Writing Major Diaries: Perception of Performance
I’ve noticed something about individual perception of performance lately. This week I started my summer classes and in my Argumentation and Advocacy class, our first discussion was to evaluate Aristotle’s influence on argumentation throughout history as well as his quote "For to a certain extent all men attempt to discuss statements and to maintain them, to defend themselves, and to attack others.". I took the time to complete the assignment to the best of my ability, I wanted to give it my all and maybe get away with sounding a little profound. I re-read my response before sending it in, smiling to myself and thinking this is one of the best things I’ve ever come up with. But then as soon as I hit the submit button, everyone else’s responses stared back at me. They were all longer, more complex, and thought deeper than I had. What I thought was my best work seemed like a piece of trash in comparison. It’s funny how you can be so proud of yourself one moment and in the next you are scolding yourself for being so surface level. That’s something I’m going to have to get used to as a writing major, some people tend to think deeper than others. That’s okay, though. But, me getting down on myself isn’t the point of this. Fast forward 24 hours and people had begun to respond to others’ posts, which meant I got a few responses to mine. I steeled myself for a rejection, for people telling me I should have thought deeper or come up with something more. Well, to my absolute surprise, they all loved the words I worked so hard to craft, the ones I once believed were something to be proud of. They each told me how refreshing my point of view was and wrote about how on point I was in my position. We are so hard on ourselves for not being just like all the others, when I think that would be an awful world to be a part of. We need other people around us so that we can all bounce ideas and opinions off of each other. Each person comes to the table with a unique point of view that helps the whole. Sometimes it’s not so much about right and wrong than different angles of the same outcome.
