“You’re here for a reason. We want a well-rounded class; NOT a well-rounded student.” – Rab Thornton, New College Admissions Director (1986)
This came over Twitter today from Merlin Mann, and I thought it rather strange at first. It took me a moment to wrap my head around what might be in those words, but I think I found it after a while.
We are living in an age where “well-rounded” is the ideal for every person. We want to eat a well-rounded meal, receive a well-rounded education and all-in-all just become a well-rounded individual.
Maybe we are setting the bar too low by striving to be well-rounded. Maybe being oblong or slightly ragged makes for a more interesting person. If you get a bunch of non-round people together, maybe they can complement each other and do something great.
That’s what I hope.