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Do you have children? I do. I still subscribe to your ideals or at least mostly follow them. But for lack of playing such games, I saw my children’s opportunit

Do you have children? I do. I still subscribe to your ideals or at least mostly follow them. But for lack of playing such games, I saw my children’s opportunities slip away.

BeetleB 11mo ago
My kids are not that old, so it hasn't come to a head yet. I presume you're talking about school performance - particularly closer to high school? At the same time, we may need to adjust our baseline on what we call "opportunities". I've lived in other countries, and one of the nice things about the US is how uncompetitive school is. One could (and likely still can) get into a decent "average" university without much difficulty. In other countries, not so. You could be in the top 10% academically and end up in a really low quality university. I would understand playing such games there.
- diogenescynic 11mo ago
  >I've lived in other countries, and one of the nice things about the US is how uncompetitive school is. One could (and likely still can) get into a decent "average" university without much difficulty. In other countries, not so. You could be in the top 10% academically and end up in a really low quality university. I would understand playing such games there. The difference is you're going to pay nosebleed prices or take out extortionate student loans in the US.
  - BeetleB 11mo ago
    Yes, but you get to go. In plenty of other countries, there are far fewer seats than students graduating from high school. Being merely above average means no college degree. (Well, except they also have private schools, but the cost to income ratio is much higher there than here).
    - lupire 11mo ago
      Whats the ratio? Private 4-year college per year in US costs more the median family income per year
      - BeetleB 11mo ago
        > Private 4-year college per year in US costs more the median family income per year Yes, but it's easier to get into a public university in the US. In those countries, it's the reverse. Very hard to get into a public university. Private ones mostly exist not for quality, but to cater to rich folks who could not get into a public university. Which means that in those countries, unless you're quite rich, your only chance is to study like crazy to get into a public university. And by crazy - I know people who didn't do anything but study in the last two years of high school. As soon as they get home from school they'd hit the books, taking breaks only for food. The entrance exams would require an intense amount of memorization. A random data point: In one country, to get into an MBA program, the entrance exam would ask number theory problems. Not because it's at all related to MBA - they just need to make it harder to filter out more candidates - they simply don't have enough seats. As for the ratio, I'm sure it's several multiples of the median, because the median is almost poverty level. But it's not a relevant metric, because most of those folks don't even get to finish high school - their economic conditions make them quit to work - the family needs money.
- lupire 11mo ago
  We are being vague here about "quality" and "average", by in the US, about 15% attend 2-year junior colleges, and about 50% attend 4-year colleges. About half of those 4-year college students are earning degrees that are mostly filler and would be 2-year colleges plus remedial and/or fluff courses. USA has a very weird college industrial complex. China, meanwhile is undergroing a massive push to send a majority of the population through some form of college or another.
meindnoch 11mo ago
"A married man with a family will do anything for money." - Charles Maurice De Talleyrand
- cindyllm 11mo ago
  [dead]
skeeter2020 11mo ago
>> But for lack of playing such games, I saw my children’s opportunities slip away. Examples? I most certainly don't play these games and believe my kids are further along in developing the most valuable, lasting characteristic: grit. So many things in life require you to grind, and the only way to gain this is to practice.
- serf 11mo ago
  >So many things in life require you to grind, and the only way to gain this is to practice. getting a kid who doesn't deserve entry to pass a prestige university with as little effort as possible is an effort to short-circuit that concept. many games to play in this world.
- drivebyhooting 11mo ago
  Children were passed up for elementary school admissions. Whereas the schmoozers and their kids got in. I can’t provide proper education and practice. There is no grit or grind. They’re just falling further and further behind the ones who actually got access to good schools and teachers. One who tested highly gifted (145 IQ) after years of educational neglect now tests at 120. It’s pathetic. And even if I spend all my time and money I cannot reverse the decline.
  - sleazebreeze 11mo ago
    Schmoozers learned grit and grind? That's opposite of my experience and observations. What role do you play in the educational neglect? I am not sure I understand the decline here.
    - BeetleB 11mo ago
      > What role do you play in the educational neglect? Not the person you're responding to, but that's uncalled for. There are many variables that go into a child's development. The parents are merely one of them. They can do their best and things can still go south.
alexashka 11mo ago
Opportunities to be among the insufferable nepo baby cohort? The most revealing example of this was when I found out how many of UK's 'elite' school children were molested, grew up and proceeded to do everything they can to make sure their children attend these very same 'elite' schools. Western culture is beyond repair.

Do you have children? I do. I still subscribe to your ideals or at least mostly follow them. But for lack of playing such games, I saw my children’s opportunities slip away.

BeetleB 11mo ago

My kids are not that old, so it hasn't come to a head yet. I presume you're talking about school performance - particularly closer to high school? At the same time, we may need to adjust our baseline on what we call "opportunities". I've lived in other countries, and one of the nice things about the US is how uncompetitive school is. One could (and likely still can) get into a decent "average" university without much difficulty. In other countries, not so. You could be in the top 10% academically and end up in a really low quality university. I would understand playing such games there.

diogenescynic 11mo ago
>I've lived in other countries, and one of the nice things about the US is how uncompetitive school is. One could (and likely still can) get into a decent "average" university without much difficulty. In other countries, not so. You could be in the top 10% academically and end up in a really low quality university. I would understand playing such games there. The difference is you're going to pay nosebleed prices or take out extortionate student loans in the US.
- BeetleB 11mo ago
  Yes, but you get to go. In plenty of other countries, there are far fewer seats than students graduating from high school. Being merely above average means no college degree. (Well, except they also have private schools, but the cost to income ratio is much higher there than here).
  - lupire 11mo ago
    Whats the ratio? Private 4-year college per year in US costs more the median family income per year
    - BeetleB 11mo ago
      > Private 4-year college per year in US costs more the median family income per year Yes, but it's easier to get into a public university in the US. In those countries, it's the reverse. Very hard to get into a public university. Private ones mostly exist not for quality, but to cater to rich folks who could not get into a public university. Which means that in those countries, unless you're quite rich, your only chance is to study like crazy to get into a public university. And by crazy - I know people who didn't do anything but study in the last two years of high school. As soon as they get home from school they'd hit the books, taking breaks only for food. The entrance exams would require an intense amount of memorization. A random data point: In one country, to get into an MBA program, the entrance exam would ask number theory problems. Not because it's at all related to MBA - they just need to make it harder to filter out more candidates - they simply don't have enough seats. As for the ratio, I'm sure it's several multiples of the median, because the median is almost poverty level. But it's not a relevant metric, because most of those folks don't even get to finish high school - their economic conditions make them quit to work - the family needs money.
lupire 11mo ago
We are being vague here about "quality" and "average", by in the US, about 15% attend 2-year junior colleges, and about 50% attend 4-year colleges. About half of those 4-year college students are earning degrees that are mostly filler and would be 2-year colleges plus remedial and/or fluff courses. USA has a very weird college industrial complex. China, meanwhile is undergroing a massive push to send a majority of the population through some form of college or another.

meindnoch 11mo ago

"A married man with a family will do anything for money." - Charles Maurice De Talleyrand

cindyllm 11mo ago
[dead]

skeeter2020 11mo ago

>> But for lack of playing such games, I saw my children’s opportunities slip away. Examples? I most certainly don't play these games and believe my kids are further along in developing the most valuable, lasting characteristic: grit. So many things in life require you to grind, and the only way to gain this is to practice.

serf 11mo ago
>So many things in life require you to grind, and the only way to gain this is to practice. getting a kid who doesn't deserve entry to pass a prestige university with as little effort as possible is an effort to short-circuit that concept. many games to play in this world.
drivebyhooting 11mo ago
Children were passed up for elementary school admissions. Whereas the schmoozers and their kids got in. I can’t provide proper education and practice. There is no grit or grind. They’re just falling further and further behind the ones who actually got access to good schools and teachers. One who tested highly gifted (145 IQ) after years of educational neglect now tests at 120. It’s pathetic. And even if I spend all my time and money I cannot reverse the decline.
- sleazebreeze 11mo ago
  Schmoozers learned grit and grind? That's opposite of my experience and observations. What role do you play in the educational neglect? I am not sure I understand the decline here.
  - BeetleB 11mo ago
    > What role do you play in the educational neglect? Not the person you're responding to, but that's uncalled for. There are many variables that go into a child's development. The parents are merely one of them. They can do their best and things can still go south.

alexashka 11mo ago

Opportunities to be among the insufferable nepo baby cohort? The most revealing example of this was when I found out how many of UK's 'elite' school children were molested, grew up and proceeded to do everything they can to make sure their children attend these very same 'elite' schools. Western culture is beyond repair.