Greatness can be overrated – bear with me...
There are to my mind, many ways to be great;
One might have a particularly high level of ability in a defined area ‘Wow - They’re great at (insert activity here)’.
Maybe you’re successful against a particular metric ‘Wow...They must be great – look; how much money they have/how big their house is/how fast their car is/how many books they’ve had published/how many people they’re in charge of/at how many certificates they have.’
Perhaps you have a particular skill that sets you apart ‘Woohoo... They’re great at keeping all those balls (metaphorical or literal, you choose) in the air at once.’
Or is it the case that the stars and fates align for that perfect moment of pure peak performance that sees the seemingly impossible made possible and allow us a glimpse of greatness? Brazil’s Robert Carlos’ incredible free kick against France in 1997 is a fine example.
The internet and book shops (remember those) is/are full of guidance and direction on how to be great, better or the best. The worst of these espouse the value of simplified and often deliberately misinterpreted research such as the popularised version of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours to expert/extraordinary proficiency, that saw so many children fall out of love with their once beloved pianos, footballs and crayons.
Others point to the habits or attributes in apparently high achieving ‘de-rigueur’ individuals who, by whatever metrics arrived at by the author, are apparently worthy of our aspirations.
The best move the goalposts, they speak about great in a different context and allude to greatness as not something to be achieved or arrived at but as something deeper; positive actions and attitudes that make an impact on those around you, society and even the world! It may not sound that exciting, which is probably why they dress it up a bit, but what I think they are reaching for is ‘good’, not good on the sliding scale of achievement or recognition but 'Good’ as in of positive character.
There’s of course nothing wrong with great. Great is memorable, great is magic moments and iconic images - it’s electrifying, powerful and at Alleyn’s achievable but we must be careful that our children aren’t too preoccupied with whether they are great or not in any given context but more concerned with whether they feel they are on the path to becoming a good person.
Dr Tara Porter in her quite extraordinary book You don’t understand me speaks about the number of levels that adolescents, especially teenage girls are judged and judge themselves on. She highlights that a young person's desire to be the best, compulsion to live up to unrealistic expectations or the feeling that they must better themselves at every turn, with extraordinary performance or greatness as the goal can be incredibly damaging.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The irony is of course that if we can inculcate in young people the desire to be ‘Good’ to model and live values such as those that the school sets out in ‘ROCCK’ (Respect, Opportunity, Curiosity, Courage, Kindness), then greatness will come and when it does, we can celebrate not only its arrival but the individual who, for however fleetingly, achieved it, and after the euphoria, the manner of them getting there. Alleyn’s being the remarkable place that it is, greatness shows up on a pretty regular basis.
It’s always interesting to me to observe those that genuinely deserve their moment and the reaction of those around them. Joyful admiration is quite something to experience, to see a friend who you respect and care for deeply, achieve the extraordinary, is a special moment that can stay with us as much as our own glories.
Ed Sayeeng, is a friend and teammate (and rival actually) of many years. As a point guard by trade, he is a facilitator, a distributor, shunning the limelight, driving the offence and making everyone else look good whilst doing all the running on defence.
One, if not my most memorable magic moments in what was a long and modestly decorated basketball career, was not my own it was Ed’s. Two free throws to make after the final buzzer and one down in the London Senior Men’s Basketball final. One to draw one to win...
This instant is also something of legend amongst the London and in fact, national basketball fraternity. Yes, it’s obviously an impressive ‘clutch’ (under pressure) play but it’s not extraordinary, there are loads of them, and the level of competition, although elite is modest. However, it sustains, year on year, end of season sometimes at other times, the video resurfaces, comments and ‘likes’ are chucked about and the reason for that is Ed. He is admittedly a ‘baller’ (really good at basketball) but quite frankly, you could not meet a kinder, more accommodating and genuine person, this is his moment of greatness, on the court where he spent his formative years (Brixton) and we love him, so we share in that joy.
So where was I going with this... Greatness, revel in it when it happens to you, recognise and cheer it in others but be careful that you don’t chase it so hard that it comes at the expense of happiness or that when you get there, there’s no one to enjoy it with.
‘Great’ is… er...great, but good sustains and when ‘The Good’ achieve it, no matter how fleetingly, we all get to join the party.
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Junior School Open Day
The next Alleyn's Junior School Open Event is from 1.30pm to 3pm on Wednesday 22 May 2024. There will be a Head's Talk at 1.40pm after which you will be offered a tour of the school with a pupil. There is no need to book a place at this Open Event - everyone is welcome.
Last updated on 20 05 24 at 09:12
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