I do apologize for my poor grammar... I'm very tired as I've been on the boat all day.
I for one can honestly say I've never competed or felt competition with anyone at our school. I honestly love and wish the best for everyone. Sure, I've compared grades and scores, as I have also been critical of others work. No one is better than me as I am no better than anyone. I am stronger in some areas and others are stronger than me in other areas. Yet we are both humans we both live and die therefore we are the same.
That being stated I see this as an interesting post but, I feel as if it is directed to a specific student body at Isaac Bear. As it also seems to be misdirected disappointment and assumptions. First however, I'd like to argue that not just IBEC students are not the only negative judgmental people on this planet. You see we are all the centers of our own universes and whether we discuss it or not it's a fact that we are. Sure many have empathy and it's not a scape goat to be negative yet every experience you've had you've been at the center of am I right? YOU heard this on the T.V. in front of YOU and so forth. It's natural for us to be the center of our own universes. Kings of the skull sized kingdoms we are confined to. There are those that are more well adjusted than others sure (I'm assuming that's your 2%). Yet we as humans we do this and since we're a group of intellectuals it happens even more. Either way I'll be the first to admit I judge people in the worst way it's hard to not compare yourself to them. Another thing is that you assume we're all like that but, I struggle everyday to be positive. To simply exist in what seems to be a meaningless march to the inevitable conclusion of death. It's hard... I'm a very negative person so I have to conscious adjust my thinking. So, remember as quick as people down you, you too down those who aren't like what you described but, fall into the 98%.
As far as your title thing I can definitely agree. Our school brain washes kids into chasing power, and material wealth. Not initially sure the grand scheme of getting an “education” to most people means to get in a position to have a more finically stable life, and to be a functioning productive member of society. While a real education teaches us to think. Not creatively, not realistically, but to control how we think. You could call these individuals well adjusted if you will. I for one watched my dad work his ass off to reach a good position in corporate America and the more he made the less happy he seemed to be. I watched as he fell into the seemingly endless routine of a 9-5 job. I knew I didn't want to ever be like that. I wanted to be happy that was all. I think these kids at our school don't realize this and some perhaps never will.
In the end I think the biggest problem with our cohort is the misguidedness. I hate this superficial bullshit of I'm doing this or look look I'm a beauty queen now. That's what I hate. The large majority you wrote about are the ones that are fake and disconnected humans that won't have inner happiness. Those that chase careers that they aren't passionate about, those who only want that large pay check, they forget that the key to life is happiness. In the end I'll probably be tatted up making less than however, else but I guarantee I'll have had a better happier life with work that reflects that.
P.S. Work for you or don't work at all.
P.S.S. I believe you as well as Cara, and Aly are great writers. I wish I could communicate emotions, and thoughts on such an accurate level. I'm nowhere near that level. Just as other people are better at math and so forth.