Do you believe EXCELLENCE is it's own reward?

[PlatinumGold]

in our society it seems that recognition for an act has become more important than the quality of the act itself.

society seems to say that excellence is meaningless unless it's recognized by others and you get credit for it.

hence, many people try to cheat in various ways, taking credit for something they didn't do etc.


anyway, just some random thoughts. is excellence it's own reward?

can it be excellence without recognition?

if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound?

😉

 

[T3C]

Depends on the person. To me excellence is its own reward.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Yes it is. But extra scholarship monies, recognition, etc. are nice too 😀

 

[Amplifier]

Recognition is just another form of compensation. Some people even prefer it to money!

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with recognition for an act, it really depends on the person though. There will be some that will be quiet and extremely modest by avoiding recognition while others will wait for the recognition, this could be because of many reasons including how much recognition they were given when they were younger.

Just depends on the person IMO, it may seem like society in general likes the recognition but that might just be because the people who do things without recognition go unnoticed 😉

 

[kogase]

Exellence is something of a reward, but recognition sure helps.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with recognition for an act, it really depends on the person though. There will be some that will be quiet and extremely modest by avoiding recognition while others will wait for the recognition, this could be because of many reasons including how much recognition they were given when they were younger.

Just depends on the person IMO, it may seem like society in general likes the recognition but that might just be because the people who do things without recognition go unnoticed 😉

i don't think i implied or said that i thought recognition was bad.

my problem is with the fact that the recognition has become more important than the act itself.

 

[JDrake]

yes
yes
yes

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: kogase
Exellence is something of a reward, but recognition sure helps.

in a perfect world, excellence is always recognized or comes thru.

even in an imperfect world, excellence tends to have a way of floating to the top.

again, my problem isn't with the recogntion but the fact that it seems to get more play than the excellence itself.

 

[fitzov]

I wish it were so, but it doesn't seem so; at least, not in this lifetime.

 

[Ronstang]

Excellence can be it's own reward depending upon the person but intrinsic rewards only go so far. Eventually any person will get tired of providing excellence without any extrinsic rewards. Society demands and strives for mediocrity and thus those who strive for excellence are punished almost daily.

 

[sandmanwake]

You can't eat excellence. I prefer money; excellence is just a side bonus.

 

[Squisher]

I must. I'm a union represented employee with no chance of seeing anything more than the solvency of my employer through my excellence and yet I can't help myself.

I couldn't look myself in the face if I thought I had given anything else.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Society demands and strives for mediocrity and thus those who strive for excellence are punished almost daily.

Wow and I thought I was pessimistic 😛
I'm the kind of guy if you ask "Is the glass half-empty of half-full?", I'll reply "It's broken".

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: WhoBeDaPlaya

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Society demands and strives for mediocrity and thus those who strive for excellence are punished almost daily.

Wow and I thought I was pessimistic 😛
I'm the kind of guy if you ask "Is the glass half-empty of half-full?", I'll reply "It's broken".

It's just twice as big as it needs to be.

I personally thrive on my own excellence, and when that disappears... well... a TSR detects excellence failed and initiates self_destruct.

I don't have to be recognized *at all* in some situations, but in others, I would really appreciate it, if only on rare occasion. Excellence is my own reward in many situations... the only problem is when others disagree, sinc excellence is subjective. 😉

 

[IronWing]

An excellent reward is its own reward.

 

[Evadman]

Yes

 

[bluewall21]

The quality of your own work is the only thing that can truly represent what you did, the reward can't.

In short, yes.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: WhoBeDaPlaya

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Society demands and strives for mediocrity and thus those who strive for excellence are punished almost daily.

Wow and I thought I was pessimistic 😛
I'm the kind of guy if you ask "Is the glass half-empty of half-full?", I'll reply "It's broken".

I'm not pessimistic at all, I am realistic. Most people are simply not that smart so mediocrity is the norm and when someone who is excellent throws that balance out of whack societal forces tend to protect mediocrity. If your boss is a dumbass and you are excellent you become a threat and you will be dealt with in one way or another. The mediocre hold the power and they protect themselves by punishing most people who are excellent....unless they can exploit them. The secret is learning how to use excellence to your own benefit without it destroying your spirit.

What most people identify as excellence is nothing more than mediocrity anyway. When your boss tells you that you are doing a great job what he is really saying is that you are meeting or exceeding expectations in a way that is non-threatening to him.