The Nature of All Greatness

Team-work seems to be a fairly common theme in speeches discussing or reminiscing about high school, consistently beating audiences over the head with reminders of who they had to put up with for four of the slowest years of their existence. The moral always winds up being about the lessons learned from others and achieving greatness by working together. This zealous preaching on what amounts to collectivism never fails to overlook, and sometimes undermine, some of the most important learning that takes place in high school: the learning resulting from self-help. Robert Frost once explained that “there are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can't move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies.” I’ve been fortunate enough to have teachers that “just…prod,” allowing me to explore new areas of academic experimentation comfortably, without encroachment on creativity. Well, with the least amount of encroachment the administration would allow, at any rate. From these classrooms walked some of the most talented kids on campus, always learning, always trying something new, and doing much of it on their own.

Teachers with more restrictions (the ones that immobilize their students with “quail shot”) tend to create a more boring atmosphere. I’m sure this unscientific conclusion is no shocker. These are the ones that teach essays can only have five paragraphs and that there’s only one equation to solve each type of math problem. I’m all too familiar with this type of teaching, as well. Despite all the talk about caffeine and steroids, this is what really stunts your growth. With these teachers at the reins, kids are taught that conformity is key to longevity, that simple mindedness ensures a comfortable existence, and that any straying from the path is a direct channel to hell. How many times were we told that what we accomplished here at this school was, in some way, directly related to our success in life? How many of us believed it? I’m sure most of those who didn’t aren’t sitting here tonight.

This is the society we live in, however. Proper schooling is very important and success comes to those who learn to play the game. I’m not discounting the entire legitimacy of schooling and I’m certainly not speaking out against education, but as Mark Twain said, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Rather than see this as a complete lambasting on schooling, perhaps it’s best to look at it as a steady warning. Schooling is a tool, to be used as long as it’s advantageous. Sometimes it’s necessary to switch tools, of course. A builder doesn’t use a hammer to take out screws. This is where education from other sources comes into play. Education is merely the toolbox filled with a wide array of instruments to play with.

By focusing on individual needs and wants, people set themselves up for genuine success. It’s not always rational to bend a person this way and that in order to get him to fit a mold he wasn’t made for. Personal experience has taught me that when allowed to explore their own avenues, people become interested and learned. These are the creators, the innovators. As Ayn Rand communicated through her character Howard Roark, “The creator served nothing and no one. He had lived for himself. And only by living for himself was he able to achieve the things which are the glory of mankind. Such is the nature of achievement.” Everyone is capable of success provided he or she doesn’t forget how to use the tools he or she has been afforded. Don’t clutch on to schooling so tightly, using it as a quick fix for every problem that arises. Sometimes it’s necessary to open up the toolbox and find the tool that more aptly fits the situation. Perhaps it’s a tool you know how to use best. Success doesn’t ride on what you can do for others; it rides on what you can do for yourself.