3 ms·

This is just Goodhart's law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure" - the tests and grades and community service hours were all good

This is just Goodhart's law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure" - the tests and grades and community service hours were all good correlations for good performance, but once optimized for, you're getting the people who optimized for those traits, not the people who found those traits useful towards further goals. The people who took on community service hours because it helped them understand the less fortunate and taught them skills and the value of hard work will succeed. The people who took on community service hours because they were a requirement on a resume will not. (Of course, for some definition of success - most of both groups will likely be successful at life, but I'll bet that the median, mean, and mode happiness for the latter group are higher)

astazangasta 8y ago
I took on community service hours because it was a requirement on a resume. Looking back at my younger self I'm disgusted that I did that, and disgusted that I was a part of a culture that encouraged that sort of calculated, self-serving motivation for public service. However, I still did the community service hours, and it exposed me to places and things I wouldn't have known or seen otherwise. Similarly with standardized testing - I was very into studying for standardized testing because my parents put it into my blood that this is what I ought to do. So I took the tests, got perfect scores, got into an elite school. But I also learned a ton of math and science as a result of that study. So, while it's true that getting into an elite school means playing a certain game, the game is not entirely without value.
- GauntletWizard 8y ago
  You've got a really good point - you can learn something from those experiences even if you do them for the wrong reasons. I don't think your case is the common one, but nor is it rare. I guess, colleges want people who could have learned those lessons. Exposure is a requirement. Unfortunately, they've not been really good at telling whether the lessons are learned.

astazangasta 8y ago

I took on community service hours because it was a requirement on a resume. Looking back at my younger self I'm disgusted that I did that, and disgusted that I was a part of a culture that encouraged that sort of calculated, self-serving motivation for public service. However, I still did the community service hours, and it exposed me to places and things I wouldn't have known or seen otherwise. Similarly with standardized testing - I was very into studying for standardized testing because my parents put it into my blood that this is what I ought to do. So I took the tests, got perfect scores, got into an elite school. But I also learned a ton of math and science as a result of that study. So, while it's true that getting into an elite school means playing a certain game, the game is not entirely without value.

GauntletWizard 8y ago
You've got a really good point - you can learn something from those experiences even if you do them for the wrong reasons. I don't think your case is the common one, but nor is it rare. I guess, colleges want people who could have learned those lessons. Exposure is a requirement. Unfortunately, they've not been really good at telling whether the lessons are learned.