Meritocracy

[pinkytoe]

DD was thrown into the educational "meritocracy" of the city we left due to her participation in magnet programs from an early age. Over time as the city's population changed, it came to be that we were surrounded by a sea of strivers. We never could keep up with all the extracurriculars that her friend's parents pushed - getting up every morning at 5 am for swim or gymnastics practice, debate contests, overseas trips, specialized tutors, entrance exam coaching etc. Her best friend did all of that and ended up at Yale and Oxford. Her parents divorced shortly after she left to go to college and I imagine all the stress of raising master kids contributed. DD went to state university and then a masters program out of state. The irony is that now that she is back in her home city...even more highly educated, ardent strivers have arrived so finding a space at a good preschool for her twins has been a real challenge. Waiting lists for preschool??? It has been interesting for us moving to the middle of the country. Folks here for the most part are more average working class and not nearly as motivated (or can't afford) to be constantly striving. At first it perplexed me, but I now appreciate the difference in lifestyles.

[LDAHL]

DD was thrown into the educational "meritocracy" of the city we left due to her participation in magnet programs from an early age. Over time as the city's population changed, it came to be that we were surrounded by a sea of strivers. We never could keep up with all the extracurriculars that her friend's parents pushed - getting up every morning at 5 am for swim or gymnastics practice, debate contests, overseas trips, specialized tutors, entrance exam coaching etc. Her best friend did all of that and ended up at Yale and Oxford. Her parents divorced shortly after she left to go to college and I imagine all the stress of raising master kids contributed. DD went to state university and then a masters program out of state. The irony is that now that she is back in her home city...even more highly educated, ardent strivers have arrived so finding a space at a good preschool for her twins has been a real challenge. Waiting lists for preschool??? It has been interesting for us moving to the middle of the country. Folks here for the most part are more average working class and not nearly as motivated (or can't afford) to be constantly striving. At first it perplexed me, but I now appreciate the difference in lifestyles.

“Master kids”? That has a dystopian ring to it. Although I did hear one mother talk about the “Uber kinder” in her preschool.

[JaneV2.0]

It's almost necessary to be a desperate striver these days--there are only so many jobs one can support themselves decently on, due to sky-high costs of housing, health care, college loans. etc. I don't do striving well, so I guess I'm glad I missed that.

[bae]

It's almost necessary to be a desperate striver these days--there are only so many jobs one can support themselves decently on, due to sky-high costs of housing, health care, college loans. etc. I don't do striving well, so I guess I'm glad I missed that.

I'm curious how that works out though, in the end.

If nobody can afford housing, health care, food, cars, and so on - how does the economy function?

Who's living in all those houses that nobody can afford?

[JaneV2.0]

People who bought real estate when it was affordable, is my guess. Old people. I couldn't begin to buy my house today.

Maybe they'll leave their property (and the tax levies) to their offspring to fight over. How the economy functions with the increasing cost of necessities is an ongoing mystery to me.

[LDAHL]

I'm curious how that works out though, in the end.

If nobody can afford housing, health care, food, cars, and so on - how does the economy function?

Who's living in all those houses that nobody can afford?

Maybe the whole country will become like San Francisco, where frighteningly costly real estate is sited on streets that are veritable open sewers.

[Tradd]

Oh, the “it’s not fair” crap. Can’t have some people doing well because that will hurt the feelings of other people. That’s the mentality that did away with high school class rankings in some schools.

Let’s have everyone be mediocre. No incentive to work hard.

Jesus Christ. Some people.

[JaneV2.0]

There were class rankings?

[bae]

People who bought real estate when it was affordable, is my guess. Old people. I couldn't begin to buy my house today.

Has the demand for housing across the country outstripped the supply?

Or in some cases (as it is in my local community) is it that lots of people from Elsewhere think this is a Good Place To Live, and massively increase the demand/market for the homes that are here, and that are being constructed, and drive out the pre-existing population over time?

Who is living in all those super-high-priced San Francisco houses?

[LDAHL]

Who is living in all those super-high-priced San Francisco houses?

Visionary geniuses who figured out better ways to order pizza on your phone. And their lawyers.