Thoughts on this Essay

[Schtank]

I thought I did a good job explaining second handedness; my professor didn't. Your guyses thoughts?

Just as the Earth is the third planet in the solar system and the sun is a giant yellow orb, it is an accepted fact that girls are “bitches” to each other, and intelligence is largely measured by comparing standardized test scores. These “facts” stem from the widely accepted practice of second-handedness: the act of seeking validation not internally from oneself, but externally from one’s peers. Moreover, the standards of second-handedness have become so prevalent in our society that they’ve started to crop up in the social hierarchy and academic standards of today’s youth.

In social hierarchies, second-handed behavior comes in the form of a concept called “popularity.” Because most popularity comes not from being well-liked for who one is internally, but rather from how one wants to be perceived by others externally, popularity-seeking is by definition a second handed behavior.

For instance, consider the example that Miss Wiseman, a teacher in the Empower Program for girls, presented to Margaret Talbot, the author of “Girls Just Want to Be Mean”, regarding one young pre-teen girl who abandoned her elementary school friends to go “become popular.” The elementary school friendship and fun that these girls shared was suddenly irrelevant. The only thing that mattered to the aforementioned girl was the prestige gained from others by being an Alpha Girl in the “popular” crowd. Hence, the happiness gained from her elementary school friendships was irrelevant compared to the happiness gained by being liked by others. She let a desire for secondary validation overcome validation she could achieve internally; thus behaving second-handedly.

Correspondingly, in the education system, individuals are compared to a standardized, collective whole in order to gauge their intelligence. Whether or not students’ measure up to this collective whole is measured by standardized tests -- which, by grading on a curve, compare the intelligence of the individual student to the combined, average intelligence of his peers. Again, second-handedness is apparent, as students are judged not against their own personal achievements or intellectual gains, but rather against the average standards of their combined peers.

Oftentimes, Alpha Girls mistreat others in order to maintain their status as popular “queen bees”. As Talbot notes, it’s not uncommon for Alpha Girls to call one another “dyke”, “slut” or “fat”. Similarly, the increased emphasis on standardized tests which, according to Peg Tyre in her article “Trouble with Boys”, has become “commonplace” for children as young as six. Consequently, curricula have become more rigid, thus, restricting teachers’ teaching styles, as they have to teach to the test, not to the individual students. Unsurprisingly, students are no longer receiving a good educational foundation when they leave school, as some statistics show that simple math, reading, and writing skills are beyond many high-school graduates (Romano). Second-handedness is not only epidemic among adolescents, but it also has disastrous effects on today’s youth’s mental and social development.

[Tordmor]

You didn't explain, you only gave examples. You give statements without proof. And I fail to see a connection between the standardized tests in the last paragraph and the rest. Short: I don't recognize a central idea from this essay. So I think I have to agree with your professor .

[DavidOdden]

What is the definition of second-handedness?