William Deresiewicz, former professor at Yale University and author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life spent almost an hour and thirty minutes last Thursday highlighting the inherent problems in elite education. Deresiewicz spoke at length about the problematic environment created by elite colleges, from the hyper-competitive culture of resume building to the disturbing mental health statistics.
There was something paradoxical about William Deresiewicz’s talk. It was both revelatory, yet familiar; eye-opening, yet commonplace. His words stirred controversy but at the same time, many in the audience knew the message.
According to Deresiewicz, elite universities and colleges produced “excellent sheep.” By excellent sheep, he meant students who, while highly intelligent and capable of finding high-wage jobs and positions after graduation, were clueless when it came to confronting deeper questions about purpose or fulfillment. Students at selective colleges, according to Deresiewicz, were able to score internships, get into stellar graduate programs, and obtain a life of career and monetary success, yet were left clueless about leading fulfilling lives or contemplate identity and purpose.
As I listened to his talk, I found myself agreeing with many of his points.
I did, at times, feel the sheer pressure to participate in clubs, excel academically, apply for internships, and attempt to crank in half an hour of exercise before going to bed, yet felt that this pressure was more harmful than healthy. I did (and still do) feel at times like I am drowning under expectations to succeed, to get a job, major in something “practical.”
And while I’m thrilled to be studying in a major that provides me with the opportunity to tackle important questions about morality, virtue, and life, at times I have felt that I can’t find the time to sit down and talk about it, that time I spent discussing Dante is time I should be spending filing an internship application or attending a club meeting. While I certainly won’t claim that my experience speaks for everyone at Notre Dame (or even the majority of people) I recognize that I can’t be the only person who feels that this culture of super success and job searches sucks out part of our souls, and leaves us little time to reflect on who we want to be and what we really want to do about our lives.
I also really appreciated Deresiewicz’s reflection on his disdain for the concept “leader.” He discussed how many students were told about the importance of leadership and colleges actively recruited student “leaders,” yet had no clue what they wanted to become leaders of. He compared it to learning how to jump through hoops, basically learning how to excel within an academic setting, yet being unprepared to understand what they wanted to lead, or pinpoint what they hoped to ignite.
As a shy, relatively introverted person, I definitely breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
I’ve always felt that the pressure to be in leadership positions. I believe that while in high school and college we’re encouraged to become “future leaders,” we are encouraged to do so more often so that we can stand out rather than because we feel compelled to lead or take charge of an important cause. While leadership is important, the overwhelming push to be a leader is counterproductive, and tends to create an elitist view of who does and who does not provide the greatest contributions to society.
Deresiewicz’s description of selective universities and colleges was more descriptive of a problem in society than anything else. The pressure and expectation for success within elite colleges was reflective of a society concerned with material wealth and production, rather than one concerned with the whole person.
Though he did not discourage students from applying to or attending elite colleges (I mean, he was presenting a talk at one), he did encourage students to find ways to create a new culture, one that prized fulfillment rather than a career, and one that was dedicated to creating holistic citizens, rather than aimless leaders. He advocated returning to free, public education and creating a society that valued the liberal arts and the answers it provides us about life.
I love Notre Dame, my major, and the friends and opportunities I have received because I have attended Notre Dame. I believe my time at Notre Dame has provided me with the opportunity to reflect on my life and identity.
Yet I recognize that Deresiewicz raises question and issues that speak not only of elite institutions, but of our culture as a whole. I think we really need to debate and discuss what we really hope to get out of our education, and reflect on whether we want to come out of college with a job offer, or with an understanding of the bigger, deeper questions about life, love, and fulfillment.
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