable of doing so. virtue, beauty, character, personality, intellect and heart cannot be bought. when you experience it all in a person, it is a magical relationship. i am honoured that many of my close friends are like that, and i take it personally that life is not treating many of them as well as life treats the hardworking and the cunning. i can be hardworking and cunning too, and with my intellect, i will beat all those that do not deserve what they have now one day.
firstly this will create a very competitive society. achievement is placed above education. im not suggesting that achievement is not good, in fact it is great, great for self esteem and as a stepping stone to further development. no one can do without achievement. on the other hand, i am saying proper education is far more important than achievement. footballers talk about the winning mentality, but they must be educated in that winning mentality; it doesnt arise from achievement alone, and it is achieved as a team. this leads me on to my second point.
focusing on achievement will discourage teamwork, team dynamics, and selflessness in students, especially young impressionable children. when we are young our parents often teach us to share and care, to cooperate and take turns, yet when time comes for us to do all that, they teach us to fend for ourselves, and only do things that benefit us. we are after all profit maximising agents. but what they dont realise that the world at large, especially the corporate world is realising that a team is greater than the sum of its parts. many american unis have realised that, as has smu, but the rest of the field is lagging far behind. the MOE has taken steps to fit this into the current curiculum in the form of project work, but that plan has failed miserably leading the the abolishment of the module in a short 3 years of implementation. what is needed is a complete overhaul of the system, not doing things for the sake of doing it.
high expectations and hopes at a young age leading to selfish thinking and self centred behaviour. it discourages doing things that help others but not yourself. when weighing 2 options, one will choose the option more beneficial to himself, neglecting the effect it has on the other person. in an economic sense it causes welfare lost to the society as a whole.
but my main point is that the unrealistic high expectations and hopes that the institutions gave its students is that many cannot fulfil these expectations and hopes. why this is done is to make everyone work hard so that fewer fall short of expectations. and a higher percentage of those with the potential to succeed will eventually succeed, helping the institution. also, some who do not have the potential can develop themselves to eventually fit the bill somewhat. even if they dont they impress people and some superiors can be taken in easily by effort alone. effort is not to be underestimated.
it is good that a higher percentage of people fulfil their potential. but 3 groups of people develop that is detrimental to society. firstly, those with the potential but did not succeed. secondly, those without the potential and cannot succeed. lastly, those without the potential who did succeed. it the the last group that i am most worried about, and will speak out most strongly against.
for the first group, they will feel insecure as they have failed society. they know their potential but know they have failed. for the second group, they will realise that they are not as capable as they have been led to believe. hopefully for these 2 groups, they can pick themselves up and continue on with life, and seek to make the most out of their lives, in whatever way they wish.
the 3rd group is a very dangerous group; people who are recognised with no talent, and have worked their way up with pure labour. i am not against industry and hard work, but i feel that if industry and hard work is allowed to overtake potential and genius at their expense, then it is detrimental that genius and potential are not given the chance to contribute to society. also, if this success is possible, then success over potential and genius can be achieved through underhand dealings, backstabbing and politicking. and i have seen many of these cases in real life, and how my friends and me have suffered from such people.
the creation of such a class, a social demograph, will tear society apart. all the pillars of society are filled by little mediocre people who get there not by virtue or greatness but by hardwork, and the occasional dagger in someone's back. these daggers need not be serrated or sharpened, they may be blunt and rusty, or small and painless, but they all go a long way to put one in a favourable position over others. and such innocent betrayal is still betrayal. creating an unfair advantage over others that doesnt exist due to virtue.
i shall not give explicit examples in this entry. i shall say, however, that i value virtue and greatness in man far more than industry and good political manouvering. in fact i feel political manouvering is terribly disgusting and i hate to see people engaging in things like that in front of me. it is not honourable and it is sure not cool. and industry is nothing spectacular, because everyone is capable of doing so. virtue, beauty, character, personality, intellect and heart cannot be bought. when you experience it all in a person, it is a magical relationship. i am honoured that many of my close friends are like that, and i take it personally that life is not treating many of them as well as life treats the hardworking and the cunning. i can be hardworking and cunning too, and with my intellect, i will beat all those that do not deserve what they have now one day.
posted by daniel at 03:19
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