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AprilVanWynen
Ms.EParrish
English1010,1B
April6,2016
Summary/StrongResponse
Childrencannotbeanythingtheywant.Manyagreeonthesayingyoucanbe
anythingasanimaginationboosterforchildren.Tellingkidsthattheycannotachieve
theirdreamsstuntstheirimagination.Mostparentsclaimthatnotencouragingkidsis
cruelandcareless,butlittledotheyknowisthatthereismorethanonewayto
encouragegoalsanddevelopment.InallrealityifachildwantstobeSuperman,they
neverwill.Unlessit'ssomecostumecharacterataneventwhichtheydonothaveallthe
awesomepowerstherealSupermanhas.Therearemanyresourcesthatagree.
EricaReisherwritesanarticletitled
No,honey,youcantbeanythingyouwant
tobe.Andthatsokay.
PublishedbyTheWashingtonPost.

EricaReischer,amother
andapsychologist,writesanarticleaboutthefactthatthephraseYoucanbeanything
isnotalwaysthecase.Hookingtheaudiencesattentionwithasuperficiallycrude
introduction.ReischerstatesthatSnoopy,issuperlativeineverythinghedoes.Hence
thetitlesofhischosenoccupations:worldfamouslawyerandworldfamousgrocery
clerk.Reischerusedveryobjectivepointstogetherthoughtprocess.Thosebeing
pursuingoverlyambitiousgoalscanbeharmful.Thisisproventhroughstudiesthat
aretakenonemployeeswhohavesetstretchedgoalstomotivatehighperformance.The

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findingsarethatwhenthegoalisnotbeingreached,unethicalbehaviorincreases.
Reischerdiscussesthatwhenthecompanysethighquotas,hopingthatthiswillspur
stafftohighersaleandproductivity.Butwithfurtherinvestigationtheydiscoveredthat
staffwasoverchargingcustomersandrecommendingunessentialworktobedoneon
vehiclestomakeupforthelossofmoney.
Hersecondpointwasthatineverysuccessstorythereisaroleofchance.
ReischerrecognizesKahnemansstatement:skillisakeypartofsuccess,butwitha
predominantroleofchance.Formostitishardtounderstandthatnotonlyhardwork
isneededtosucceed.ShequotesKahnemansideathat,Success=Talent+Luck.Great
success=Alittlemoretalent+ALotofLuck.Reischerdoesrecognizethatthequote
fromSnoopysbookemphasizesimagination,butthereismorethanimaginingto
achievegoals:luck,skills,andtalent.Talentisnotlearned,itisnatural.Toconcludethe
article,Reischerrestatesherclaimsandcounterclaimsandmentionsthatnomatter
howthequoteiswordeditstillfallsshortofthehardworkandchanceinvolvedwith
beingsuccessful,andnotallformsofsuccessarethesame.Reischerstatesvery
reasonablearguments.Sheagreeswithstudiesthataredoneinprofessionalsettingsand
aNobelLaureateDanielKahneman.
Tellingkidstheycandoanythingwillnotmakethemsuccessful,thereareother
partsinachievingthatrole.Whenkidsaspiretobeasuperhero,andthentheirparents
encouragethat,yes,itexpandstheirimagination,butitfalsifiesreality.Supermannor
WonderWomanarereal.Thiersuperpowersareinhumaneandmadeup.Theyneedto

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worktowardrealisticandobtainablegoals.Eventhenhardworkanddedicationseemto
fallshort.
Averageresumesfallinferior.Theydonotcatchtheinterviewer'sattentionover
someoneelse'swhoseisloadedwithskillsandachievements.Although,achievements
donotsayeverythingaboutaperson,itismorelikelytocatchtheattention.Thatkind
ofattentiongrabbingforanaverageresumewillhavetohappenduringaninterview,
whichthatresumeislesslikelytogetatthatpoint.
Whenkidsareputunderpressureforgreatachievementtheyloseconfidenceand
becomeanxious.Theystarttopanicandresorttocheating.Thesetendenciesdonot
onlyoccurinadolescents,buttheyshowupinadultsaswell.Bythatpointitbecomes
harmfulandtheideaofbeingsupportivegetsoverpoweredbyreachingsuccess.As
proventherearemanywaysthatachievingsuccesscanbealtered.
Childrencannotbeanythingtheywant.Toachieveunrealisticgoalsthereneeds
tobemorethanexclusivelyhardwork.Childrenneedtohaveanideaofwhatis
acceptableintherealworld.Thatbeingsaidtheydonotneedtobebroughtdown,but
encouragedintherightways.Justbecausethestatementyoucanbeanythingfalsifies
realityforchildrendoesnotmeantherearenototherwaystoenhanceimaginationand
encouragement.

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WorksCited
Reisher,Erica.
No,honey,youcantbeanythingyouwanttobe.Andthatsokay:
TheWashingtonPost