Thoughts ran through my head this morning. I have deep thoughts about why our children are falling behind and about why we are seeing increases in psychological and neurological diagnoses. My thoughts result from my individual experiences and from things I have read and observed over my fifty-four years.

What about You?

Have you noticed that schools, employers, and most organizations have moved from individual accomplishments to group accomplishments? Yet, historically is it individuals or groups that we recognize as world’s great inventors, scientists, mathematicians, composers, and artists?

Historically

Historically farmers tended to the crops and animals on land they owned or leased. Family stores and businesses were the norm. Previously employers judged employees by their individual accomplishments not by how the people they sat or stood next to performed. Their co-workers did not determine hiring or their wages.

Today

Today we judge others by a different standard and everyone has a vote on how everyone else performs. Even doctors in private practice are not immune since some insurance companies now determine reimbursement by surveys they send to patients. Ironically, it is not just about patient outcomes, it includes how well you like your doctor and his staff. People judge this based on whether or not the receptionist smiles or on how quickly the receptionist answers the phone, etc. It makes it easy to gang up on those who are not exactly like us or people we do not like for whatever reason.

It starts early too! Our children have more and more group projects and their classmates weigh in on how much they contributed. Imagine being different in middle school and having to deal with this scenario!

What Do You Think?

How well do those who are brilliant, but not liked do? Do they learn to play the games to fit in? Or do they turn inward and become depressed, anxious, moody, or maybe even aggressive?

What do you think? Could I be on to something here?