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Originally Posted by Steve W
...To be truthful I am a bit surprised by some of the answers especially mentors. We are suppose to be setting examples and yet we are condoning breaking rules. Can a mentor honestly expect a student to hear them say we must follow FIRST's rules but it is OK to break a venues (which is also a FIRST rule). It just seems to be an opposing dilemma...
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I think you've touched on one of the great conundrums of life. Most of us are very good at following the rules of the "game" no matter what game it is. Football, FIRST, chess, monopoly... if you don't follow the rules, you are called a cheat.
But in the game of life (real life, not the board game) we are ingrained with the need to push the limits of what is permitted. How many times is a toddler told NO! for doing the same action over and over? As we grow we learn when it is ok to bend the rules and when it is not. When is a lie a "little white lie" and when is it a "big fat lie"? Aren't they both lies? Why is sarcasm ok, when for the most part it is actually just plain old lying? My children were actually told by the driver's ed teachers how much they could speed without getting caught. Does that make it ok to speed? It's all so confusing.
And then suddenly we are adults and in FIRST get this magical title of "Mentor." Do we suddenly become better people? Do we now have all the answers? I think most mentors are hooked on FIRST because they can share some of their expertise with the next generation. I doubt that FIRST would have very many mentors if "Moral Compass" was substituted for the title of "Mentor." I think we get it that we need to be role models in general, but as humans, to me the most important part of being a role model is being able to apologize for screwing up.
I like the idea of GP for this reason, it reminds us of the human factor, that we are all trying to find a way to get along, to compete fairly, to achieve common goals...to make our grandmothers proud!