He's a good man, he doesn't cheat on his woman.
Rewards for children who get A's and B's on their report card.
Pizza party for the students who get perfect attendance.
It occurred to me today that we as a society are in the habit of rewarding people just for doing what is right. A man who doesn't cheat on his woman shouldn't be anything special, that should be the standard, no reward needed. A child gets ice-cream for achieving A's and B's on a report card, but that isn't excellent (meaning, excelling past the norm) that is just normal, or at least it SHOULD be.
The problem is that we have let less-than good become the standard in so many arenas. This promotes the idea that just doing good means you are "doing something."
Prizes should be handed out for individuals that exceed good. Pizza parties should be for students who voluntarily stay after school for extra study, not those who come to school everyday as they should. If this were the case, people would excel, they would work to do great, knowing that good is what is expected. This would raise the bar of life.
Strive to be an A+, A's and B's are just par.
I agree. I was never rewarded for doing what is right, except with the natural succession of events after doing what is right - good results. I was taught that when you shoot for the superlative, you reach excellence. When you shoot for just OK, you reach mediocrity. Etc.
ReplyDelete@Lucy - definitely, the reward for doing what is right is further good down the road.
ReplyDeleteRewards promote the behavior to continue. It also says I know your trying really hard and I acknowledge that. Maybe not so much with the man but yes with students and so fourth!
ReplyDeleteI think rewards are in order when dealing with children. It teaches them morals and promotes doing the right thing. I don't think a man that doesn't cheat should necessarily be rewarded, he is an adult and knows the difference between right and wrong. I'm not going to reward you just because you honored our monogamy agreement, that's expected of you otherwise, we don't need to be in a "relationship". Now if you're going above and beyond for your woman, something that not EVERY brotha does, a reward or two may be in order ;)
ReplyDelete@Ex Fat Gurl & Kiianah - I can see how rewards may be needed for children...BUT, doesn't that cause them to feel like they should be rewarded for what they are supposed to do as adults? Or no?
ReplyDeletePerhaps it makes more sense for children to encourage them to practice good behavior. That's all.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! Rewards go for those who EXCEED expectations, not those who do what they are already expected to do! That's why there is such a sense of entitlement amongst people nowadays, people feel that they deserve a trophy for just showing up -___-
ReplyDeleteThat GOOD GOOD Blog
haha so true! unfortunately, the world we live in is so messed up :/
ReplyDelete