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Steve QJ's avatar

"Now everyone is a winner. You get a trophy for showing up"

God yes, this attitude has broken the minds of so many people. They feel so entitled to feel good about themselves simply for showing up.

I watch videos on social media of millennials crying into the camera because they didn't get their way in a work meeting or they didn't get called by the special pronouns they wanted and I wonder how a cohort of adults so totally lacking in resilience will function in the world.

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Plocb's avatar

All participation trophies did for Gen X was make us cynical, not entitled.

I wonder if part of the reason we catastrophize so much is that we (in the west) don't have many of the real worries our ancestors did. So our tolerance for pain and discomfort has shrunk. And catastrophizing gives our life meaning; we can cast ourselves as victims of whatever oppressive power suggested we smile, or complimented our hair, or didn't say "Merry Christmas." And then comes the fun part: outrage!

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some guy's avatar

Boys like having a chance to win. "So your saying there's a chance" - Jim Carey, Dumb and Dumber

When everyone is a winner just or showing up, it really means that nobody can win and that bores many boys. They are constantly told to not seek winning. Girls are thrilled to fit in, but this is not the same motivator for many boys.

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some guy's avatar

I don't think I tied my comment in to yours very well, so I hope the connection of trying to win and earning respect is possible to imagine.

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