Difference between revisions of "The War on Excellence"

1 - The efflux of excellence from our universities makes the wrong minds stay and often teach (sic!), but it also makes the right minds go and often struggle to fit in (sic!). If the excellence in question coexists with low self-confidence (which I believe is not uncommon, given how mediocre professors can treat genius students), such individuals don't go straight to business and make a success of it. Rather, they take jobs where their intellect is perceived as intimidating, so they waste their potential on learning how to masterfully dummy things down or they keep getting fired. The fuller picture might be that not only did we diminish excellence within the research enterprise, but also didn't use it optimally wherever it went after graduation. Round peg in a square hole, if you like.

1 - The efflux of excellence from our universities makes the wrong minds stay and often teach (sic!), but it also makes the right minds go and often struggle to fit in (sic!). If the excellence in question coexists with low self-confidence (which I believe is not uncommon, given how mediocre professors can treat genius students), such individuals don't go straight to business and make a success of it. Rather, they take jobs where their intellect is perceived as intimidating, so they waste their potential on learning how to masterfully dummy things down or they keep getting fired. The fuller picture might be that not only did we diminish excellence within the research enterprise, but also didn't use it optimally wherever it went after graduation. Round peg in a square hole, if you like.

3 - Business is in love with 'done better than perfect' and it confuses excellence with perfection. As a result it inflicts social penalties on those pursuing excellence as if they were perfectionists. Final outcomes include secret overtime, conflict and low quality outputs.

3 - Business is in love with 'done better than perfect' and it confuses excellence with perfection. As a result it inflicts social penalties on those pursuing excellence as if they were perfectionists. Final outcomes include secret overtime, conflict and low quality outputs.