In my role as a physical therapist, I have been lucky enough to work with students from time to time. I was also, obviously, a student myself for many years.
Through these experiences, what I found was consistent: “A” students are generally terrible at the important things. Yes, they are good at taking tests. Yes, they probably know how to derive the quadratic equation from a banana. Yes, they’ve probably memorized most of Shakespeare’s plays, even Donkeytown (pronounced like Donkeetun) which was one of his lesser-known works.
But they had no idea how to effectively work with people. They had no social skills. And they often fell to pieces whenever something went wrong.
“B” students, on the other hand, knew how to talk to people, were able to have a balanced life outside of work and school, and constantly messed things up, so they never got upset with a bad grade or constructive criticism.
But “B” students rarely get into elite programs or get the highest paying jobs. Higher ups in companies would rather have soulless machines that firmly believed in the “only A’s are acceptable” illusion. They’d rather have the “A” student who would sell her grandmother into slavery for a promotion rather than the “B” student who would hold the door open for the old lady and make himself 2 minutes late for an appointment.
“A” students are better for businesses, and that’s the one of the most important and valued things in society.
But if you’re a “B” student, just know that these others will never experience the joy of kicking back and relaxing on a Thursday night or helping someone just because it’s the right thing to do and not because it may lead to a letter of recommendation later on.
Keep B’ing who you are, we’re all gonna be buried in the same ground, frozen in the same cryogenic chamber, or burned in the same incinerator some day.
Mel's Diner 