News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on The great self-esteem con. Parent comment

Re:The great self-esteem con by Clubber on Monday June 05, 2017 @10:22AM (#14487776)
I would imagine getting a 14th place ribbon is akin to having to wear a dunce cap.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The great self-esteem con by SAI_Peregrinus on Monday June 05, 2017 @03:14PM (#14490477)
Of course it depends on how many people are in the competition. It's not the absolute placement that matters, it's the percentile. Coming in 14th in a 20-kid elementary school class is poor (though someone has to). Coming in 14th place in the Tour de France is damn good. You might not win a medal but you'll probably get sponsorships from cycling equipment companies.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:The great self-esteem con by mars009 on Monday June 05, 2017 @04:42PM (#14491762)
To their eyes is bragging rights that you were able to get last. It wasn't long before medals for places below 1,2 & 3 were removed.

Kids are pretty smart (way smarter than some people/parents think they are) and they know how far they can go, and what they can get away with.

[ Parent | on HN ]