Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Unless we are rich, we neglect those persons and things that are far from the normal. Economy requires neglect; sorry.

In schools, we have big classes. We try to reach the middle of the class, the group near the center of the normal distribution (we used to call this distribution the “bell curve” because it looks like a bell, but then we decided that the term “bell curve” was ugly or something distasteful as if a bell is inherently evil). We neglect those on both ends of the distribution—those who are far ahead and far behind mentally.

This is all we can afford to do

If resources are plentiful, we have special programs for those on  both ends of the distribution as well as those in the middle. If we don’t have the luxury of resources, we can’t act like we do. Well, society shows that I am wrong in that last statement. Perhaps we shouldn’t act as if we have resources that we don’t. Acting as if wishes were reality usually leads to more problems and fewer resources.

Economy requires neglect, sorry.