BRUNSWICK SCHOOL
DECEMBER 2011
MONTHLY MAILING A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER The “Greatest Generation” vs. the “Trophy Generation” It seems to me, people are increasingly willing to blame others for the occasional setbacks which inevitably befall them. From my perspective as an educator, I understand that we all get frustrated when things don’t go the way we would like them to go, but my curiosity is not derived from that inherently human trait. Rather, I am struck with a sense that I cannot shake (which I acknowledge may be unfounded or ill-informed) that there is actually more “blaming-of-others” going on than there used to be. So often in the news (more often the local variety than the national) we see people to whom bad things have happened (often terrible things) and so often it is clear that the victim is looking for someone or something to blame. Storms, accidents, bad luck are often the cause of much suffering. I expect that has always been true. How Americans are handling these setbacks seems somewhat different, however, than in past generations. Specifically, we seem less able and less resilient in dealing with the setbacks that come our way. Setbacks - some that, in hindsight we might have avoided as well other setbacks that we could do nothing to avoid. No matter the cause, setbacks so often now seem to be met with an attitude of outrage instead of resilience; an expression of injustice as opposed to determination to set things right. Stoicism, fighting spirit, the New England “work ethic” or even what the British used to call a “stiff upper lip” seems to be harder and harder to come by these days. Several weeks ago, we held an Upper School Assembly for Louis Zamparini (of Unbroken fame) and although Mr. Zamparini was ill and unable to attend, he was represented by former Olympian John Naber who addressed the boys and answered their questions. One question from a freshman was whether Mr. Zamparini felt the current generation of youth could handle the challenges which Mr. Zamparini himself overcame. The answer: a resounding, “I doubt it.” Clearly, Mr. Zamparini’s sense was that today’s youth are far less able to absorb and deal with setbacks and that our nation is suffering and will continue to suffer as a result. All this leads back to Brunswick School in that high on the list of important lessons that we want our boys to learn is the essential nature of self-reliance and resilience. History has proven and will prove again that blaming others has a relatively modest track record of success. Perseverance, on the other hand, is the foundation of many a great success story. Zamparini was a part of what Tom Brokaw coined as the “Greatest Generation,” the generation that persevered through the Great Depression and fought and won WWII for our country. We have to work hard to make sure that our boys don’t become part of the “Trophy Generation,” that generation that is always used to winning, to getting a trophy whether they win or lose, to being often praised and rarely encouraged to be better. So often today, when things don’t go just right for a person, the most obvious sentiment that is expressed is one of surprise; surprise that life can, at times, be hard; surprise that there isn’t a trophy out there for every level of performance; surprise that there isn’t an easy fix to complex problems . . . and most of all, surprise that it might be more up to them to improve their situation than for others to fix it for them. At Brunswick, may our boys always learn and strive to overcome setbacks rather than allowing themselves the indulgence of self-pity. It isn’t the fact that bad things happen from time to time that will define them (as that experience is true for everyone). Rather it is how they face those challenges that will ultimately set them apart for the better.