A question of motives

[MaryKB]

I feel option B is going to provide you with your best memories. With A you might feel like everything's too easy, and you're not really contributing, and you may not be terribly involved with your team culture because you're sort of more of an afterthought. And with C I feel like you might be frustrated with failure. But I have a feeling on Team B, you're going to struggle but you'll probably get closer with your teammates, and you'll have memories of when you came together and had your mild successes, and you at least get a chance to participate more and have your turn. I guess I think it feels to me like you'd have your greatest balance of fun there.

 

[bernie14]

I dont think i am making any suppositions about the future, only considering, as per the hypothetical, a decision to be made in the present regarding a possible future outcome....am i misunderstading that the person in your hypothetical is anything more than a mediocre player?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I dont think i am making any suppositions about the future, only considering, as per the hypothetical, a decision to be made in the present regarding a possible future outcome....am i misunderstading that the person in your hypothetical is anything more than a mediocre player?

Well, they are good enough to make the squad at a top line college program, or be a recognized star at a low end program, so 'mediocre' might be a downplay. But it is safe to say they are not an NFL level talent and never will be. So, there really is no consideration outside of which way you think you will have a better college experience.

I think your first answer was great. To be part of a national championship, even a bit part, is a huge thing. Heck, I have very fond memories of a swim team winning a national championship and my only "part" is that I was the pool man that took care of their home pool.

I tried to design the question so that the challenge would come from all three choices being "good."

 

[bernie14]

Dont get me wrong, i liked mary's answer and find it very appropriate... my "narcissim argument" takes into account thr ability to recognize you are not that good, taking that into consideration regarding formulating plan b, and ok, if i know that i am not that great a football player, yet i "earned" a championship ring, then i can maximize my narcissistic need to be the best

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Dont get me wrong, i liked mary's answer and find it very appropriate... my "narcissim argument" takes into account thr ability to recognize you are not that good, taking that into consideration regarding formulating plan b, and ok, if i know that i am not that great a football player, yet i "earned" a championship ring, then i can maximize my narcissistic need to be the best

Makes sense. I suspect my narcissism runs in a different flavor, because I would lean at least to B, and maybe even C, for that "I am a star" feeling. Being in SoCal I've encountered a lot of people who have been involved in film and TV, and I can relate to a conversation that goes "wow, that movie was crap," "yeah, but I had top billing!" Not sure I'd go quite that far, but I can relate to it.

 

[CKS]

If I had the chance to be on a great team but never play or be on a lousy team and play every game, I'd pick the lousy team. Playing is fun. Trying to win is fun, but the fun is in the playing, not the winning or losing.

In fact, I did sort-of have this choice, though not about football, and I was a long way from pretty good. I went to a tiny school, choosing it over larger schools partly because I'd get to play soccer and run cross-country there. Our soccer team was poor enough that I looked good on it, and we lost a lot of games. I might have been good enough to warm the bench at one of the other schools, but it wouldn't have been nearly as fun.

 

[Birdjaguar]

College C gives you the chance to take a poor team to "greatness" and you will be able to contribute the most to others.
A is all about ego; B is meh.

 

[bernie14]

College C gives you the chance to take a poor team to "greatness" and you will be able to contribute the most to others.
A is all about ego; B is meh.

But does that have to do anything with the hypothetical given? What "greatness" are you talking about?

 

[Birdjaguar]

But does that have to do anything with the hypothetical given? What "greatness" are you talking about?

Not much, but being a star there makes you aspirational for the the losers.

 

[bernie14]

Not much, but being a star there makes you aspirational for the the losers.

Dont know, sounds a little.... martyr-y to me

 

[Hygro]

Option A:

In this scenario you go pro/sell tires either way. So for college you get to the very special experience of playing with some of the best other people in the game, alongside you, and get to experience why people play competitive sports in the first place (glory). You get to experience four years as a winner amongst your peers and are making your people proud.

 

[rah]

I always preferred to participate so it would have to be C.
If I'm just going to sit on the bench, why bother.

 

[Hygro]

Somehow I missed the part at the end of each paragraph where it said how much you play. HMMMMM now I'm not sure.

 

[Farm Boy]

A gives you a ring you can't wear around in public. Not to disrespect it, the bench makes good teams work. C's make the world work.

 

[The_J]

C - tis better to reign in hell than ride the pine in heaven

Yeah, that.

It's also better for your psychology. In option A you suck, in option C you are great. Doesn't matter that you're not getting anywhere in C, but in comparison you feel better.


One of my professors told that she was teaching for a while at the Ecole Polytechnique in France, one of the toughest universities worldwide. She said that some of the people there couldn't handle it. Because before they got there they were always the best in their respective class. Suddenly they were mediocre to bad, because the competition there was extreme. It wasn't good for everyone's mental health. I believe that, and think that option A would probably result in the same thing.

 

[rah]

Of course the real question is which one would help you do better with the ladies.
Isn't that the #1 reason for school as preached by the current regime?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Of course the real question is which one would help you do better with the ladies.
Isn't that the #1 reason for school as preached by the current regime?

I'm guessing the answer to this question is definitely option C.

 

[rah]

Maybe not. Do you want to come back to my room to touch my ring might be quite effective.

 

[bernie14]

Yeah, that.

It's also better for your psychology. In option A you suck, in option C you are great. Doesn't matter that you're not getting anywhere in C, but in comparison you feel better.


One of my professors told that she was teaching for a while at the Ecole Polytechnique in France, one of the toughest universities worldwide. She said that some of the people there couldn't handle it. Because before they got there they were always the best in their respective class. Suddenly they were mediocre to bad, because the competition there was extreme. It wasn't good for everyone's mental health. I believe that, and think that option A would probably result in the same thing.

I can see scenarios where the first part of your answer may apply.... but if you consider Ecole to be analogous to the nfl, the conclusion would be the opposite (you thought you were the best, but in reality, you were just mediocre, that's why you failed at the superior level)

 

[EgonSpengler]

At first, I thought School C would provide you the most fun social experience, being the star QB or whatever, you'd get invited to parties and whatnot. But then again, I started thinking that your sport might not be very prestigious on that campus, if your team is a trainwreck every year. I mean, my school had a football team - I think - and you wouldn't know who any of the players were. And I've been on teams that lose a lot. It doesn't feel noble. It doesn't feel like an opportunity for personal growth. otoh, being a barnacle on School A doesn't appeal to me, either.