The Results of Feel-Good-ism

Here is a fascinating article, applicable to my generation, where self-esteem education has taken precedence over academics.

“[S]elf-esteem is important to healthy development . . . But empty praise – the kind showered on many kids years ago in the name of self-esteem – did more harm than good.”

Examples: Every kid gets a trophy, regardless of their sports performance. Teachers are taught the evils of using red ink, because it will allegedly hurt kids’ feelings. (Some also say grammar and spelling errors should be overlooked for the same reason.)

This, according to the article, has resulted in these kids growing up with an inflated sense of self, and also an inability to cope with the real world (i.e., college and the work force) where at first moment of constructive criticism, they crumble.