Two months ago, I said I needed time to review David Brooks’ “The Organizational Kid.” I did not really need time. The lack of any assertion was really my refusal to face his declaration that the young men and women of America’s elite lack morality, independent thought, and political involvement. Published exactly seven years ago, Brooks’ article should act as a needle to the Penn bubble fore the “organizational kid” is now ADD.
Were we always like this? Yes (for most of us). My afternoons this week begin with shuffled greetings from high school seniors still flushed from thick acceptance envelopes and eager high school underclassmen with doting parents. Four springs ago, I was one such senior. We were the “AP kids” and “ran” the school. Our lives were programmed by the minute – piano, tennis, newspaper, drama club, mock trial, history and science fair projects, all at once! Oh…and score above 1500 on SATs and have an above-95 GPA (at my high school, we didn’t have As, Bs, Cs and all classes were weighed equally). Try juggle all the above and still be “effortlessly hot.” Flash-forward to the Penn campus, and not much as changed.
We are still programmed…except it is now uncool to use a pen or store a schedule on the laptop. Instead, we delegate all tasks and ringing reminders to more fanciful toys. Penn students now stroll down Locust Walk running their left fingers on a Blackberry or ITouch while holding a Starbucks “skinny latte.” Nota Bene: ABP (Au Bon Pain) and Starbucks train the next generation of corporate climbers early.
Extracurricular (i.e. events planning) at the college level is now organized even more efficiently to fit any individual. Every week is themed. From Penn for Jesus, Human Rights, and a cappella shows to Asian American, Fashion, AIDS awareness, and steal-that-Tabard-girl’s-lunchbox, we can barely squeeze in a coffee chat or dinner with friends. Since “pencil you in” no longer exists, expect yourself to be bumped off the Google calendar for some obscure event. True, I am ignoring the other half of the student population who learned early the significance of closing doors versus keeping every option open. This still does not lessen the effect of the “organizational kid,” which enters ADDx10 stage during OCR (On Campus Recruiting). It is no longer “Hail Caesar” but ME ME ME…why else are Apple advertisements so successful with its iPod, iMac, iLife, etc.
Individual success is EVERYTHING. Everyone and anyone can veni vidi vici.
I have been extremely critical of the Penn bubble (and include myself in most of it). In the next post, I will argue that Brooks does not give enough credit to the less visible crowd. Indeed, Newton is (almost) never wrong; with any action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
good stuff. when will you be online so we can chat? ^^
Newton is wrong. Well, not his third law like you say. But he’s wrong about gravity. That’s what Einstein showed.
Raech, it’s really cool to see this cynicism in you. Cynicism is warranted.
For the record, I don’t use pens. I use pencils. And I don’t have a schedule planner.
argh!
[affirmation]
HAHA thank you all! So happy you liked this post!
There is such negative connotation to view human behavior as driven mainly by self-interest. To disbelieve the sincerity and goodness of everyone around me is especially difficult, and I am afraid of what I will become if I do (and also what I am now). A life of sarcasm is lonely.
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