Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker
Excellence: What Has Our Society Come To?
By Audra Card
12th Grade
A young child growing up in the late 1960’s is lying down in her bed. Her mind begins to venture off into the future. A thought comes across her mind about what her family will look like when she is old enough to be married. She sees her children laughing and playing in her backyard. She also sees herself and her husband taking them out to a family picnic. Not once does she think about her daughter going to a party and drinking the entire night. The thought of her son with his friends doing drugs probably never comes to mind either. As we progress through time, each generation continues to become more and more corrupt. It is almost as if we have no morals any more. This fact leaves me asking one simple question: where has our sense of excellence gone?
To each and every person, the definition of excellence will vary. Some may say that being excellent means being on the high honor roll at school. Others consider winning a state basketball championship to be the highest form of greatness one can achieve. However, I consider excellence to be a goal that is unable to be measured. It is not a competition or a way to call oneself better than others. Excellence is based upon morals and the way people conduct themselves. Sure, a student may feel great for getting good grades or excelling in a sport, but there is no way he is striving for excellence if he isn’t conducting himself in a positive way.
Next, I don’t think our society is completely corrupt, but I do believe that we don’t have the high standards as those of our ancestors. For instance, our grandparents probably never imagined their offspring participating in activities such as drinking, abusing drugs, or watching pornography. Our society seems to believe that they should do whatever they can to make them feel good. Most don’t even think about the consequences of their actions. This, I feel, is just absolutely ludicrous. What happened to the time when people were expected to say please and thank you? I can’t even remember how many times I have seen a child get a toy he had been wanting for a long time and he didn’t even tell his parents thank you. Much of our society tends to believe we have the right to get whatever we want. As time goes by, we are becoming less and less grateful.
In my own life, although it is hard at times, I try to strive to be the best. I give 100 percent into each activity. I excel in sports and maintain good grades. However, as I said before, that is not the only type of excellence I strive for. During the day, I strive to treat people as I would like to be treated. This is such a simple rule, but barely anyone in our society abides by it any more. Also, I try very hard not to judge other people. A number of my friends conduct themselves in ways that don’t reflect well upon themselves. Although I may not agree with them, I know that it doesn’t make them an awful person, so I continue to treat them with the respect they deserve. Also, to me, striving for excellence in my life means becoming closer to God and following His word. I attend youth group each week and am involved in school clubs with my Christian peers. To me, if I am not striving to worship God and living for Him, there is no way I can be excellent.
Finally, when I begin to think about what society is coming to, it tends to make me cringe. Sometimes I begin to wonder what is going through a person’s mind when he or she is engaging in illegal activities or being very ungrateful. Our great-grandparents’ generation is probably turning in their graves at the sight of the way our generation is living today. As I have said before, excellence isn’t about greed or making oneself feel better. It is an immeasurable goal that is based on good morals and tradition. So imagine that young child lying on her bed pondering what her family will be like in the future. She could never dream society would turn out as corrupt as it is today. People should consider that the next time they are striving to be the best. Excellence is not how far you have reached; it’s how you have represented yourself along the way.
Answers To Questions Re: The Required Reading
Q1- Am I really where I want to be?
I am, for the most part, where I would like to be. I have the grades I wish to achieve, I play and excel in the sports I love, and I have good moral values. However, I would like to be closer to God and live my life my life more by His standards.
Q2- Am I moving in the direction that will enable me to make the greatest contribution?
I would consider myself to be moving in a positive direction to make a contribution to my community. I’m sure I won’t be able to become a doctor and find a great cure, but I will still be able to make a difference. I plan to assist people with their financial needs. I am also a very helping and loving person, and I am willing to help anyone with a problem.
Q3- If I could achieve my highest goals, what would my accomplishments look like?
If I could achieve my highest goals, I would graduate with the highest academic honor available in my school. I will also have gotten into the college of my choice and have pursued a career in the accounting department. I will also have a family of my own that is loving and stable.
Q4- Do I recognize excellence and search it out or do I find mediocre acceptable and am willing to settle?
I definitely would never settle for a job that I completed only half-heartedly. I always strive for excellence and to be the best. I put 100 percent into everything I do and usually don’t give up until I have achieved my goal.
Q5- Do I seek out people, books, movies and other things that encourage me to be the best I can be?
I usually try to watch movies and listen to music that is positive and encouraging. However, in our society today, that is sometimes a difficult task. I enjoy being around people that are also striving for excellence and aren’t willing to give up. This can also be great motivation.
Q6- Do I recognize the best in others?
I try to recognize the best qualities in other individuals. Instead of focusing on the things people do that bother me, I try to focus on the things people do that I enjoy. I try to never judge a person until I get to know them. There is a lot of good in someone once you get to know them.
Q7- Do you agree with Morrow (paragraph seven) that: "Excellence demands standards. It does not usually flourish in the midst of rapid, hectic change. This century’s sheer velocity has subverted the principle of excellence; a culture must be able to catch its breath."
I would say that I do agree with this statement. Our society is changing so rapidly that sometimes we become out of control and unorganized. We do need some time to just work on our moral values and to make ourselves better. Maybe if things weren’t moving at such a rapid pace then we would concentrate more on making ourselves better and more respectful.
Q8- Interpret this quote from paragraph nine: "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion."
With all the success Americas have had, many people are just resting easy. They have totally forgotten about their morals and having to work hard to achieve their goals. Many individuals think they should just get what they want without doing any of the hard work. The quote is saying that people shouldn’t be like this. There may be consequences some day if people continue to act like the way they are.
Q9- Argue pro and con Morrow's contention that "Americans not yet successful (the struggling, the underclass) are apt to aim at ease, not excellence" ?
I see why the author stated that the underclass is more apt to strive for ease, because they have had rough lives. It may be that they just do their job to get done and don’t worry about the quality. I disagree with this statement as well, because some underclass people use the fact that they are struggling to push themselves and strive for more excellence in order to get out of the situation.
Q10- Explain what Morrow means when he says (A) "the confusion contaminates character and disables ambition." Do you agree?
Morrow is stating that with the quick rate our society is moving at today, people are getting lost with it all and forgetting their moral values. I don’t really agree with him on this issue. Yes, there is a lot of advancement at a quick rate in American society, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s character is jeopardized by it. I feel that people can make their own decisions and how fast society is moving doesn’t really have anything to do with it.
Q11- Argue pro and con the effect of over stimulation and under stimulation as discussed in paragraph 10.
Over stimulation may be viewed as both positive and negative. With so much of this in the United States, we have been able to make more advanced technology than anywhere in the world. We are able to protect ourselves better and are more civilized than many places around the world. However, over stimulation may lead to less excellence as well. We are exposed to such a great amount of sex, drugs, and other sinful behaviors so often that we may not even realize the difference between right and wrong any more. Under stimulation may be viewed as a positive aspect for the exact opposite reasons. People aren’t shown so many bad images, so they may still have better morals and higher opinions of excellence. On the other hand, it may lead to less technological advandament, and the society may be left behind.
Q12- Contrast practical excellence with metaphysical excellence as used in Morrow's last paragraph.
Morrow is talking about the way people confuse their practical excellence with metaphysical excellence. The American people have been able to become very successful by relying on the way they are very practical. However, this only goes so far, and it all comes back to the excellence that matters, metaphysical excellence. This type is based on the way people set their morals and abide by them. It is a much more personal matter that one can only decide by themselves.
Q13- Copy and interpret your two favorite quotes. Explain why you chose them.
“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” First, I chouse this quote because it explains that I have control over myself. No matter where I am in life or what I am doing, I always have control over my actions. I can use this to do good or bad with my life; it is my choice.
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” Next, I chose this quote because I completely agree with it. A person may have all the money in the world and be able to buy whatever he wants, but as long as he hasn’t found inner peace with himself, he will never be truly happy.