Parents - great kid or good kid? (1 Viewer)

[guidomerkinsrules]

ok, let's say you can guarantee your kid could be GREAT (better than 97% of others) at 1 thing but it would mean they are only 27% capable at everything else

OR

they are 71% good at everything

-- which do you pick (and what would be the great thing)?

 

[efil4stnias]

whats the sample size? all kids?

i think im leaning to 71% if a boy. 97% if a girl.

 

[superchuck500]

whats the sample size? all kids?

i think im leaning to 71% if a boy. 97% if a girl.

I'm curious as to why gender matters.

When you say "things" - what do you mean? School things? Life things? All things?

 

[Louisianimal_]

Is that one thing cherry picking or brain surgery?

 

[Bayouboy]

tacoes

 

[TenTwo]

ok, let's say you can guarantee your kid could be GREAT (better than 97% of others) at 1 thing but it would mean they are only 27% capable at everything else

OR

they are 71% good at everything

-- which do you pick (and what would be the great thing)?

So like Rain Man, or an otherwise normal functioning person with no real weaknesses? I chose the balanced person.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Is that one thing cherry picking or brain surgery?

you get to choose

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I'm curious as to why gender matters.

When you say "things" - what do you mean? School things? Life things? All things?

things - all things
97% great at basketball or language or piano or smelling or card tricks or skateboarding or investing or things

 

[mc4saints]

Assuming the one thing can be broad say like umm...Ruling the entire free world. Give me one thing.

 

[superchuck500]

So like Rain Man, or an otherwise normal functioning person with no real weaknesses? I chose the balanced person.

I think I do too. 27% is pretty low. I think the balanced person will be reasonably happy.

 

[efil4stnias]

I'm curious as to why gender matters.

When you say "things" - what do you mean? School things? Life things? All things?

girls have it a bit tougher - to be successful, independent.

but happy is really what i want from either of mine. I want them to measure their happiness in what they do, not what they earn from doing it.

 

[bigdog]

Hopefully your kid is just a happy, well adjusted person. They don't have to conquer the world or anything. Just being happy and having a good life would be great by me.

 

[superchuck500]

girls have it a bit tougher - to be successful, independent.

but happy is really what i want from either of mine. I want them to measure their happiness in what they do, not what they earn from doing it.

I don't doubt they have it tougher, but wouldn't that favor that being fully competent at the broad spectrum of capability, rather than highly proficient at one area and underperforming all others?

If society is setup to favor you (in the hypothesis involving gender), you could have one strong area and fudge the rest - and still be okay.

Although I suppose that what you're saying is because society is stacked against them, they have to be outstanding at something to even make it - so you choose the 97% option to guarantee they'll make it at at least something. I can see that angle.

 

[gwballin]

things - all things
97% great at basketball or language or piano or smelling or card tricks or skateboarding or investing or things

I'm still a little unclear. Brain surgery for example, would my child be in the 97th percentile of all people or 97th percentile of brain surgeons?

You'd have vastly different results (same goes for basketball as another example).

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Being 97% percentile at something really isn't all that fantastic, depending on the skill.

You can be in the top 97% of basketball players in the country and probably not even be good enough for a D-II school.

I'd take the 71% option, I suppose.