Hyper Masculinity in the US

[Yoshi]

Personally, I don't have a problem with participation trophies if done right. I remember growing up as an abnormally smart kid, having to do the bulk of the work in projects. There should be less focus on doing the best project, and more on getting everyone to work. Thats whats ruining the country. This idea that there is some better person out there that will fix all the problems, so everyone else can just sit on their ass. There needs to be less 'the best will lead the way' and more 'everyone needs to contribute and put forth some work, regardless of the amount they can contribute.'

Participating is the bare minimum, and that should never be rewarded. Life is a results business, and the goal should always be to be the best. Even winning teams need role players, so it's not necessarily to be an individual star but to do your job well. Those who don't participate (with the typical exceptions) should be shamed until they do, especially in the job market.

[Diff-chan]

Except, of course, that nobody needs to participate in little league. Are you going to go door-to-door to yell at the fatties who don't do it? I do not think it is wrong to give a kid credit for going out there and trying his best. That kid, win or lose, all-star or "participant", learns some valuable lessons he or she benefits from. That's what it is about, unless you're one of those asshole "sports dad"

[Yoshi]

Those lessons are their own reward. At some age before adulthood kids need to learn that there are winners and losers in life, and that they are largely responsible for deciding which one they are. We don't need another millennial snowflake generation, and I fear they won't be the worst for long.

[Diff-chan]

So the fact that people win and lose at little league games does not show that there are "winners and losers in life"? What do you think people should do, urinate on the faces of the losing team?

We don't need another millennial snowflake generation,

Well, we don't have the first one, so, I guess this is becoming an "old man yells at cloud" thread.

[Yoshi]

Sorry, but I am not aware of companies having to hire consultants to teach them how to deal with any prior generation.

[Diff-chan]

Sorry, but I am not aware of companies having to hire consultants to teach them how to deal with any prior generation.

Consultants have been around forever. Companies spend gazillions of dollars every year on hiring the best employees and managing them best. The whole "companies hire consultants to deal with millenials" is some derpy Business Insider bullshit.

[Yoshi]

This is only tangentially related to employment, but I love its reference to "helicopter parenting," which actually gets us back on topic as well.

[Diff-chan]

That article (I read it when it came out) is just some anecdotal cherry picking and throws in "millennial" because it gets hits from the old farts who wants kids to get off their lawn. Every generation thinks the generation that came after is shiftless and lazy. I work in a big company and I assure you that plenty of young folk in their 20's/30's are high-achieving, ambitious, dedicated people.

[Yoshi]

...anecdotal cherry picking... I work in a big company and I assure you that plenty of young folk in their 20's/30's are high-achieving, ambitious, dedicated people.

I'm not claiming it applies to 100% of the generation, but I do firmly believe this is real. My favorite simple example is making every kid wear a helmet to ride their bike. Absolutely no one did that when I was a kid. Maybe we're better off for having weeded out the ones who couldn't cut it.

edit: I would also expect that insurance companies are not where the snowflakes would tend to gravitate.

[Diff-chan]

The reason why I said that is to point out that "millenials" refers to what, tens of millions of people?

My favorite simple example is making every kid wear a helmet to ride their bike. Absolutely no one did that when I was a kid. Maybe we're better off for having weeded out the ones who couldn't cut it.

Yea nothing like potentially catastrophic head injuries amirite