Your insight about school grades being “gamed” is well thought out. I appreciated the examples you gave to support your view (laws of physics, etc.). There were a couple of bumps for me, too; however, the majority of their ideas were inspiring and worth consideration. I guess, like everything, take it with a grain of salt.
Your comment about feeling special not being the same as being excellent reminded me of a phrase from the movie, The Incredibles, where the antagonist declares that when everyone is special, no one is. On a tangent, some have suggested that just blindly telling children they can do anything is cruel, because it ignores the fact that no amount of positive thinking can make anyone be anything they want to be if they lack basic characteristics needed for the goal. For example, no matter how much “think-I-can” I put into it, I will never be an NBA star. Those who espouse this point of view are not against encouraging children. They do, however, believe we should help a children find their own interests, abilities, and talents and help them to develop realistic goals, rather than blithely encouraging them to think they can do things that are really not suited to them. Zander’s comment (and yours) about finding a child’s natural bent comes in there. Yes. Respect and honor the child by helping them achieve their natural bent.
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Bruce said:
“A cynic is a passionate person who does not want to be disappointed again.”
That quote was worth the entire price of admission. For this is what The Art of Possibility is all about: Protecting my heart from becoming such a stone-cold realist that I possibly miss being something better, or making others better.
At first glance The Art of Possibility reads like quasi-secularized-Buddhist theory. Unfortunately, the universe does not operate on subjective feelings or perceptions. Newtonian or Einsteinian, both still describe a physical universe that operates with mathematical precision. Which leads me to believe Zander is either a confused cosmic humanist, or an apostate secularist. Evolution (which is referenced a couple of times) is all about measurement. That’s how less vigorous organisms (or less desirable traits) get marginalized in biology’s great game (to use Zander’s analogy) of elimination
Which is why I disagreed with the perception that school grades are gamed to compare one student with another. The students at USC were not graded against their actual accomplishment, but with a random, arbitrary system. Math is not arbitrary. Grammar is not arbitrary. So I’m not sure about the accuracy of connecting these particular dots. Real skill is…real skill. Would Zander allow The Art of Possibility’s final draft to be overseen by a person with second rate editorial or proofreading skills? He wouldn’t. No matter how many conservatory musicians are encouraged to feel good about their A, no orchestra is going to keep them on the payroll if they can’t play the notes. Feeling special is not the same thing as being excellent.
I liked the metaphor of chipping away at a child’s exterior to help them achieve their natural bent. Absolutely correct. I also liked the future tense A grade. It places the student in the position to step up and take the responsibility for their success and growth. And the monk’s story touched me. I need to shift some ideas in my head about people in general. The monks were looking for the Messiah in one another. Not everyone is a Messiah, but everyone is worthy of such honorable respect.
Zander's ideas spoke to me. He is proposing a friendlier, more organic approach with ourselves and with others.
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