My last weekend was spent reading 33 college scholarship applications from some amazing kids.
They didn’t just volunteer, they started charities. They didn’t just have high GPAs, they were nationally recognized for science, debate or a jazz band currently playing Lincoln Center in New York. They were Eagle Scouts and all-state athletes.
It was difficult to narrow down to the 12 that would receive scholarships. However, there was a clear break-point in my scoring – kids that clearly stood above, having demonstrated depth, diversity, and a commitment to some passion.
I thought the committee review would be a 10-minute rubber stamp. Everyone would have come to the same conclusion, surely.
Except, not.
I found myself in some alternate universe with people arguing that some of these kids were “too good” and surely didn’t need the scholarship.
They probably already had a full ride. They were all-stars and therefore someone else had already done the recognizing. They were the popular, pretty girls that didn’t have a prom date because everyone assumed they were already taken.
I’ve seen this fallacy a lot when it comes to recognition. It goes like this:
But at what cost? Here’s what happens in that scenario …
Some would argue that it’s disheartening for the same person to always reap the rewards, but I would argue it’s more harmful if he/she doesn’t.
In this case, the equal distribution of recognition sinks all ships.
This was originally published on PeopleResult’s Current blog.
