First of all, I hate exam-oriented education; it forces me to spend the most creative, passionate, and wonderful youth in a meaningless competition. Until I entered university, everything was just to categorize all the college entrance examination candidates into different levels, quantifying students' abilities and ranks with exam scores.
However, I don't want to attribute all the shortcomings to the failure of this exam-oriented education. What I want is to constantly reflect on and observe what everything I have experienced has brought me, to better understand and transform myself. It has been six years since the college entrance examination, with 12 years of exam-oriented education, 4 years of undergraduate studies, three attempts at graduate entrance exams, and currently pursuing a master's degree. I can't help but think about what this learning experience has brought me, reflecting on a small phenomenon to address a painful point of educational failure.
Starting from a Small Matter#
Recently, during military training at the start of the undergraduate semester, many people uploaded videos of their talent performances, including dancing, singing, and performing wota skills. In the comments section, alongside praises, some people posted derogatory comments like "Tang" and others. Here, I won't delve into the cruelty of insulting people with illnesses; instead, I will reflect on the behavior of belittling those who perform in front of others.
It is clear that their belittlement is an irrational and meaningless devaluation. A negative evaluation of something should have a target and be specific, pointing out where others' performances are lacking with reason; this is meaningful criticism. In contrast, evaluations like "Tang" and "clown" are merely emotional outbursts. Moreover, the criticism of the performers does not stem from their singing being poor or their wota skills being unappreciated; this negative evaluation can be traced back to the ridicule of performers during school.
The Ridicule of Performers by Classes and Groups#
During the compulsory education stage, most classmates develop a habit of ridiculing performers, whether they are giving speeches or reading texts expressively; there are always some people who habitually chuckle from the audience. However, the appearance of the performer is not necessarily worse than that of the mockers; their courage to present themselves far exceeds that of the petty people who laugh from the sidelines. Yet, even as I write about this, I unconsciously use the word "courage." Why is it that performing in public requires courage, or is considered a brave act?
I think it may be because, in our culture, humility is seen as a moral high ground. People tend to express only 60 or even 40 percent of their abilities, even if they have an 80 percent capability; otherwise, it is seen as boastful and overestimating oneself. Even more exaggerated is that our culture tends to promote progress through criticism and pressure, leading every individual to grow up amidst critical voices, believing that even if they have an 80 percent capability, they only have a 60 percent level. This is a serious problem.
Humility, Confidence, and Honesty#
True humility is knowing that one has an 80 percent capability, not exaggerating oneself to be 100 percent, and only stating one's abilities as 60 or 80 percent. However, students raised under the criticism and pressure of exam-oriented education often fail to recognize their abilities; through repeated criticism, they come to believe they only have a 60 percent level.
This is neither self-confident nor honest. One must have a clear understanding of their abilities, knowing what they can and cannot do, being able to discern whether others' criticisms are reasonable, and being able to truthfully present their ability level to outsiders. This is true confidence and honesty.
In contrast, growing up in such an educational environment, people naturally believe they only have a 60 percent level, usually accepting others' criticisms, and often feeling ashamed to introduce themselves. Performing one's abilities and level on stage is even defined as a brave act. Naturally, this leads to an unconscious resentment towards other performers, venting their own fears of performing through ridicule and slander.
Conclusion#
Writing these words and generating these reflections is not to complain about exam-oriented education but to recognize the limitations of my own thinking, so that I can do better in the future.
When facing performers, we should appreciate, encourage, or specifically point out their shortcomings, rather than letting the act of performing itself become something that "requires courage." When we need to showcase ourselves, we should ignore the petty people whispering in the audience; we should simply present our true abilities to everyone, making the act of introducing, promoting, and showcasing ourselves a commonplace thing, without any sense of shame about it.
Perhaps this is something that requires time to get used to and adapt to.
Wishing all readers well.