Andrew Chang
Deference
(I was writing my sea lion article for a bit but I didn’t like where it was going so I decided to write it on another topic that I felt would be an okay and perhaps less ridiculous opinion.)
It seems that somewhere down the line we forget who we wanted ourselves to be. We began in elementary school: brave soldiers looking out into a new frontier wondering what we could conquer. It continued throughout middle school—perhaps then with a touch of realism and the realization that perhaps we were not all meant to be astronauts and kings. Then, with the swiftness of a dropping bomb, high school hits. And it is here, in the grave of our dreams, where rebirth can be realized and found.
It seems counterintuitive to aspire yet constantly defer to other people at the same time. Students frequently envision a specific peer (or peers) to be an academic Adonis, disallowing themselves the chance or opportunity of surpassing that particular individual. It hits us particularly hard in school—with a competitive academic environment, it’s sometimes clear who gets the grades and who struggles to pass the classes. But only through cementing the position of those currently better than us (“You’re so smaaaaart” and “I hate being in a class with her; she always sets the curve”) can we finally and completely lose hope. For it is when we defer and lose our confidence in self that we can give up for good.
Modesty can sometimes be deference in disguise; in the same way that there are average people unwilling to allow themselves to become better, there are also exceptional people who deny themselves the opportunity of advancement. It is crucial to realize that confidence isn’t necessarily a bad thing; if anything, it is something that should be praised. In any competitive atmosphere, confidence involves treading on the toes of those around us—and it often is passed off as arrogance. But I say that this doctrine is nothing short of ridiculous. The perpetuation of a cycle of deference and forced modesty only leads to less innovation and less success.
When a person does not do well, their mindset ought not be one of dismay or surrender. Rather, it should encapsulate a general feeling of competition: of coming back better than before and obtaining the goal so elusive and far away. In essence, it is obvious—we can only do things if we try. Failure is no reason to believe that someone is better than the other; rather, it should only be the impetus for improvement.
Deference
(I was writing my sea lion article for a bit but I didn’t like where it was going so I decided to write it on another topic that I felt would be an okay and perhaps less ridiculous opinion.)
It seems that somewhere down the line we forget who we wanted ourselves to be. We began in elementary school: brave soldiers looking out into a new frontier wondering what we could conquer. It continued throughout middle school—perhaps then with a touch of realism and the realization that perhaps we were not all meant to be astronauts and kings. Then, with the swiftness of a dropping bomb, high school hits. And it is here, in the grave of our dreams, where rebirth can be realized and found.
It seems counterintuitive to aspire yet constantly defer to other people at the same time. Students frequently envision a specific peer (or peers) to be an academic Adonis, disallowing themselves the chance or opportunity of surpassing that particular individual. It hits us particularly hard in school—with a competitive academic environment, it’s sometimes clear who gets the grades and who struggles to pass the classes. But only through cementing the position of those currently better than us (“You’re so smaaaaart” and “I hate being in a class with her; she always sets the curve”) can we finally and completely lose hope. For it is when we defer and lose our confidence in self that we can give up for good.
Modesty can sometimes be deference in disguise; in the same way that there are average people unwilling to allow themselves to become better, there are also exceptional people who deny themselves the opportunity of advancement. It is crucial to realize that confidence isn’t necessarily a bad thing; if anything, it is something that should be praised. In any competitive atmosphere, confidence involves treading on the toes of those around us—and it often is passed off as arrogance. But I say that this doctrine is nothing short of ridiculous. The perpetuation of a cycle of deference and forced modesty only leads to less innovation and less success.
When a person does not do well, their mindset ought not be one of dismay or surrender. Rather, it should encapsulate a general feeling of competition: of coming back better than before and obtaining the goal so elusive and far away. In essence, it is obvious—we can only do things if we try. Failure is no reason to believe that someone is better than the other; rather, it should only be the impetus for improvement.