The War Against Achievement

Posted by Non_mooching_artist 10 years, 11 months ago to Philosophy
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I admire Thomas Sowell greatly. And the fact that a (successful), black man wrote this must stick in the craw of those who want to beat the dead horse of racism.
SOURCE URL: http://m.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2013/11/19/the-war-against-achievement-n1748742/page/2#


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  • Posted by $ Genez 10 years, 11 months ago
    A great analysis of how the left, and really, much of society today, views achievement. Achievement is not lauded anymore because of course "you didn't do that on your own" and so on. We minimize achievement to the point that every child in a contest gets a ribbon for "participation". My son was in gymnastics for 5 years and actually got frustrated with the ribbons that were given out to everyone no matter how badly they did. He understood that it minimized the achievement of the first, second and third place ribbons. Today, people would rather 'participate' than acheive. Truth be told they'd rather get a ribbon for not participating...
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  • Posted by flanap 10 years, 11 months ago
    Dr. Sowell really has hit on the key satanic ploy to beguile man into believing that the solution to evil is to remove all that causes evil; hence, competition, inequality in both physical, mental, spiritual and other metaphysical areas.

    The problem about all this is that it is being orchestrated by those in the elite and are demon possessed minions of satan and isn't an idyllic result of the thinking of the proletariat.

    The Truth is there is no equality...why is it some moral high ground to want everyone to be the same but to just bring down those above you?
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  • Posted by neilgunter 10 years, 11 months ago
    It's also interesting to note that before, citizenry celebrated such accomplishments. The government saw this as a competition, and decided to seize the glory, taking credit for blocking them of any achievements, hiding behind the veil of altruism. When the government does this, they block wealth, which is immoral.
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  • Posted by $ Maphesdus 10 years, 11 months ago
    Thomas Sowell's arguments tend to be hit or miss. This one's a miss.

    The reason Helen Keller's story is so highly celebrated is not simply because she was successful in spite of her disability, but rather because the specific nature of her disability (being both blind and deaf) made it appear as though mere communication, let alone success, was impossible. This makes her story far more inspirational than that of someone who's disability is less severe. A person who is blind OR deaf succeeding is interesting, but not amazing. But a person who is both blind AND deaf succeeding? Now that's amazing.

    A man who was simply born without arms will certainly be at a larger disadvantage than a non-disabled person, but success does not appear to be impossible for him, just more difficult than normal. I once saw a news story about a girl who had the same condition. It was interesting, but the fact that she still had perfectly good legs made her success seem less surprising. As such, these people's stories aren't nearly on the same level as that of Helen Keller. Now if a person was born without arms OR legs and is still successful, like Nick Vujicic, then we can start making comparisons to Helen Keller. But to say that every successful disabled person should be elevated to that level, regardless of the severity of their disability, is rather ridiculous.

    And where does Thomas Sowell get the idea that liberals would want to put disabled people into government institutions? I've never heard any liberal advocate that. It sounds like more of a straw man argument than anything.

    As for the report about income distribution in Toronto, I'd like to read the report myself. Who published the report, and how did they get their information?

    Also, simply looking at the average income alone does not give a complete picture of the wealth distribution patterns. Even if Japanese-Canadians have a higher AVERAGE income, it's still entirely possible for the people with the highest incomes to be white if the wealth of Japanese-Canadians tapers off towards the higher end of the income spectrum.
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    • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 10 years, 11 months ago
      See "Kant versus Sullivan" in Philosophy: Who Needs It? by Ayn Rand. It is not the only reference to Ann Sullivan and Helen Keller in the canonical works of Objectivism.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
    ""You didn't build that!" this was just one passing skirmish in the war on achievement."
    This is complete rubbish. It's taking something out of context, misinterpreting it, and then assuming it's part of a broad movement.
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      Posted by $ Maphesdus 10 years, 11 months ago
      I know. When that controversy about Obama saying "You didn't build that" came out, I thought it was rather obvious that he was merely trying to tell business owners to acknowledge and appreciate the people who helped them achieve success. Perhaps Obama's choice of words wasn't the best, but the underlying idea is certainly very true: no one achieves great success alone. We all have the help of mentors, coaches, and family along the way. And in the case of business owners, we have the help of our employees. Success requires a team effort.

      Mitt Romney even expressed the exact same sentiment during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City:

      "You didn't get here solely on your own power."
      ~ Mitt Romney to Olympians

      http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/23...
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      • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
        "And in the case of business owners, we have the help of our employees. Success requires a team effort."
        Yes, an "ecosystem" of suppliers, investors who understand something of your value proposition, employees, contractors, people like oDesk that put you in touch with contractors, all the infrastructure of roads and law enforcement. It sounds like his critics are grasping at straws.
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        • Posted by Mitch 10 years, 11 months ago
          You two are way off base on this one…

          An employer is an employer because he or she decided to take a risk at starting a business. The business owner, in the vast majority of cases, is the last to be paid. The employees benefit from the employers achievements by receiving a wage and experience. I celebrate people like this, they put themselves last and take risks for independence but not necessarily wealth.

          I can tell you that most employees are in it for their own benefit, as it should be but why the hell do you expect different from the employer? It isn’t a team effort in most cases, the employees that do make it a team effort will achieve and then be ridiculed of getting something they didn’t deserve.

          This is the classic socialist vs. capitalist argument.
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          • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
            Mitch: I agree with everything you said. It doesn't contradict anything Maphesdus and I said.
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            • Posted by Mitch 10 years, 11 months ago
              Please see Mephesdus response… We do disagree…
              “You didn’t build that’ comment is a shining light into the soul of Obama. They did build that and the president should be grateful; we all should be…
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              • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
                I don't know what's in Obama's soul, but I know that stuff you said above about the village does not describe me. Since we had kids, my wife and I are keenly aware of the need for a village. We actually have an informal group of parents we call the village who look out for one another. The buzzword in business is ecosystem. Whatever you call it, you need all the suppliers, investors, infrastructure, customers, etc who understand what you're working. Even in this day-and-age, it's better for them to be geographically close.
                I don't need someone to beat his chest about business wouldn't happen without people building businesses. We who do it know how hard it is and know you take risks that may or may not pay off.
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                • Posted by Hiraghm 10 years, 11 months ago
                  The correct term for what you describe is "tribe".
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                  • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
                    To me a tribe refers to Seth Godin's Tribes, which are different from a business ecosystem.
                    I recommend Linchpin:Are You Indispensable first. It's very easy reading and repeats stuff we already know but it's stuff that bears repeating.
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                    • Posted by Hiraghm 10 years, 11 months ago
                      "We actually have an informal group of parents we call the village who look out for one another."

                      Tribe.
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                      • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
                        The parents, though, are not a network of online followers with whom we share our passion for a narrow topic of interest. Seth Godin has changed the meaning of that word for me.
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                        • Posted by khalling 10 years, 11 months ago
                          cg, Philosophy is hardly a "narrow topic." Why village instead of just friends? why ecosystem instead of team? I appreciated connecting with and supporting friends and neighbors who were also raising kids. We just called it our neighborhood. The village thing unnerves me a little becasue it harkins back to Hllary Clinton's book, "It takes a village." Much in that book focused on how some elite intellectual leaders in the village, looked out for others in the village because they knew best. Your description of your "village" doesn't sound like that, but I am curious as to the origin of the concept for you
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                          • Posted by 10 years, 11 months ago
                            I have the same reservations, even misgivings, about the term "village". It smacks too much of communal living, where everything belongs to everybody. My friends, some of whom are neighbors, watch out for each other, help when it is asked, and generally offer backup if it's needed. I would not put that in terms of a village.
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                          • Posted by CircuitGuy 10 years, 11 months ago
                            I think they call it ecosystem b/c business people like their wankwords. I don't know why we call it the village. I have not read Clinton's book, but I strongly agree with title. I can't comment on the book beyond that. We are building two businesses, trying to go easy on the amt of nanny, and our parents have health problems and other issues that prevent them from helping. Almost every time we've gone for a run or done anything, our kids are with hired help. I'm not sure why they call it the Village, but I never sense any nastiness or requirements we didn't agree to ahead of time.
                            Madison has a few communal living places. We've never lived there. One of our nannies did. I never heard about a dark side to it or their bothering anyone.
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                            • Posted by khalling 10 years, 11 months ago
                              I didn't mean communal living has a dark side. lol. except I just think it is not as efficient. to living your life your way as well, living life your way and making your life happen first and foremost, instead of diluting those goals by spreading out your time and talent to others' needs (outside your nuclear family). where is your village when you're taking a run? I tagged teamed all the time with neighbors and friends with kids to get "me" time. It's tough when the kids are young and both parents are working. Support systems are essential. Here was an example of how HC's It takes a village worked out. school systems around the country incorporated concepts from the book into school projects. I will never forget going to an open house at my kids' elementary school and the walls were lined with propaganda artwork the kids in every grade were asked to make. Most were "public service" related such as don't hit your child, change diapers often, feed your children three meals a day...you get the point. I was incensed and you can beat many parents(not just me) complained at the arrogance of these projects. Every picture, project on the walls were was directed to the 14 year old single parent I guess. Of course you always will have the majority asleep at the wheel, saying how nice! good work! It takes a village because you are brain dead or abusive. ugh
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          • Posted by $ Maphesdus 10 years, 11 months ago
            Mitch, you're confusing altruism with teamwork.
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            • Posted by Mitch 10 years, 11 months ago
              No, I understand the difference. The difference in the way we differ is that altruism lifts one’s self and everyone associated but in your version of teamwork; it requires a village to lift “you” (this is socialism). I will agree that a business requires teamwork but the way you and O are presenting the argument is that nether is possible without the other. I disagree with this assertion due the fact that without the entrepreneur, no one would be better off. If you diminished his or her accomplishments, you are stilling the life blood of the entrepreneur; weather wealth, prestige or independence. We should be looking for ways to work together, destruction of another doesn’t equal retribution for one. The arguments for socialism is the same argument for that “it takes a team”. I understand the classical teamwork is awesome but your definition of teamwork is off; it sounds more or less a union thing where you can’t make it without me. Well, a true entrepreneur would…
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              • Posted by $ Maphesdus 10 years, 11 months ago
                Actually no, acknowledging the advantages that your society and support network provide is not Socialism. Socialism is a policy where the means of production are socialized. That, and nothing else, can rightly be called Socialism.

                And sure, a determined entrepreneur can achieve a marginal degree of success by himself, but he will only ever be a small businessman. To be a big businessman, he will need a team.

                Given what you've said, I have to ask: how you do interpret Mitt Romney's message to the Olympians in 2002?
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                • Posted by Hiraghm 10 years, 11 months ago
                  I disagree. Strongly.

                  The "team" will rightly be paid, each for his contribution, trading value for value. It is not a "support network". Support networks are only necessary for crony capitalism.
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