[gblake]

Some folks are just sooooo adamant about there being one true path between a starting point at the notions of excellence, inspiration, and recognition; and an ending point of defeating all enemies on the field of competition; that they seem to choose to never seriously entertain that a different approach just might be both successful and appropriate. Or, at the least, an experiment worth completing.

If they are right, they deserve a pat on the back. If they are wrong, history might consign them to the dustbin.

Looking backward (the past is prologue), they seem to be onto something, perhaps even an evolutionary truth.

Looking forward, I hope that viable alternatives do exist, and that evolving cultures will explore and test those alternatives.

Human culture is a complex, multi-faceted interaction between long-term aggregate behaviors and the short lives of individuals, and is so young today that it doesn't really even exist yet on many time scales. For those reasons, I feel that aside from a few statements that are so broad as to be almost meaningless, it is hard to make any if-then claims about culture that aren't complemented by several equally valid contradictions and exceptions.

So, keeping in mind that our current human culture might just be a momentary aberration, and that perspectives that come from our individual experiences are ephemeral and limited; I suggest continuing to de-emphasize habits, in order to find out what happens if STEM organizations like BEST/RECF/FIRST collectively push current culture in the direction Eric emphasizes in his OP.

Maybe we will find out that there actually is more than just one true rut to choose among in our future?

Blake