Are You Better Off Walking An Unpopular Path?
Why do some graduates, who received their degrees with various accolades… end up feeling disappointed a few months down the line in their high-end job? Why do some students who achieved exceptionally well in high school, be it either academics or sport — lose traction when they go to their dream university?
Some top students from high school sometimes become average (or worse) students at a top university, resulting in them losing confidence and motivation. Their frustration might not end there and leak into other areas of their lives devastating their career, health, and relationships.
When did we ever consider that Harvard and MIT also actually have a bottom 25% in their classes?
This idea was written by Malcolm Gladwell in his book ‘David and Goliath’ where he said, “Rarely do we stop and consider whether the most prestigious of institutions is always in our best interest.”
You might have a dream, but going to the most polished-looking place to achieve that dream isn’t the smartest idea. He gives various examples such as how most people desire to go to famous universities and work in well- known companies, because they were decorated and shined back when they were at home, or at school.
But famous universities and job spaces come with cut-throat competition and occasionally tight work schedules with difficult managers…and unless you are deep-rooted in your self confidence and not wavered by the constant failures you make, you won’t feel like you’re winning.
It’s important to choose the environment that is best suited for you.
This is called the “Big Fish, Small Pond Effect”.
The process of choosing an elite job, is in other words, choosing to become a LITTLE FISH IN A BIG POND. The big pond has many fish in it, and you might lose yourself trying to keep up with the workload and demands of this “high-end” environment. Not everyone here can shine their best.
Why do people tend to fall behind in large, competitive institutions? Relative deprivation.
Here’s an example that helps explain it:
A person can be very well off financially compared to most, but feel inadequate when comparing themselves to others in their tremendously wealthy neighborhood.
People tend to compare themselves to their immediate environments and don’t go for anything broader. In the big pond, when you look to your immediate left and right, everyone seems to be faring better than you or achieving more.
Gladwell also continues to write that people are better off choosing to start out in lesser-known organizations and become a BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND. Working in smaller organizations may not be high caliber, but it can be less stressful. As a result, people tend to stay and succeed in their chosen career path, while those who are faring badly in bigger organizations tend to deviate and choose other career paths.
We do not have to absorb Malcolm Gladwell’s advice to work in unpopular places word-for-word.
Avoiding well-known companies is a bad idea, in my opinion. High performance universities and offices, enrich you with completely novel experiences and the network you are welcomed into can be invaluable.
Making your choices based entirely on the ‘Big Fish, Small Pond Effect’ is to make things oversimplified. Instead we better try to analyze our situation and come up with smarter choices. You shouldn’t always judge your situation based on what you see when you look to your immediate left and right. Clarity of mind comes first.
Therefore, learning as much as you can about yourself and where you are going is incredibly important!
Hi! I’m Dave! I’d appreciate it if you press the ‘clap’ and follow icons on the page! That way I would know whether you liked what you just read :) Have a nice day.
