Post by DiamondPace on Aug 9, 2011 13:10:13 GMT -5
In “The Organization Kid,” David Brooks describes the way of life of the average American college student, and leads us on the path one takes to become a college student as they take the "legal march away from the conception of the child as a dependent person." He notes their personality, actions, and goals and believes they are a happy group of people.
However, college students around the world may be too organized and fixed in their lives and this may be a slight problem. As stated by Robert Wuthnow, “They are disconcertingly comfortable with authority. That's the most common complaint the faculty has of Princeton students. They're eager to please, eager to jump through whatever hoops the faculty puts in front of them, eager to conform” The organization kid does not protest and greatly shies away from doing things other than they are used to or other than the professor tells them. They plan nearly every moment of their lives and even make appointments to discuss popular topics and chat with friends. Although organization is deemed a good thing for most, the tone of the article creates the idea that too much organization could be bad for this group of college students. College students are still “kids” and should be able to enjoy leisure time and keep up with greater issues in the world. So when organization and mandatory events cut into this time and your life becomes too planned out and fixed, one is not allowing themselves to enjoy life as a kid in your last years of childhood before joining the real world. In this sense, I agree; after college, one enters the steady and consistent life of the work-and-family world. Your child years are behind you and you become a part of a completely new stage of life. David Brooks spoke of the Princeton students, “They're not trying to buck the system; they're trying to climb it, and they are streamlined for ascent. Hence they are not a disputatious group.” Although respect is a key quality to have, there is nothing wrong with questioning the system. In fact, in the real world, many people have found solutions to important issues through realizing the faults in the norm. Originality is at its best when people throw away all aspects of normality and focus on what isn’t normal, and what has previously been looked over or rejected. This would not happen if everyone decided to conform and never question what others tell them. The ability to think for yourself also comes with the ability to be original. Originality is what’s needed in the work force today, so that we may breed the greatest inventors of all time.
In conclusion, The Organization Kid describes not only the students of Princeton, but many students across the country and even across the world: a group of young people with intelligence and great potential, but a group of young people who aren’t willing to take risks and question the normality around them.
However, college students around the world may be too organized and fixed in their lives and this may be a slight problem. As stated by Robert Wuthnow, “They are disconcertingly comfortable with authority. That's the most common complaint the faculty has of Princeton students. They're eager to please, eager to jump through whatever hoops the faculty puts in front of them, eager to conform” The organization kid does not protest and greatly shies away from doing things other than they are used to or other than the professor tells them. They plan nearly every moment of their lives and even make appointments to discuss popular topics and chat with friends. Although organization is deemed a good thing for most, the tone of the article creates the idea that too much organization could be bad for this group of college students. College students are still “kids” and should be able to enjoy leisure time and keep up with greater issues in the world. So when organization and mandatory events cut into this time and your life becomes too planned out and fixed, one is not allowing themselves to enjoy life as a kid in your last years of childhood before joining the real world. In this sense, I agree; after college, one enters the steady and consistent life of the work-and-family world. Your child years are behind you and you become a part of a completely new stage of life. David Brooks spoke of the Princeton students, “They're not trying to buck the system; they're trying to climb it, and they are streamlined for ascent. Hence they are not a disputatious group.” Although respect is a key quality to have, there is nothing wrong with questioning the system. In fact, in the real world, many people have found solutions to important issues through realizing the faults in the norm. Originality is at its best when people throw away all aspects of normality and focus on what isn’t normal, and what has previously been looked over or rejected. This would not happen if everyone decided to conform and never question what others tell them. The ability to think for yourself also comes with the ability to be original. Originality is what’s needed in the work force today, so that we may breed the greatest inventors of all time.
In conclusion, The Organization Kid describes not only the students of Princeton, but many students across the country and even across the world: a group of young people with intelligence and great potential, but a group of young people who aren’t willing to take risks and question the normality around them.