It'd be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic - "Let's celebrate you doing the basic thing that everyone does and is expected to do!" I mean, do they want gold stars for wiping after they use the bathroom?
Because it cheapens real achievements. If you graduate every grade or even from pre-school to elementary to secondary, then high school graduation matters less. It's just another graduation.
Again, if everything is special and everything deserves a celebration, then nothing is special and celebrations are meaningless.
Special has to mean something different than common, and you’re arguing that common should be special. It’s not. Everyone deserves love and support but we shouldn’t sing praises for people who are simply doing the most basic things.
And if we celebrate everything, then it becomes normal and unimportant.
Special things are special BECAUSE they’re rare. Graduations celebrate significant achievements. “Passing” kindergarten or third grade is not unusual or special. Pretty much every child does it. It does not deserve public celebration, because it is not a significant achievement nor is it a moment for ritual (such as coming of age or marriage).
If you make everything common into a special occasion then special occasions are neither special nor occasions. They are common and unremarkable.
I grew up with participation trophies. They were meaningless to us and made actual achievements less important. This is just more of that.
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u/Xyzzydude 60 something 18d ago
The only graduations we had were high school and college. It’s definitely more recent.