Exeter Exceptionalism
As Exonians, we believe ourselves to be exceptional. Even when we disregard all the “amazing” things we had to do to get in, life at Exeter begets a feeling of self-awe. Some people get it from the A’s they receive in their classes, others from the strong social lives they live, some from their athleticism and many more from juggling all three. The academy itself supports these egos, as seen throughout the year in the sprinkles of compliments visiting speakers give Exonians, most recently in opening assembly, when Principal McFarlane herself called us the future leaders of the world. And, perhaps, it’s in her speech that the reason for our academy’s support for our egos is discovered. While the legitimacy of our high self-worth is questionable, our belief in it can and does propel us to pursue the greatness Exeter wants for its students.
The most apparent issue is that there isn’t much substance behind our high egos. Though we may be Exonians, there’s nothing on the individual level that suggests our excellence. First of all, many of the accomplishments we pride ourselves in are far more commonplace than unique. While we may rejoice in things such as achieving a club position or getting certain grades or having a desired social status, Exonians of both the past and present have reached many of those same goals. Furthermore, many students outside of Exeter manage to accomplish all of these things without the comfort of three-meal-days, proper housing and security we fail to appreciate at Exeter.
This logic follows not only for grades, but for most of the rewards in our lives that stroke our egos. Everyone, Exonians included, feels some satisfaction when he or she receives many likes on a Facebook photo or performs well in an athletic competition, even if he or she knows the feat was, is and will be accomplished by many more. Most of the accomplishments in academics, athletics and social circles all fall under an umbrella of external stimuli that boost self-worth without reflecting actual worth. Similar to the websites that rank the top colleges or that rank the best places to live, Exonians tend to look at the superficial feats in our lives as assessments of ourselves.
But most do not consider that life in itself is not meant to be exceptional. A life is a blend of experiences that range from great to sad, cliche to unique. Yet in much of the world, instead of showing off the complexity of life, it is much more desirable to show only its greatness. No different, Exeter glorifies the moments when our prowess manifests. After what many consider a burdensome amount of homework, social conflicts and other activities, we focus on the small, brief peaks of life and not the conflicts and struggles that consume most of it.
Steve Jobs once said, “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” So if we ourselves lack exceptionalism, perhaps the belief that we are better can cause us to do exceptional things. At Exeter, the phrase non sibi goes hand in hand with our high egos. Alone, non sibi is just another maxim that slips in one ear and then out the other, but a much stronger message can be derived amongst us Exonians with high self-worth. For us, non sibi becomes an obligation we owe the world. Since we “exceptional” people will be at the top of the world, we ought to give back to it.
And I see the products of this mindset in every new installment of the Exeter Magazine. The alumni of Exeter clearly strive to do exceptional things all across the world. While some join the ranks of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and others work in medicine, they all want to provide a service to others. Whether exceptional themselves or not, they surely believed they have the worth to do great works.
As Exonians, we ourselves can be of great help. One does not have to get the best grades or excel in all they do to help, but possessing self-worth does propel one to do great things. ♥