The skills and lessons we learn from our academics and extra-curriculars can have many real-world applications. But Keith Lam tells us about one takeaway he says needs reconsideration.
Too many of us view the world as a zero-sum game. There are winners and there are losers. We see this in politics, business, academics, and especially sports.
Being an immigrant, there was pressure on me to meet the success criteria my parents set; high grades, top college, and good money-making profession. All academics, no sports, no band, no choir, no fun. There was only one way to win in life and that was it. I tried following that path, moving and switching jobs to make more money, but it did not feel like success to me. I thought, there must be another way to win in life. I switched careers from Engineering to Marketing and rekindled my passion for writing and being creative. I found another way to win and achieve happiness.
My son plays youth basketball and he has been in teams with coaches that push these kids to win at all costs. They could have played their best game–but lost–and they would be berated about losing. They are told you can either be a winner or a loser, nothing else.
Luckily, not all coaches and teams are like this and thankfully we have found some wonderful coaches that don’t adhere to this win at all cost mentality. They are excited at a loss when the team played well together and trusted each other. These coaches teach that personal involvement makes you a winner, so there are many winners, not just one.