That s why anyone who was qualified could get into a professional school and become a doctor or a lawyer. But all that s changed. Today s high school student is told that his future position in life depends on getting good professional training, that this depends on his getting into a good college, and that this in turn depends on his performing well in high school. And in college, professional schools are generally reluctant to take undergraduates with undistinguished grades. The competitiveness makes some of us bastards, said a senior.
People walk out of exams crying, fist fights break out in the hall.
Andrew Unger, a premedical student at Columbia, ran into his best friend who was jubilant over a grade of 84, well above the class mean. Unger mentioned that he d scored 98 on the same exam and found himself prostrate, blood trickling down his chin. Most large scale hierarchical organizations say they want bright innovative people, but what they really want are subordinates who will respect authority, work for years at low pay, and be loyal to higher ups. Management in all kinds of organization and at all levels has always been interested in internal motivators love of craft, commitment to doing a good job, identification with the success of the larger enterprise, and the rest. Managerial interest in such matters, however, has developed on a rather specialized basis.