Survivorship Bias and University

Survivorship bias

the logical error of concentrating on the people or things that "survived" some process and inadvertently overlooking those that did not because of their lack of visibility. This can lead to false conclusions in several different ways. 

- Wikipedia

Basically how universities work. To demonstrate they have the best education, they just exclude all the people who they don't want. They select from the general population the students most likely to get good grades based on past performance. The classes aren't really for learning, it's just a weeding process that puts the "fittest" at the top for visibility and promotes them forward.

It doesn't really make each student better. It's not an education process, where the focus is on improving the population as a whole. It is focused on identifying who are the "fit" and separating the wheat from the chaff. It's about proving your worth, competing with what you already got, not about developing into what you could become. There is no room for nurturing talent. It's if you've got it show it, or get left in the dust.

If the best universities truly gave the best education, they would take students of all abilities and knowledge and demonstrate that ANYONE can achieve enough to become competent to become doctors, lawyers, whatever. What is education, but the fostering of talent, providing intellectual stimulation for growth, showing the way to improvement by sharing knowledge?

Are universities institutions for education? No. They are selection grounds. They are testing facilities. They provide you with basic instructions for what the test requires, then it's up to you to provide correct answers.

There is no, let's make you into a better person, more capable, competent, able to help your society. It's are you good enough to be a lawyer? Do you have what it takes to be a doctor? The thousand other kids say they do, so be prepared to scratch, climb, crawl, cheat to the top so we notice *you* instead of the 999 other faceless entrants.

You say you have a 4.0 gpa, you have shining recommendations, and leadership and demonstrated work? We'll take you. Did we make you that way? Well yeah, because we put you through that tough challenging process. Um hello? Survivorship bias. Fuck no, you didn't.

What about all the 99% who went through the system and leave no better off than they came in. Of course, then it was *their* fault not yours, because look how magnificent are the ones who took *full advantage* of all the university experience provides. Bullshit. You just panned for gold and discarded the dirt.

Serves you right when false exemplars turn out to be duds. Those are ones who played you in your own game. Do they have the best skills, knowledge and potential? Nope, they just made sure you noticed them. The fakes are the only ones you truly created, they are just as phony as your education system that produced them.

Reap what you sow.