The Few and the Many

Rules.  One of life's mandates, I guess.  Life would be dangerous and chaotic without rules, yet when too many rules present themselves, we chafe against the imagined and real limitations, don't we? 

When I was growing up, one of the not-infrequent platitudes I would hear teachers (especially) say, when a class got in trouble, was "Just a few of you spoiled it for the rest."  I grew up understanding that this was true, understanding that the ill-will I felt toward the few that spoiled it for the many was animosity that I was not anxious to ever have directed toward me.  Thinking of the personality test where the outcomes are described by dog-types, I probably have a significant amount of golden retrieve in me.  I do not wish to displease (most of the time...)  

Then the day arrived when I had my own classroom and I realize I uttered those same words.  "You could have done thus and so but a few of you blew it for the rest.", or something along those lines. Now when I hear that sentence uttered aloud, it seems so retributive that I wish I'd never used the phrase. 

It is a fact of being that a few can spoil it for the many.  In my perfect world, I'd hope for a better mechanism or process for identifying the few that do spoil the outcome for the many.  I'm not certain when the group mindset turned the corner and began dictating what has to happen for all.  Is this not a poor message to send to both "sides" - a message to one group that says no matter how close you follow the "rules", a person or a few people can mess things up for you and, simultaneously, a message is sent to the group that says, "You have a lot of power here.  Just a few of you can sway things your way." 

No easy compromise between the individual and the group.  No easy answers when considering the relationship between the few and the many.

Ancora imparo