Participation Trophies Are How We Win This Pandemic.
I’ve thought a lot about the concept of Us v. Them over the course of the last several years, starting with my work at an AI (augmented or artificial intelligence) company. The “mad” scientist who was the brilliance behind our AI was the first to introduce me to the idea that the term artificial intelligence (us v. them) wasn’t the right word, but rather, the idea and word of augmented intelligence (we).
Much of our culture here in the US is steeped in Us v. Them. Billions are spent on sports teams that pit Us v. Them. Our two-party political system is Us v. Them. Our military is Us v. Them. Patriarchy, marriage, religion are all based around this idea that WE are right and THEY are wrong. There is no place for everyone to be a winner.
Enter the participation trophy.
Holy cow did that trigger some snowflakes. (HAHA, see what I did there? How’s that for Us v. Them? See what I mean?)
The participation trophy was an idea that there didn’t HAVE to be a winner. That you got a trophy just for showing up and doing your best. Foolish nonsense to people who’ve been raised on the bread and butter of Us v. Them.
What’s the point of playing if there’s no winner?
Second place is the first loser.
If you’re not first, you’re last.
The winners of the Super Bowl are the WORLD CHAMPIONS.
…nevermind that the rest of the world is not invited to play.
It is called the World Series.
…yet only Canada can come.
One winner.
Everyone else a loser.
Beaten. Defeated. Worthless.
The apocalypse that’s arrived is not the one we expected. That, too, was a diet full of Us v. Them, whether Kaiju or Aliens or Thunderdomes or the Capital or Zombies. Even our wars, whether North v. South or Hitler v. the world, you were on one side or the other. Always, always, no matter the storyline…
US v. THEM.
Two men enter, one man leaves.
And, truly, at a granular (microscopic) level this IS us v. them. Except, it is ALL of us, within every border, every nationality, every language, every age, every class, every sex.
But there cannot be only ONE winner. We must ALL win.
(And, perhaps, this is where my analogy goes a bit sideways, so stay with me.)
The apocalypse we expected was one that still pit us against one another, fighting for resources, using weapons and mental acuity to outsmart other humans.
But (save the few immature exceptions, Bless Their Hearts), what we are seeing is kindness. People checking on one another. Neighbors shopping for at-risk neighbors. FB posts sharing knowledge. Stories of bravery. Good people risking their lives to save others. Artists giving their art away. Bakers baking. Restaurants feeding.
Our expectation was Us v. Them.
WE showed up.
Keep spreading kindness my friends. Turns out, it’s like a virus.
