4 ms·
Overachiever is a loaded term. It has many negative connotations. As if someone went so far beyond achieving that they deserve to be despised for it. This type
by DrWumbo 7y ago
Overachiever is a loaded term. It has many negative connotations. As if someone went so far beyond achieving that they deserve to be despised for it. This type of rhetoric is often used to disparage Asian-Americans.
I enjoyed reading the different perspectives in the article, but I do wish they'd be more conscious about such terms.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- andykx 7y agoI'd never really considered the implications of that term before. There is a shockingly large segment of American society that feels pride in its own ignorance. I've had numerous discussions with family members, particularly those from rural areas, who flat-out deny statistical fact because "they know what's right in their heart" That being said, I think there is an analogue to these ideas in Asian cultures. I think Asian cultures can be similarly resistant to new ideas - particularly in social contexts (LGBTQ rights, as an example.)
- seanmcdirmid 7y agoThere are farmers in Asia that are similarly close minded, they just don’t tend to immigrate to the USA. There is a lot of selection bias that prevents generalizing immigrant experiences back to native ones.
- yitchelle 7y agoTotally agreement with you. Overachievering should not been seen as negative. As humans, we need to be overachievers, to better ourselves in what we are doing. Without the overachievers but achieving just enough, we will never improve. Furthermore, I have the feeling that negative connotations is more prevalent in western societies than it is eastern societies.