A Pat on the Back
Wow. It’s the second to last day of the semester, and I choose now to write my first blog post since becoming a full-time Cal student. I came into college intent on writing a retrospective on the five years of my life on America (still on the cards). A little later, I planned to write about my first impressions of college and Berkeley (perhaps one day). The guilt of never having written those posts, and the promise to myself that I would get around to them eventually, kept me away from writing anything at all. But I’m washing my hands of that guilt. Those posts will materialize in due time, if ever. Until then, the randomness must go on!
With that aside, on to the topic of today’s post: living in a self-congratulatory society. I hate it.
Okay, so that was a bit dramatic. If I don’t hate it, it is something I have definitely noticed more lately. And it annoys me, at the very least. Let me explain…
I wasted an hour of my life today at this thing labeled the RHA (Residence Hall Association) Leadership Reception. Basically, it was billed as a semi-fancy event, where tables were setup for Hall Association members from all over the campus to attend, enjoy free snacks, and listen to a boring speech about how good and terribly important they are to the Berkeley community.
Being bored aside, I couldn’t help but think of how little I’ve accomplished as a Hall Association member. And self-adulation aside, I’ve been one of the more productive “Hall Ass” members, at least in the Unit 2 group. And from the few encounters I’ve had with Hall Ass members from other residence halls, their situation is not much better. So, basically, we get a fancy event telling us how brilliant we are, when most of us signed on to dress up our resumes, find a way to make new friends, or just kill time. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to take any credit away from the few who work tirelessly to make Hall Ass and RHA effective organizations. But the large majority of us want credit without any real work. Which is why it somewhat disgusts me that we dole out appreciation with very little accountability. Not only is it counter-productive, in my not-so-humble opinion, it takes away from the due appreciation that should be awarded to those who really do give a shit.
But I can hardly blame Hall Ass. Or RHA. Or Berkeley. Or even the American education system. Ultimately, it comes down to our society. Because all of us think we’re just amazing. And we can’t stop telling ourselves that. As long as you rolled out of bed and volunteered to help out with something that you’re not legally bound to do, you’re suddenly a “critical volunteer” and “promising leader.”
I get the concept of “encouragement.” I understand that appreciating people’s effort gives them more incentive to repeat their efforts. However, by billing every small extra step as a step towards finding the cure for cancer, we’re diluting the meaning of recognition. By making 40 valedictorians to increase “inclusiveness,” we’re stripping the honor and distinction achieved by the “real” valedictorian. By patting each and every one of ourselves every step of the way, we’re forgetting that there are people who go miles without looking for credit. We are forgetting that there are people who actually give a shit about results, and not so much about the certificates listing the number of hours that their contribution can be quantified as.
Encouragement and recognition are important elements of a hard-working society. But if we want to achieve real results, and honor the real heroes, let’s spend less time congratulating ourselves, and more time working on fixing real problems.
UPDATE: I somehow forgot to link to the very article that planted this thought in the back of my head a few days ago: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.
