A Culture of Achievement places its focus on the most easily quantifiable and measurable results, test scores. Are we thinking about how it is affecting society’s perception of being a thinker and a human being? American Journalist, political scientist and author Fareed Zakaria’s 2015 book, In Defense of a Liberal Education, Zakaria argues that the study of Liberal Arts gives people the knowledge of humanity.
World-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma article Necessary Edges suggests that we need to include empathy and art in our lives so that we can understand people’s feelings and learn from them. Founder and CEO, venture for America Andrew Yang’s article The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture gives advice on how to handle the pressures and expectations that society puts in each one of us. In a world full of competition, society needs need to learn how to focus on their own achievements.
Achievement sounds amazing in general. What parent or teacher would not want their child or student to succeed? For seeing your child or student reach a certain behavior, milestone or skill gives great individual pride. Unlike achievement, Culture of Achievement places its focus on test scores that were created by people that would more likely get an advantage (more money) stating that the scores that students get from these tests, gives the teachers and higher education schools the level of knowledge each student has.
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These tests are causing anxiety, burnouts and self-focus on students. People creating these tests are only in for their benefit not putting in mind that each student has a different way of learning–visual, hearing or hands-on. Some may be smart but not be good test takers. For example, Students may know the work or assignment given and have low test scores while others might excel on tests but have little to no clue once it is time to perform, or assignment given.
Culture of achievement is affecting our goals, decisions and actions as well as humanity. People are only thinking about themselves, competing and or comparing themselves to others. Zakaria puts it bluntly “the charge is that they are achievement-oriented automatons, focused on themselves and their careers.” (paragraph 2). These tests are causing this and future generations to put their focus on what needs to be learned to be able to pass standardized tests, benchmarks and or state proficiency tests.
This culture of achievement only leaves time to focus on themselves and careers. They get so focused on themselves it seems as Zakaria states “not interested in developing deep into the search for inner knowledge, given reign to their passions, or developing their character.” (paragraph 2). The focus and involvement on only learning the material that will make them score high on their tests and be the best on this competing world. Tests and competition become their spotlight and it makes them loose focus on their personal well-being and most importantly getting the time of knowing themselves.
Due to the fixed mindset that students acquire from culture of achievement, it makes the students become self-center people with entitlement. They are unable to put themselves on other people’s shoes without prejudging. Yo-Yo Ma claims “to be able to put oneself in another’s shoes without prejudgment is an essential skill.” (paragraph 4) People judge and lack the skill because they are missing the compassion, empathy and understanding of the struggles is taking or took a person to get where there are now.
Yo-Yo Ma also states, “empathy is your capacity to imagine what someone else is going through; what they are thinking, feeling and perceiving.” (paragraph 6). Some people do not have empathy because it as a skill that was never taught due to the entitlement they learned to have at some point of their lives. For example, some parents give their children everything their children ants at any given time.
How are these children ever going to learn that is this world you cannot always have what you want? It’s the culture of achievement that is making self-centered people that cannot see anything other than what their fixed mindset belief. These tests are creating humans that act like robots, which are not the type of graduates’ society needs. Student fulfill their goals by archiving their career of choice-some just choose what would make them earn more money making them be unhappy and making them lack the empathy, emotion, and devotion while doing their job.
For those students who chose the career they love, have devotion, compassion and empathy towards the people around them and their work. All others that chose their career for the money they were going to earn, reflects on their job and the quality of work they put into. People would be happier if instead of comparing themselves to others they would create and focus on their own achievements. While putting one’s focus on being better than the person one is trying to compete with, we lose track of our inner selves thinking that the other person has it better than us.
“Sometimes the grass is not greener on the other side”- Ricky Gervais. As Andrew Yang claims “the demons are strongest when you compare yourself to others seem to have it all figured out.” (paragraph 14). Comparing yourself to others makes you stop seeing that everyone has struggles and not everyone is as perfect as they appear to be. Until people start accepting their struggles and working towards achieving their own goals, we would not be happy with ourselves. Accepting ourselves and who we are and be happy with what we have we will make us better people. Yang also stated “there are some people that value you for you, not what you do for them.
Identify the people you can keep it real with and make the most of them.” (paragraph 17). Not everyone wants what you have or is trying to compete with you. There are people that love us and support our ideas and decisions as long as it is making us happy. In a world full of competition, we should be grateful that some people just love us for who we are. Being yourself and obtaining that personal pride for accomplishing your own personal goals will have you feeling like you can conquer anything that comes and challenges your path.
In conclusion instead of letting the culture of achievement get to us, we should all learn how to love and except ourselves. We should all learn to be happy with what we have and focus on achieving our own goals without trying to compete with others. If competition is required it should be with our own selves on improving our faults I’m being a bit more sympathetic towards others. Understanding that there is no need to brag how great you are, how amazing your life is and all the good deeds you have done, for your actions will will speak louder than your words and will reflect the person you really are. Needless to say, “be happy with what you have while working for what you want.”—Helen Keller
