Too many awards being given out?

Gintas writes:

Based on what you said in the entry on the “Culture of Awards,” I guess I won’t be giving you the award I’ve been meaning to give you.

LA replies:

I didn’t say awards were bad, only excess of awards.

Gintas replies:

Well, my award was “Best Blogger to Post/Host My Comments, First Week of March 2011.” Do you still want it?

LA replies:

That is definitely an example of an excess of award-giving.

- end of initial entry -

B.S. writes:

This “Culture of Awards” is secular society’s need to redeem their worth. There is nothing inherently wrong with recognizing achievement of the individual, but, as you allude to, it lends itself to ridiculous notions that make make recognition nearly meaningless. If everyone deserves an award, is it worth anything? It follows the lame expression that everyone is special, which means that no one is special. [LA replies: I think Bernard Shaw may have been the first person to state this idea. He believed in a “democracy of supermen.”]

I will offer an award—OneSTDV has resigned from blogging: “The Best Blogger to Unfortunately Resign in 2011.”

LA replies:

” … everyone is special, which means that no one is special.”

Bernard Shaw (known incorrectly in America as George Bernard Shaw) may have been the first person to state this idea. He believed—without irony—in transforming society into a “democracy of supermen.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 23, 2011 06:51 PM | Send