Equality of Excellence
Modern society is pushing a concept of equality of excellence. Equality of excellence is an oxymoron.
Modern society keeps changing the definition of words. And it’s starting to get on my nerves.
Language is a living thing. New words and phrases are created, others fade away. Words are borrowed and passed around, mixed with other words to describe new ideas and circumstances. People appropriate words for causes, wield words for power, and if all else fails, just change the meaning of the word entirely.
Modern society keeps changing the definition of words. And it’s starting to get on my nerves.
I love language. It has been a fascination of mine since youth. My parents came from different countries and spoke different languages. Studying, traveling, and living in Babel will show you that just walking across the street can require a translator.
Certain words have the same meaning in any language. Not the same sound, the same meaning. Mother, father, apple, giraffe. It might be called something different, but they are all talking about the same thing. Say the word, point to it, or even a picture of it, and there is comprehension.
There is no difficulty in translating tangible things. The challenge – and failure – is in the abstract.
How many times have we heard the phrase “lost in translation”? Or been told “there’s no word in English for that” about some colloquialism? At one point, I understood enough American Sign Language to know that the interpreter was leaving out the majority of the spoken words. Interpreters are tasked with condensing the message into potent communication. Effective interpreters are expressive and communicate through the entire body, not just the hands.
Those of us who rely only on words are at a disadvantage.
None of this takes into account slang or subcultural jargon. Some words become mainstream and translate. A “dude”, “guy”, or “bloke” is a tangible. Those words will probably never disappear. For every word or phrase that mainstreams, countless more go into the history books or disappear completely.
We all know that slang is slang. We all accept that jargon is need-to-know. I grew up in a military family and live in a military town. How many times have any of us heard, “If you don’t know what it means, it doesn’t apply to you”? We choose not to clutter our lives and minds with things that don’t apply to us.
But what about the words that do? How about the words that apply to us at one point, and then later, at no fault or effort of our own, suddenly mean something else? What about words that represent long accepted concepts until the day we are told the concept has changed?
I’m not talking about words that have already made the transition: server, gay, cloud, thong. I’m talking about words currently under threat. Words like “winner”.
What is a winner? Someone who wins. Someone who excels at an endeavor and comes out on top of the ratings.
No. A winner is anyone who shows up.
What is a hero? The dictionary defines hero as “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character; a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.”
No. A hero is anyone who does the job or thing that we won’t do ourselves. Certain career paths are “hero” by default. Again, just show up.
Aspiration is “a strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition; a goal or objective that is strongly desired.” My entire life, an aspiration was something good and wholesome and desirable. Aspiration is how humanity flourishes.
No. Aspirations are bad. People with aspirations think they are better than the rest of humanity. Aspiration leads to inequality, disappointment and resentment. It hurts the feelings of the other people who showed up.
This list goes on and on.
More and more we see the words that represent abstract concepts twisted to suit the needs of the message. But what message are they really sending? Using only these three quick examples indicates that our standards of excellence have changed. Anyone or thing is excellent. Just exist. Just show up. But if you put any effort into your excellence, if you believe excellence has its own definition, and that means being *better*, then how dare you. To believe in individual excellence, you must be brave.
Perhaps the most disturbing fact is that these words, these abstract concepts, really boil down to values. As we change these definitions, we change the underlying values.
You have a decision to make. Whose definition of excellence are you going to accept? Whose values are you going to embrace? How are you going to live your life?
I challenge you to listen – really listen – to the words that swirl around you in the course of a single day. Take in the context, determine the meaning, decide if you agree. What is your definition of winner, hero, or aspiration? What is your definition of excellence? If what you hear does not match what you believe, then consider the values.
Does a participation ribbon make someone a winner? Is someone a hero just for riding a fire truck instead of a garbage truck? Is it a bad thing to feel you should be rewarded for effort?
Don’t be afraid to have aspirations, to play to win, to strive for excellence. Demand more from your heroes. Make them earn your admiration and work harder yourself to earn the admiration of others.
Remember when people used to say, “No one gives you anything, you have to work for it”? In an irony where some work just as hard to prove this wrong, it’s more important than ever to remember.
Modern society is pushing a concept of equality of excellence. Equality of excellence is an oxymoron. Everyone is a winner until a new challenge comes along. When it does, someone will need to be the winner. A real winner, not just someone who showed up. Someone who knows what the words really mean. Someone who put in the effort.
Don’t be afraid to be that someone. Be ready to be that someone.
Be a winner. Be excellent. Be brave.
Originally published January 5, 2018 and updated August 29, 2024.