Word on the street

Stop rewarding mediocrity

The award season is upon us. Some people and institutions have already bagged one or two awards. Some have paid to be awarded, while others have awarded their best friends. Real winners remain unrecognized. Are you surprised? I am not, really.

Awards these days go to the dogs, the most useless lot. It’s a low-class culture where awarding mediocrity is often praised by the idiots themselves. Good people, what happened to awards, real awards that recognize excellence?

These days, one or two tweets and one is rewarded with an influencer of the year award. For music artists those with the most atrocious voice take home the cash. Our kids in high-end schools bring home eighth place trophies from their schools and we shower them with praises for doing well, yet we all know too well, the kid needs help.

You can call me a hater all day long, but these so-called awards being dished out day and night do not impress me at all.  I am old school and I believe in awarding excellence. I believe in the ‘1980s Entertainers of the Year’ kind of awards, where quality and excellence dominated. 

I believe in awards that will make the winners walk with one shoulder high and a raised head. Not the awards we see today where even the awardees are so ashamed to be associated with them they decide to stay home.

Good people, only last month, the media was awash with news that 100th Nobel Peace Prize award had gone to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The world celebrated with the Norwegian Nobel Committee for their choice.

Time Magazine this month named young climate activist, Greta Thunberg, as 2019 Person of the Year. The whole world was abuzz. Imagine the outrage if US President Donald Trump was named person of the year. Awards should inspire.

But local awards do not inspire. Even the corporate world, which thrives on excellence, is slowly endorsing mediocre awards. Well established firms, are funding institutions that at the end of the year dish out to them ‘useless’ awards. What happened to class, quality and excellence?

Believe me, if we continue to reward peoples’ mediocrity, we will discourage young people from striving to be amazing. Young people will want people to fit into the crowd and dare not stand out.

Mediocrity is a disease. When you settle for mediocrity and you don’t push yourself to be the best then this world will be a big boring place. Let’s stop encouraging people to just stay in their comfort zone.

We on the streets believe there is only one cure to this disease and that is hard work and honesty. It’s time to leave mediocrity to politicians and reward people who truly deserve awards; people who are unique and have excelled in life.

Merry Christmas!

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