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Monday, March 26, 2001

They think the universe is benign and human nature is fundamentally wonderful

"It's very rare to get a student to challenge anything or to take a position that's counter to what the professor says. They are disconcertingly comfortable with authority. That's the most common complaint the faculty has of Princeton students. They're eager to please, eager to jump through whatever hoops the faculty puts in front of them, eager to conform."

The Atlantic. High-achieving students at schools like Princeton are so busy they have to schedule appoints to chat with friends, have little time for romantic relationships, don't keep up with current events and participate very little in activism or political issues. "The new elite does not protest. Young achievers vaguely know that they are supposed to feel guilty about not marching in the street for some cause. But they don't seem to feel guilty."'

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This is the personal weblog of Grant Barrett, editor of the Double-Tongued Dictionary, a collection of words from the fringes of English. More about this site...

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