Rockridge High School
Taylor Ridge, Illinois
Have We Abandoned Excellence?
12th Grade
Two questions have emerged among Americans: Have we abandoned excellence throughout the last few decades? Should we continue to strive for it? Some will say that perhaps we have abandoned it, and others will say that we are still striving for that mark of excellence. While some have answers, others are confused and ask where the mark of excellence is.
I feel that while some people settle for mediocrity, others are determined enough to strive for the best. While some Americans settle for whatever comes to them, I will not stop striving for excellence until I have fully reached it. Overall, I feel that the country as a whole, has abandoned excellence. However, I do not believe that we have abandoned excellence as individuals.
Whatever happened to the good old days when everyone could just leave his or her house or car unlocked and not have to worry? Now I have to worry if my car or house is unlocked and wonder if someone is going to rob me blind. The criminal rate in the United States continues to climb every year. America has not tried to reach excellence because we still let criminals have short terms in prison and they have not learned their lesson. If we keep on this path of a growing crime rate, in the future we will never be able to walk the streets without being terrified.
Along with the crime rate increase, there has been a quick decline in our economy. Over the last couple of years, we have suffered through some tough economic times. During President George W. Bush’s term in office, there have been a total of 3.3 million jobs lost. How can people think that Bush is doing an excellent job? The U.S. has gone into an economic slump because of the loss of jobs. How can we reach excellence when we send all of our jobs overseas and make the Americans that lose their jobs suffer? When they lose these jobs, they become part of the poverty in America. Is that really excellent for America?
Though the U.S. is not all that excellent, I strongly believe that some have not given up on the idea of excellence. There are people who want the United States to be perfect for them and for their next generations. Some of the people who want to make the U.S. excellent are Presidential candidates. They promise us a great life for the future. Police officers also try to make this place excellent for us to live. They stop crime and they also make sure that we are safe whenever possible. Judges also try to make this country a little better for us.
Even though the United States is not excellent, I believe that I should strive for excellence in everything that I do. It started when I was in my first years of school. I was always a sore loser when it came to sports, so I practiced and practiced until I reached the point of excellence. My personal motto is, “Do it right or don’t do it at all.” I feel that everyone should get things done right or leave it for someone else to get it done right.
I strive for excellence no matter what I am doing. My car, as an example, has to be clean and mechanically perfect in order to satisfy myself. At work everything I do has to be satisfactory for me, for my boss, and for the customers. I work at a pizza place and I have to be pleased with every pizza that I send out to the consumer. If the pizza is not satisfactory, I will make them another that is perfect. I also work at a grade school during the summer. When I paint walls or wax the floors, I have to make sure that the paint is flawless and that the wax on the floor is like a mirror.
As an individual, I am trying to make the United States a better place. I have volunteered my time at church and throughout the community to help the less fortunate people and make this a better place to live. Also, I have joined an Explorer program through the county police. In this program we learn about the law and how to stop crime.
Even though the United States may have abandoned excellence, I do not believe all individuals have. But what is the mark of excellence? A person has to set his or her own standards of excellence and try to reach those goals. Although some feel we are at the peak of excellence, I feel that we, as a country, have not yet reached it. I will keep striving for what I think is excellence for the rest of my life because there will always be something that can be improved.
1. Am I really where I want to be?
Although I have not reached all of my goals, I am close to being where I want to be. The success that I have had is due to the hard work that I have put into making me a better person. I have bought my own car and now I pay for most of my necessities. Right now there are a few other things that would perfect my life, but until I find those I will have to keep working hard to get them.
2. Am I moving in the direction that will enable me to make the greatest contribution?
I have and will keep trying to make the greatest contribution to myself and to society. I work hard for myself in order to provide for the necessities for myself. I also work in order to help out the people that are around me and the people that need help. For three years I have gathered food and clothing with my church and then we traveled to Kentucky. When we got to Kentucky, we met some of the less fortunate people and we distributed the food and clothing.
3. If I could achieve my highest goals, what would my accomplishments look like?
Most people will say that they would like to grow up and have a few million dollars, but not me. I would like to get married and have a nice family. Most of all I would like to have a safe world. I would like for each and every one of us to be able to walk outside and not be afraid of being hurt or shot.
4. Do I recognize excellence and search it out or do I find mediocre acceptable and am willing to settle?
I feel that I need to strive and reach excellence in order to satisfy myself. I do not believe that mediocre is acceptable for anything that I do. When I do work for school or for my job, I feel that I have to do it perfect in order to please everyone. I have a saying: if you are going to do something, do it right the first time. This means please everyone and make it acceptable.
5. Do I seek out people, books, movies and other things that encourage me to be the best I can be?
I try to do the best that I can in finding the best references in order to help me succeed in life. The books and movies that I choose are usually the best that I can find, but today many books and movies have foul language and violence. The friends and people that I hang out with are the best that I can choose. I will not let myself be around people that are bad influences on me. I tell my friends not to do illegal actions like drugs and drink underage; otherwise I will not be around them.
6. Do I recognize the best in others?
I try to recognize the best in others. When I meet them, I always give them their chance. I try to always see the best in everyone until they do me wrong, and then I start seeing the evil in them. I try and forgive them, but it is instinct for humans to always remember the bad.
7. Do you agree with Morrow 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 believe that there has to be some sort of standards set in order for one to strive for excellence. No matter if the standards are set by the being or set by society, I feel we need to have these set now because the earlier generations did not have them set for us and now we do not know what to do. This also says “a culture must be able to catch its breath.” This means that one should try and reach excellence on one item and not try to strive for a million different things.
8. Interpret this quote from paragraph nine: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.”
Since Zion was a city without any technology, does this mean that they are worse off than people with technology? Although they did not have technology, they did everything to their best ability. Although they might have been a city without anything, they tried never to fall short of excellence.
9. Argue pro and con Morrow’s contention that “Americans not yet successful are apt to aim at ease, not excellence”?
I believe that people that have not reached excellence may want to give up since they have been working for it for so long. They might settle for mediocre. On the other hand, people that have not quite reached the point of excellence might want to keep striving. The underclass might really want to reach excellence since they might not have much. If I have a goal that I want to reach, I will keep working until I achieve it, even though I may not get much help from others around me. So if someone really wants something, I feel that they will try hard to get it, especially if they do not have too much.
10. Explain what Morrow means when he says, “the confusion contaminates character and disables ambition.” Do you agree?
People may be confused about what excellence really is. I feel that if someone wants to strive for excellence, they will reach it if they do not get confused along the way. The confusion could lead to the discouragement and the people will give up on their dreams. Then when someone is confused, ease might succeed over excellence and they will settle for less.
11. Argue pro and con the effect of over stimulation and under stimulation.
Under stimulation is when someone like a parent or friend boosts you to get going and do a good job, but they do not go overboard with it. Over stimulation is when the parent or loved one pushes you too hard to do something and you get sick of them. Under stimulation is good because of the fact that you do not have someone preaching in your ear every time before an event. It is also bad because if someone does not push you, then you will just slowly fade away. Over stimulation is good because the parents get you involved in a sport or activity and they want you to stay in it. It is also bad because if they harp long enough, students will want to quit because they are sick of listening and being put down.
12. Contrast practical excellence with metaphysical excellence.
Metaphysical excellence will always be here, while practical excellence will not always be. I feel that we need to concentrate on the metaphysical excellence more than we need to on the practical excellence.
13. 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.” This means that I and only I can control myself and my actions. This means that if I want to strive for excellence, I will, but otherwise, I will not be forced. I like this one because I feel that someone will only do what he or she wants and no one is going to control every aspect of his or her life.
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” Do not be angry with others for not being excellent, because God knows that no one on this earth is perfect. I like this one because everyone wants everybody else to change who they are, but the truth is, they are the ones that need changing.