A Kinder and Gentler Harvard by Pledge? Methinks Not

Just sayin’...

There’s no way a pledge is going to make people behave kinder. What are the people at Harvard thinking? They’re asking incoming freshmen to sign a pledge affirming they understand the importance of kindness.

Harvard’s pledge reads: “As we begin at Harvard, we commit to upholding the values of the College and to making the entryway and Yard a place where all can thrive and where the exercise of kindness holds a place on a par with intellectual attainment.”

Are kindness and outstanding high school grades disconnected? I would suppose that smart kids who are admitted to Harvard are capable of being kind.

Don’t we all get that kindness is a virtue? No. Watch a few hours of TV or listen to some talk radio. Snarkiness and downright nastiness is afoot. Ask Fox News’s Roger Ailes, he’ll tell you that fractiousness and gotchas improves ratings of presidential debates.

Whether it’s learned or taught, kindness happens on its own. It doesn’t get as much ink as the caustic stuff, but kindness is out there. The most well known pledge I can think of is the Pledge of Allegiance. Except for the “under God” part, most people have no quarrel with it.  The Tea Party people and the people way over on the other side don’t pledge to love one another but they do express allegiance to their country.

As a former teacher, I know that kindness, empathy, and community aren’t expressly spelled out in learning outcomes. They have to be modeled and upheld.

A good teacher doesn’t need to pledge that he/she will not tolerate bullying, teasing, or taunting in the classroom. A good teacher just does it. Lots of kids come to school with positive social values and will use them, especially when they’re in an environment that encourages them to do so.

The motto on the Harvard emblem is “VERITAS” (Latin, “Truth”). The truth of the matter is that if you have to ask freshmen to sign a pledge to be kind, you’ve lost the battle already.

Comments

[Carolyn Liesy]

Totally agree.

[Paul Tamburello aka pt at large]

The pendulum is swinging wildly these days, isn't it? Thanks for commenting, Carolyn.

[Rebecca Wilson]

Or a more positive take on this is that it's a reminder of the importance of kindness, which never hurts.

[Paul Tamburello aka pt at large]

Agreed. How to achieve it is tricky. If the pledge ignites debate around the subject of kindness and its place on the college campus, that's a plus. I think a good ol' fashioned rally, or funky Harvard parade inviting freshmen to lead it, or a contest for the most creative skit promoting kindness would work, too.
Thanks for weighing in!

[David Connor]

Ave Paulus.

[Paul Tamburello aka pt at large]

Benigne dicis, Davide.

[Mary Seppi]

good one, Paul. You are right. I guess if they want a kind student body and not a lot of back stabbers and caustic aggressive talkers, they ought to recruit in grade school and groom from there. Like you say, " if you have to ask freshmen to sign a pledge to be kind, you’ve lost the battle already."

Can you submit it to the Times?

[Paul Tamburello aka pt at large]

Wow, you put me in good company. Thanks for the comment and the suggestion! You're right about grooming kids at an early age. I spent my career in The John Pierce School in Brookline, MA, where the staff believed in maximizing the potential of the 'whole child' - academic,social, and emotional. Developing listening skills, showing how to argue a point or disagree based on facts (not personal attack), valuing academic growth and achievement along with social awareness (empathy,for example) were all part of the teaching culture.

[Nona Bock]

Right on my friend!

[May Louise White]

Sounds most unlikely to me to be successful, like it was intended.

[Tom Conry]

Kindness was not very high on my agenda thruout my school years I got better at it after I left.

[Paul Tamburello aka pt at large]

It was there, Tom, but you didn't advertise it too conspicuously! Good to hear from you, got me thinking about PHS for a while.