Chris Bosh - Powerful Message

bke1984

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,143
I think we are singling out “smart,” but in reality the reason kids struggle is because they are different. In Chris’s case he was obviously around people who did not feel they were smart, so they singled him out for being different. The same thing happens to smart kids that were into something different than other smart kids. Kids do this...and have always done this...it typically starts around school age. They identify differences and single them out as something negative. Then somewhere along the line most people realize they want to be different...and things change. The message is great for sure, but it can be applied to so many situations kids deal with.
 

g0lftime

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,348
Weren't his patents educators. Strong family influence and values. Wish he had played a least one or two more years for us. That's an eternity for those kids with NBA potential. Guess they fear an injury in college or a drop in their draft status. I am glad he played for us but not a fan of the one and dones. Just let them go straight to pro ball. Finally caught up with Duke UK UNC and Kansas. Did Bosh ever come back to work on his degree? Would hope so. Very smart man.
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,952
Location
Vidalia
From my experiences, trials and travels; there is a set of Americans that dislike anyone who is better than them that started out at the same place. Because if your better at sports than me, smarter than me or richer than me; you worked harder and I see myself as lazy.

We had an assistant principle who followed my class from middle school through high school and over his 30 years of rural Georgia education, he said the most dangerous time for male kids is the 6th & 7th grade years. Had(s) nothing to do with hormones, but peer pressure. Straight A kids start failing. Solid B & C kids dropping out. It was (is) because those who were "smart" (hard workers) were seen as effeminate by the older kids they were hanging out with who did not reach their full potential as students. Same can be said for those who find religion or become clean, the group of people they leave behind resent them and make fun of them behind their back.

We all have different experiences, trials and travels, maybe you have seen otherwise, this is just what I've encountered.
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,616
From my experiences, trials and travels; there is a set of Americans that dislike anyone who is better than them that started out at the same place. Because if your better at sports than me, smarter than me or richer than me; you worked harder and I see myself as lazy.

From my experience managing adults in manufacturing environments to now teenagers as a teacher, my experience is that there are very few individuals who will confess to being lazy. They will instead insist others got ahead through luck, good fortune, chicanery or something else over which they themselves have absolutely no control.

The victim mindset starts young. "I could have made the team but the coach doesn't like me." " I am failing math because Miss XYZ doesn't explain things well" (ignoring the fact that everyone else in the class is making A's or B's. "I didn't go to college because my family wasn't wealthy" etc.

I have said this before but the biggest takeaway I have from being in education is that I no longer pat myself on the back for the things I have accomplished. I realized now that I had the good fortune of having good parents who would not accept excuses from me. Granted, I did what I could with the opportunities afforded me but I was dealt a good hand and I don't mean economically. My father was an electrician who learned his trade in the Navy and Mom was a stay at home mom.

I have seen too many kids start life without that stable foundation and the few who can overcome this obstacle are extremely rare indeed. BTW, bad parenting is found across the economic spectrum. It is not limited to the poor in our society. My experiences at a very expensive private school has taught me that.
 

TooTall

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,952
Location
Vidalia
From my experience managing adults in manufacturing environments to now teenagers as a teacher, my experience is that there are very few individuals who will confess to being lazy. They will instead insist others got ahead through luck, good fortune, chicanery or something else over which they themselves have absolutely no control.

The victim mindset starts young. "I could have made the team but the coach doesn't like me." " I am failing math because Miss XYZ doesn't explain things well" (ignoring the fact that everyone else in the class is making A's or B's. "I didn't go to college because my family wasn't wealthy" etc.

I have said this before but the biggest takeaway I have from being in education is that I no longer pat myself on the back for the things I have accomplished. I realized now that I had the good fortune of having good parents who would not accept excuses from me. Granted, I did what I could with the opportunities afforded me but I was dealt a good hand and I don't mean economically. My father was an electrician who learned his trade in the Navy and Mom was a stay at home mom.

I have seen too many kids start life without that stable foundation and the few who can overcome this obstacle are extremely rare indeed. BTW, bad parenting is found across the economic spectrum. It is not limited to the poor in our society. My experiences at a very expensive private school has taught me that.

I agree 100%, and I didn't mean to say they come out and say they are lazy, but rather a self awareness that they are underachievers i.e. lazy.
And then of course there are a TON of Uncle Rico's out there.

Uncle Rico GIF by memecandy
 

alagold

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,501
Location
Huntsville,Al
"It's okay to be smart??????". It's sad (to me) that we live in a day and age where this message has to be preached to our young people.

A friend of mine taught at a high school that an end of yr student rally ,they cheered the dumb fball QB and booed the Valedictorian. -'nuff said
 
Top