Why Are We Striving for Mediocrity?
I know a lot of school teachers. And, they all say the same thing: today's students are not striving for high achievement. They seem to be reaching for a life of mediocrity. This, of course, is a generalization. There are some really bright kids out there who put an incredible amount of effort into everything they do. But, on average, kids today do not seem to appreciate the need to work hard and succeed. In fact, one high school teacher told me today that her students are proud of the fact that they don't work as hard as their foreign exchange student friends. They view this as a mark of honor for Americans, as if it is our privilege as Americans to be slackers.
When I speak to high school kids, I always ask them if they want to be losers when they grow up. And, not surprisingly, none of them ever say they want that. But, I wonder, how do they think they will get ahead in life if they don't work hard, learn, and make progress? Have we really become that lazy and accommodating as a society that kids don't even remember the adage that you can do anything you want if you work hard for it?
Our frequent readers know the Rudy Syndrome requires that each person develop their skill on par with their talent. They also know we have very little patience for people who have talent but don't put in the work to use their talents for the good of the order. So, it shouldn't surprise anyone when we ask the following rhetorical question: Why are we striving for mediocrity?
And, perhaps more importantly, what can we do to raise the bar? Surely someone out there must have some ideas on how to put us back on track to high achievement. If we stay on this slippery downward slope, where we don't value education and achievement, we will surely become a government-dependent, two-class society with the gap between rich and poor growing steadily wider until we look more like a third world country that the world's super power.
Send us your ideas and we will see what we can do to put them into action.
When I speak to high school kids, I always ask them if they want to be losers when they grow up. And, not surprisingly, none of them ever say they want that. But, I wonder, how do they think they will get ahead in life if they don't work hard, learn, and make progress? Have we really become that lazy and accommodating as a society that kids don't even remember the adage that you can do anything you want if you work hard for it?
Our frequent readers know the Rudy Syndrome requires that each person develop their skill on par with their talent. They also know we have very little patience for people who have talent but don't put in the work to use their talents for the good of the order. So, it shouldn't surprise anyone when we ask the following rhetorical question: Why are we striving for mediocrity?
And, perhaps more importantly, what can we do to raise the bar? Surely someone out there must have some ideas on how to put us back on track to high achievement. If we stay on this slippery downward slope, where we don't value education and achievement, we will surely become a government-dependent, two-class society with the gap between rich and poor growing steadily wider until we look more like a third world country that the world's super power.
Send us your ideas and we will see what we can do to put them into action.
The sad thing is, there are so many good teachers and they just end up wasting their talent on these brats who don't want to pay attention in class or do homework at night. We should stop promoting the kids who don't do the work and make them stay in the same grade until they can complete the course work.
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Good point. Teachers should get a raise and a pat on the back for putting up with students who have no motivation and parents who refuse to hold them accountable.
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I read your latest Rudy blog. We have an up coming generation of people who are entitled. They are entitled to education, health care, the best toys, clothes, you name it, they're entitled to it. Why should they try when they're given so much for doing so little?
Where are the parents who set an inspirational example? Where are the parents who say "no"? Where are the parents who show up, take time, don't substitute things for a little of themselves? Where are the teachers who demand excellence instead of settling for mediocrity? Where is that blue ribbon for the winner instead of gold stars and trophies all around? What's the use of excelling when everyone is treated as if they won, too? Where's the incentive? The rules have been warped.
When it doesn't matter whether we succeed, It is the natural progression that we try Socialism. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." It sounds so good, so Utopian. The problem, stated so clearly by Margaret Thatcher is that Socialism ultimately will not work because the people you take from will eventually run out of money. I would add, we will also run out of people willing to carry the load.
Where is the right mind set? I say it's out there, we just need to tap into it again.
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The sense of entitlement is truly baffling. Not everyone wins in life. We should teach kids this and give them tools to cope with reality rather than pretending life will always be blue skies and roses.
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