Being judged a "success" in a mediocre culture

[Hannah Bell]

I like this - comes from George Carlin's last interview:

"Lily Tomlin once said, and I am going to get this wrong so it’s a paraphrase, she said to be considered a success in a mediocre culture doesn’t say a lot for you."

For some reason, that resonates with me tonight.

Perhaps it has something to do with going back to an altered reality in the NYCDOE where I will now only be considered a "success" as a teacher if I "add value" to my students' test scores as judged by Kleinberg, Barack Obama, Whitney Tilson or some journalists at the Wall Street Journal or the LA Times.

http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2010/09/quote-for-day.html

[Odin2005]

1. K&R. Great post!

[bobbolink]

2. Somehow, being a professional bad example in a corrupt society is a lot more attractive.

:hi:

[Crazy Dave]

3. The city I live in gives their employees awards just for showing up for work

No exaggeration.

[liberalmuse]

4. Any culture that values CEO's over Teachers is basically fucked.

To put it bluntly. We have the wrong values. Some things can't be measured by dollar signs, but they are more important in the long run. Go figure? Although I was raised by an ultra religious mother, she taught me compassion, and what is really important in life, and it didn't involve fucking people over so you could make shitloads of money you'll never be able to spend.

[RKP5637]

5. Yep, there are few successes in todays mediocre culture, only mostly failures rewarded as

successes and IMO now morphing into more a sociopathic culture than a mediocre culture as a result of a capitalistic economy going off the deep end.

[Forkboy]

6. The day this society considers me a success is the day that I eat the barrel of a gun.

[bobbolink]

7. First I laughed at your words, then I cried.

This is all waaay beyond funny... this is tragic.

We MUST come together as humans and forge strong relationships that can fight this shit!

"....what Paulo Freire described as 'a world in which it will be easier to love'(Freire 1989, p. 24."

[Forkboy]

8. That's my life in a nutshell.

Waaay beyond funny.

I could say a lot in response to this post, and the quote provided. Instead I'll just say that I appreciate the thought more than you'll ever know.

:hug:

[bobbolink]

9. I'm really sorry. Its the really good people who are suffering, and that makes me so

ANGRY!

I'm beyond livid.

People whose skills and gifts are squandered.... whose integrity is shit on.....

I laughed because the first part of your words was so much like Groucho Marx, and I feel that way to the very depth of my soul.

But you sobered me up really quick with your ending... THAT is what is the CRIME of this whole mess... the good people, the people with heart, the people who live the real meaning of compassion... THOSE. Are. The. People. Being. LOST.

This cannot stand!

While visiting my Dine' friend, I spoke with an elder who told me with great sadness that this last school year, in their small community on the rez, 6 (SIX!) Indian high school students killed themselves just before the end of the school year.

SIX!

That is a huge tragedy in any community, but this is a small town, and that is a large chunk of their future.

Because of hopelessness.

I really want all of us to go down fighting, yet..... I cannot demand that anyone suffer one minute more than what they can handle.

btw... that quote was from a book recommended by a DUer... "Toward Psychologies Of Liberation". It is one of the most touching and affecting books I have gotten my hands on in the last 20 years!

Be good to YOURSELF, Forkboy... we MUST come together! The isolation is literally killing us!

:hug:

[Forkboy]

11. Just caught me on an off day.

I'm actually fine.

I'll look for this book. I could use it.

Thank you for being you. You mean more to me than you'll ever know. :hug:

[Orsino]

10. When the society in question selects for shallowness, greed and callousness...

...few of its leaders will be worthy of emulation.

Good thing that's not happening here.

[Karenina]

12. Krishnamurti said

"Being well-adjusted in a profoundly sick society is NOT a sign of good health."

[bobbolink]

13. LOVE it! It is so true, that I want the bumpersticker!

The book, Towards Psychologies Of Liberation goes into detail about this very subject, and I highly recommend it!

Here is another Krishnamurti quote I love:

"Charity is the filthiest invention of the human mind: first you steal what belongs to everyone; then you use the policeman and the atom bomb to protect it. You give charity to prevent the have-nots from rebelling against you. It also makes you feel less guilty. All do-gooders feel 'high' when they do good."
U. G. Krishnamurti