|
Jack McGee > McGee I.
English 1001
Dr. Robert Funk
22 June, 2001
>
Reading, Writing and Worker's Shifts
>
The notion of education being essential to success in the workplace
>
strikes me as a short-sited one. In my experience as a "plague-bearer", or
>
representative of the " Rat Race ", I often found that people of all walks of
>
life found occupations with little or no requirement of any proof of
>
education. And it's true that I often worked along-side these very individuals.
>
Many seemed much more content operating in their riggid little piece of
>
society than I did- I being the educated one.
>
In order to demote education as a prime suspect for the procreation of
>
success, we first have to define the word " success ". The original term ,as
>
denoted in Webster's English Dictionary ,states that success indicates the
>
accumulation of wealth and/or achieving a favorable result. However, in
>
today's compromising society , we find the word " success " evolving into
>
something more fundamental- happiness. " Happiness " can be broken down
>
much further when we evaluate how that happiness was reached, and also
>
what the effects , whether good or bad , of one's personal happiness are in
>
the context of their enviroment.
>
For instance, if I were to kick the winning point for my team's division
>
> > McGee II.
>
championship, and that feat of athletic ability was in fact, brought on by the
>
lactic-reducing steroids my dedicated coach administered to me before the
>
game, then that act would not be a total success. We see this very situation
>
projected by popular culture all the time. And as we know, popular culture
>
is often a major influence of the population's " popular " opinion, if not a
>
true indicator in itself. Have you ever seen " Varsity Blues " ? In the very
>
climax of the film, players must decide whether or not they will continue on
>
after half-time ,based on the purpose and principals they chose to play the
>
sport in the first place ,instead of the dishonorable alteriors of their ruthless
>
leader. Success is all about winning, but winning for one's own self in
>
consideration of others.
>
Now that you and I have come to an understanding of what success
>
means to the average joe, alow me to illustrate how education, for the most
>
part, has nothing to do with attaining it. Having just graduated highschool,
>
I certainly can tell you the majority of my classmates was not at all motivated
>
or enlightened by the goals reached within their curriculum. Some of these
>
fine students were in the top twenty of ninety-one students. However, when
>
the time came for anchoring down , the occupations they found themselves
>
in required nothing of which the self-sacrifice of 4 years had brought them.
>
> > McGee III.
>
In many situations, simple instruction on the correct sequence of register
>
buttons to be pushed was the only " education " needed to rake in a
>
steady pay-check. In the circumstances of of getting a steady paycheck,
>
and the reciever of that paycheck using it primarily to provide entertainment
>
away from the register, I'd say this person has been successfull in her job,
>
wouldn't you? Having completed the simple tasks assigned to her demanded
>
no formal study, and at the same time it suits his personal interests, feeding
>
the cycle again. Under non-extenuating circumstances, we will agree then,
>
that he remains happy as long as the work he endures equates the joy he
>
recieves in effect of doing it. Education had nothing to do with his being
>
happy or constructive in the vocation.
>
On the other hand, there are several instances of accomplished
>
professionals where no success lingers, no motivation at all to provide
>
either good habits and performance or pleasure involved in their
>
work. I know of a computer programmer, whom it took 6 years to complete
>
his degree. Knowing him all my life, I understood the dedication he pushed
>
for in his extensive education. Ironically, all of the effort put into his
>
career was decidedly irrelevant when it came to his overall job efficiency.
>
Not to mention, my buddy really looked like hell when I had him over for
>
> > McGee IV.
>
a weekend on occasion. Very plainly, he just wasn't enjoying his job.
>
Success had not been on the agenda. Apparently , the one-hundred and
>
eighty hours my friend took to complete his degree were all dedicated to
>
pleasing his diluted parents. So, one can extract from this example, that
>
education had anything to do with producing success in this fellow's
>
work enviroment. Although much learning was required for the duties
>
assigned, absolutely nothing constructive or self-gratifying came from it.
>
People often assume that an educated person is more likely to
>
live a " successfull " life. I will admit, in some cases, that this holds true.
>
In truth, the vast percentages of successfull persons are raised in a much
>
more simple fashion. They remain isolated from the spoils of technology.
>
As educated individuals tend to have more money, they also tend to
>
indulge themselves in the pleasures money can buy. This includes
>
superficial and purely entertaining endeavors. This is in contrast with the
>
mellow and humble upbringings of the poor and more probable uneducated
>
sects. This simple lifestyle demands low expectations, thus it is easier for
>
their existences to be fullfilled. They succeed easily, which is why more
>
of them do in comparison with more educated persons.
>
The Shakers of coastal Maine leave us with a fine depiction of the
>
> > McGee V.
>
previous explanation : As a boy in a communal grows up, he remains
>
constantly surrounded by his family. The influential violences of T.V. ,
>
video games, and corrupt neighborhood kids do not plague this young
>
blood's world. Instead he is opened to long days of revolutionary
>
prayer practices and song. When he matures, the boy will be expected to
>
provide for the community. This is would be carried our by simple tasks
>
such as cropping and elementary carpentry. He may never have a chance
>
to study elementary arithmatic, or memorize the forty-three presidents, but
>
the labor his daily work commands of him is cost-effective, so to speak.
>
As I've pointed out, people from all walks of life can achieve success
>
through their occupations regardless of how much academic strength they
>
have. Deriving a " favorable result " from a salary is not the responsiblity of
>
one's mind, but a task of the heart. To rely on one's education for the
>
promotion of success during the course of a career would be a mistake.
>
If this system were being utilized, we would have legions of horribly
>
depressed Ph.D's roaming the country side. At least we have the lack of
>
ambition to save us from such a disaster.
>
(Sorry, but something scares me the way paragraph
formation was twisted and conjiled once I copyed
this .doc stuff to HTML ) |
