David KRUMHOLZ English 1E

March 24, 2000

Less is More
If having less is ore, !hen os! of "s have #een s!ig a!i$ed on %ha! i! eans !o #e

average, according !o & ' (o ) i!h* I !end !o agree !ha! #eing an +average (oe, is no! %ha! %e have #een condi!ioned for in o"r socie!'* -e os!l' have #een n"r!"red fro o"r childhood in!o o"r ad"l! ains!rea is so e!i es

lives, !ha! #eing average is no! acce.!a#le* /eing .ar! of !he ever' da' associa!ed %i!h having less* -he!her i! is o#!aining a #e!!er 0o#, res!a"ran!, !here is a cons!an! effor! !o a!!ain ore, since ore

one', or ea!ing in a fanc'

os! of "s have #een !rained !ha! + ore is

#e!!er*, -e have no e .a!h' for #eing average* -e find o"rselves in a cons!an! endeavor !o s"cceed* 1or os! of "s, o"r s"ccess is eas"red #' o"r achieve en!s %i!hin o"r .eer gro".s, %here %e have

#een !rained !o co .e!e for o"r goals* 2he sa!isfac!ion of #eing average is los! in o"r co .e!i!ive socie!', %here .eer .ress"re de ands e3cellence* Mos! of "s have received .aren!al .ress"re* M' goals for s"ccess %ere s' #oli$ed in acco .lish en!s of grea! fea!s* M' .aren!s %o"ld reinforce !his s'ndro e %i!h s!ories fro !heir

childhood fea!s* &s long as I can re e #er, since earl' childhood in!o ad"l! life, !ha! s"ccess %as eas"red #' ' .aren!s in one' and a!erial .ossessions* 2he .ress"res for financial s"ccess %ere 'self %i!h s.or!s, '

e4"a!ed %i!h %eal!h and .o%er* -he!her I received s!raigh! +&,s or e #ellished

goals %ere iden!ified %i!h s!andards of e3cellence* I ideali$ed s.or!s fig"res5 I %as i .ressed %i!h !he achieve en!s of )and' Ko"fa3 and -illie Ma's* I %orshi..ed /a#e R"!h, and %o"ld drea #eing !he grea!es! #ase#all .la'er of all !i e* /eing average %as no! .ar! of a#o"!

' childhood, onl' an ' .aren!s* 2he

insin"a!ion !ha! #eing average %as #elo% .ar* 2his %as cons!an!l' reinforced #' s!ig a of %ha! %e define as average is "nfor!"na!el' e4"a!ed %i!h

one!ar' re%ards*

&no!her e3a .le of .aren!al .ress"re %o"ld #e a s!or' school !eacher7, %ho has fond

' friend /ill 6re!ired

iddle

e ories of his !eaching da's, %o"ld re.ea! fro

!i e !o !i e* He

%o"ld !ell of !he s!"den! %ho deserves a +8, grade #ased on his or her .erfor ance in !he class* 2'.icall', a! !i es, over .ro!ec!ive .aren!s %o"ld call /ill and de and !ha! !heir children deserve a higher grade 6s"ch as an & or /7* /ill %o"ld a#r".!l' sa'9 if 'o" !r"l' #elieve 'o"r da"gh!er or son deserves a higher grade, !hen he %o"ld agree %i!h !ha! .ar!ic"lar .aren! and change !he grade* 2he .aren! associa!ed s"ccess %i!h !he grade !he child received* /ill %as a#le !o "nders!and !ha! !he grade in !he long r"n %o"ld no! a:e a difference in !he child;s s"ccess5 he %as a%are !ha! !he .ro!ec!ive .aren!

%o"ld no! acce.! !heir child #eing average* 2he .aren!al .ress"re !o #e a#ove average %o"ld o"!%eigh !he ra!ional ind* a#ove !he nor , and %e find o"rselves e3.osed !o re.e!i!ive edia s!i "la!ion, %e os!l' find

Mos! of "s s!rive !o .erfor

reinforce en!s of !ha! goal* -he!her i! is .aren!al .ress"re or

o"rselves as.iring !o e "la!e !he sensa!ion* M' %ife %a!ches !he !ravel channel5 !here is an adver!ise en! !ha! Ha%aii is !he drea vaca!ion* )he loo:s ". Ha%aii*co on !he In!erne! and #eco es ind*

en!hralled a#o"! +so !o s.ea:, .aradise* 2he as.ec! of going !o Ha%aii has se! a s!andard in her 2he .heno enon of grea!ness, !o rise a#ove !he nor , is .ar! of !his s!ig a* -e see e3.erience !he #es! !ha! is availa#le* &l!ho"gh %e acco .lish7, %e !hen !o %an! !o

a' find !his no! %i!hin o"r #o"ndaries 6a#ili!' !o

"s! endeavor !o "nders!and o"r !r"e goals* O"r socie!' has no! .re.ared "s as

individ"als, #"! inflic!ed o"r senses %i!h "nforeseen del"sions of grande"r* 2ha! #eing average is a eas"re for !he .'ra id of s"ccess has #een is"nders!ood*

/eing called an +average (oe, is no! an ins"l!* /eing average sho"ld #e considered a co .li en!, !he need !o "nders!and !ha! average is a #asis of .ersonal sa!isfac!ion* 1or %e have #ar#ers %ho care %hen !he' c"! hair, and chefs %ho .re.are eals for !heir .a!rons5 0"s! li:e %e have doc!ors

%ho

"s! care a#o"! !heir .a!ien!s, and la%'ers %ho

"s! .re.are i!ineraries for !heir clien!s*

-e

have a vas! a o"n! of differen! .riori!ies in o"r dail' ac!ivi!ies and livelihoods* -e have !he single .aren! in charge of a ho"sehold5 #eing average is res.ec!a#le* -e do no! have !o have a large ho e, or drive a fanc' car !o s"cceed* -e as individ"als need !o recogni$e !ha! in !he long r"n %e are li:el' +average*, <earl' all of "s s!ar!ed a! a ver' 'o"ng age, cons!an!l' #eing reinforced !ha! #e!!er !han less* 2his does no! ind"lgences has ore !han ore is

ean s"ccess or grea!ness is no! acce.!a#le, #"! socie!' %i!h all i!s

ade "s in!er.re! average as "nacce.!a#le* O"r goals sho"ld #e for inner sa!isfac!ion

and res.ec!a#ili!' !ha! is sanc!ioned on #eing average* &ll of o"r s"ccesses "s! #e %i!hin o"r +s!a!e of li i!a!ion*, -e as individ"als "s! eas"re

o"r o%n #o"ndaries and :no% o"r o%n li i!a!ions* )ocie!' has "nconscio"sl' develo.ed a +s!a!e of h"nger, in %hich sa!isfac!ion canno! #e reached* 2he .ress"re %hich can #e defined as co .e!i!ion has #een hidden fro "s in !his s!ig a %e call average* /' avoiding +average, !hro"gh !his n"r!"red

co .e!i!ive s.iri!, %e find o"rselves over e3hilara!ed in o"r in!er.re!a!ion of s"ccess* )"ccess sho"ld #e !a:en in s!ride in o"r dail' lives* )ocie!' has no! defined reasona#le e3.ec!a!ions %ha! +average, is #"! has "sed average as a !ool !o li i! "s in achieving o"r goals* &verage sho"ld no! #e loo:ed a! as a .ercen!age, nor sho"ld i! #e loo:ed a! as a nor , #"! average is si .l' +a .eace of no ore !han less and no less !han ore* ind,, %here !here is