I've been learning a pretty interesting lesson lately through teaching- so many people these days have very little sense of responsibility for themselves. People who expect you to help them out or to go out of your way for them when they demonstrate no initiate of their own. For example, students who don't start a project until the day before it's due and expect me to drop everything ot help them, or the student who didn't know we're having an exam (on the syllabus since day 1) and expects me to give them a make-up test later.
What lessons are kids learning these days? I fear it's that they are entitled to what they want and that others should do whatever it takes to make them happy. Success isn't achieved by getting what you want, when you want it, it's achieved by taking responsibility for your own actions and working hard.
You can see this same thing at play all around you- people who want others to help them, but aren't willing to work or take responsibility. I think the Habitat model has it right- we'll help you own your own home, but you are going to be responsibile by paying for it and putting your own "sweat" equity into the house. That's more like teaching a man to fish, as opposed to giving him a fish, when he feels like he's entitled to that fish.
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2 comments:
Not the teaching a man to fish metaphor. How lame.
I would like to address the last paragraph of this BLOG by saying that I agree with its message. I think that people will take care of their belongings most when they have, as you phrased it, "sweat equity" in the object. It's almost unfair to give a person something when you know they don't understand it's value or what it took to produce it. How can they be expected to care for the possession properly. This could be considered the backbone of capitalism. Give every piece of capital an owner (someone who sweat to own it) and that owner will ensure that the capital is properly cared for. If you let the government own the capital, there is no real owner. No one will take the responsiblity to ensure it is properly cared for. This inevitably results in wasted capital. What do you think Jamie?
-Andy Speight
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