The whole of human consciousness directly coincides with differentiation. To know what we are, we must first know what we are not.
To know what “x” is, we must first know what “x” is not. Within the context of differentiating one thing from another, humans inherently make value judgments. “X” is not “y” because “x” has “z” characteristic. A person must, by process of elimination, either like, dislike, or be indifferent to “z” characteristic. Liking or disliking the characteristic that represents the embodiment of “x,” entails that one likes or dislikes “x” itself and therefore must either conversely dislike or like “y,” respectively.
These evaluative measures extend beyond mere object comparison to other people, relationships, practices, products, and everything else a human might encounter via the usage of the five basic senses. Therefore, it seems intuitive that an academic atmosphere would reflect this basic building block of human consciousness. If the whole of human consciousness revolves around differentiation, and subsequent evaluation, then it stands to reason that the class room would be no different. Whether or not a school acknowledges this innate human tendency to compare and contrast every thing, every one, and every action we encounter, it exists regardless. Bringing to light the very foundation of what makes us human can only serve to better prepare students for what already exists in every other aspect of life, particularly what comes after graduation.
Therefore, it does no good to say that a student would do better without a competitive atmosphere because, inordinately harsh as it may sound, humans are born into a world of differentiation, evaluation, and competition without ever being given a choice in the matter. The rub, it seems, is whether or not schools should draw added attention to competition and, in so doing, elevate the stakes for the students. Exposing students to an atmosphere that mimics the cruel practice of the professional realm might cause some children to feel inferior. Rather, it is better for a child to learn his or her own weaknesses early in life. A child’s parents and the school provide a supportive atmosphere that can nurture his or her attempts to adapt, improve weaknesses, and accentuate strengths. Once one enters the work force, there is no support system to coddle weaknesses.
One either rises to the top, or drowns at the bottom. It simply makes more sense to teach students how to swim before they start to drown, rather than after. Or, at the very least, let them test the waters before you make them swim with the sharks.
- Sakshi Singh
