You raised a very interesting point about the irrationality underlying the Varsity Blues scandal. Based on my personal experience, people tend to make irrational decisions out of fear. From an evolutionary point of view, our fear-driven survival instinct must trump our risk-taking urges in order to ensure that the species does not become extinct. The reason is simple: the price to pay for failing to spot a predator vastly outweighs the cost of mistakenly imagining that there's one hiding in the shadow. We no longer live in a world where our lives are constantly in danger, but our ancient aversion to loss remains powerful.
Whether unwittingly or by design, the admission process to higher education exploits parents' and students' fear of missing out to benefit schools' administrators and the school-ranking cottage industry. Prestige, by definition, only arises if the world can be divided into a small allegedly "admirable" minority and a large supposedly "mediocre" majority by some arbitrary measure. Gatekeepers of higher education and those who profit from the business of college admission and ranking therefore manufacture prestige by glamorizing exclusivity. In doing so, they prey on one of our worst fears: social exclusion, which would often spell death for our ancient ancestors. It's little wonder that college admission has always been characterized by stress and anxiety. For the parents implicated in the Varsity Blues scandal, their goals had never been to give their children a quality education. Rather, their irrational preoccupation was to spare their children the fearsome fate of being excluded from the "right" social echelons.
When I read Karen's and Paul's questions, I could sense the same fears that I had when I applied to college. I'd like to share how I've learned to combat fear so as to avoid irrational decision-making. First, fear can be managed with Active Preparation: have a backup plan, ask for emotional or even financial support from friends and families, assume and plan for the worst possible outcome. If you're equipped to survive the worst, then there's nothing left to fear. Second, substitute fear with Pragmatic Hope. Don't hope for the best (the statistically improbable), hope for what is pragmatic and in line with your long-term aspirations. "Pragmatic" here means "within your control". Being selected by an admission committee based on arbitrary standards is out of your control. Selecting and sticking to your long-term career aspirations is. As Cece said, focus on how you can make your life hopeful: being safe (not just physically but also emotionally), having fun, and being happy.
Those are really helpful points, Harry--thanks so much for sharing! It reminds me of a therapy exercise I've been doing lately--write for 30 minutes about your worst fear happening. It helps you realize that even if the Big Bad occurs, you'll survive.
i wish i had a photographic memory so my adhd brain could remember each and every word of your answer!! i heavily agree with your point as to prestige becoming the goal instead of the instrument; i have committed that mistake myself and am currently suffering from the consequences. <33
You raised a very interesting point about the irrationality underlying the Varsity Blues scandal. Based on my personal experience, people tend to make irrational decisions out of fear. From an evolutionary point of view, our fear-driven survival instinct must trump our risk-taking urges in order to ensure that the species does not become extinct. The reason is simple: the price to pay for failing to spot a predator vastly outweighs the cost of mistakenly imagining that there's one hiding in the shadow. We no longer live in a world where our lives are constantly in danger, but our ancient aversion to loss remains powerful.
Whether unwittingly or by design, the admission process to higher education exploits parents' and students' fear of missing out to benefit schools' administrators and the school-ranking cottage industry. Prestige, by definition, only arises if the world can be divided into a small allegedly "admirable" minority and a large supposedly "mediocre" majority by some arbitrary measure. Gatekeepers of higher education and those who profit from the business of college admission and ranking therefore manufacture prestige by glamorizing exclusivity. In doing so, they prey on one of our worst fears: social exclusion, which would often spell death for our ancient ancestors. It's little wonder that college admission has always been characterized by stress and anxiety. For the parents implicated in the Varsity Blues scandal, their goals had never been to give their children a quality education. Rather, their irrational preoccupation was to spare their children the fearsome fate of being excluded from the "right" social echelons.
When I read Karen's and Paul's questions, I could sense the same fears that I had when I applied to college. I'd like to share how I've learned to combat fear so as to avoid irrational decision-making. First, fear can be managed with Active Preparation: have a backup plan, ask for emotional or even financial support from friends and families, assume and plan for the worst possible outcome. If you're equipped to survive the worst, then there's nothing left to fear. Second, substitute fear with Pragmatic Hope. Don't hope for the best (the statistically improbable), hope for what is pragmatic and in line with your long-term aspirations. "Pragmatic" here means "within your control". Being selected by an admission committee based on arbitrary standards is out of your control. Selecting and sticking to your long-term career aspirations is. As Cece said, focus on how you can make your life hopeful: being safe (not just physically but also emotionally), having fun, and being happy.
Those are really helpful points, Harry--thanks so much for sharing! It reminds me of a therapy exercise I've been doing lately--write for 30 minutes about your worst fear happening. It helps you realize that even if the Big Bad occurs, you'll survive.
i wish i had a photographic memory so my adhd brain could remember each and every word of your answer!! i heavily agree with your point as to prestige becoming the goal instead of the instrument; i have committed that mistake myself and am currently suffering from the consequences. <33