Self-esteem, performance and Ragazzi

In the March 2010 Atlantic Monthly, in an article titled “How a new jobless era will transform America,” there is a discussion of expectations for success among current college graduates.

“Many of today’s young adults seem temperamentally unprepared for the circumstances in which they now find themselves,” according to Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University. “There’s this idea that, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to work, but I’m still going to get all the stuff I want.’” She raises the question about how this definition of self-esteem “decoupled from performance” will impact these young people in their life. “There’s an element of entitlement—they expect people to figure things out for them.” Don Peck, the author of the article, thinks this lack of initiative hurts these young adults as they seek to succeed in the current work environment. He points out that the economic situation of today requires “perseverance, adaptability, humility and entrepreneurialism.”

In Ragazzi rehearsals, the boys are encouraged to work hard and to take responsibility for themselves. Built into the system is the learning to delay gratification since the hard work of the rehearsal is rewarded later by the long term goal of a satisfactory performance. When Ragazzi has standards for behavior or clear expectations for promotion, we are teaching our young people that they must perform and earn their way. Dr. Twenge notes that “the ability to persevere and keep going” is a much better predictor of life success than self-esteem for its own sake.

Given the competitive nature of the current job market, Ragazzi’s preparation for life success is even more vital. Our training can reinforce the message that hard work does pay off, that one can set a goal and find success and happiness. Joyce Keil