A number of excellent people recently suggested that I fit the definition for ‘an elite’, a label presumably used among elites to describe themselves (or perhaps I should now say, used by my fellow elites to describe ourselves). I considered this moment a great honor and perhaps even a highlight of the year (editor’s note: so far). The exact definition of ‘an elite’ as it was used in this sense is someone who prefers reading, writing, and thinking as a way to use free time. Let’s put it this way:
Elite - noun - someone who by choice reads a lot of good books
So that’s all good, as far as I’m concerned, and I accept that it describes me in a certain literal way. I must point out, though, that I remain wary of my reaction to the label. It strikes me that my self-satisfaction may one day allow me to feel it's OK if I don’t bother to translate my ‘elitism’ into action. To put it another way, I’ll continue my reading, writing, and thinking, but I’ll stop there and feel good about it. This doesn’t mean I feel my time spent thinking, reading, or writing is unimportant. Quite the contrary – I have no interest in downplaying the value I see in how I use my time. It’s simply a recognition that when the term ‘elite’ is used sneeringly (though who else but An Elite would sneer?) it refers to a perception that some very smart people consider analyzing, discussing, or writing about a problem as equivalent to solving a problem. If only everyone did what I know! At the moment, I’m doing my best to avoid this, but I note from time to time that I’m tempted to follow that well-worn path.
The other aspect of my wariness is that in certain moments of honest self-awareness I recognize that I do feel superior to other people. These moments come so infrequently that I hesitated to mention it here. However, since it does happen from time to time and I know that any seed left unacknowledged always has the potential to grow beyond my control, I grudgingly bring it up. Again, I’m doing my best to keep this seed starved of nourishment but I’m sure my reader(s) will understand that I’ve encountered enough selfish, malicious, or merely indifferent people in my lifetime to have ready disease vectors for my occasional afflictions of superiority.
Taken together, those two aspects of my wariness suggest that in a certain way I am indeed ‘an elite’, or at least an ideal candidate for the position. I don’t think this is the same way I used it at the start of this post, however, so let’s clarify how this definition differs from my initial attempt:
Elite - noun - someone who feels intellectual activity is sufficient evidence of superiority to others
So, what’s my plan for living up to my first definition without sliding into the second? I’ve never been satisfied to selfishly reap the rewards of my intellectual interests, instead preferring to transfer my understanding to others through teaching, coaching, or mentoring. This has been true throughout my adult life in both service and work opportunities. Of late, TOA has made it true with my leisure time as well. I think keeping this approach in place is vital to protect myself from a smug satisfaction with the way others interpret my reading choices.
My sense of superiority is a tougher one to keep in check. One issue is that in a lot of ways I could benefit from a little extra self-belief and therefore risk overdosing on confidence to the point of arrogance. I’ve recognized recently that the benefit of getting the right balance not only affects my self-perception but that it also has the potential to elevate anyone in my vicinity. I first had this thought about a year and a half ago when my favorite soccer team, Liverpool, signed Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk strolls around on the field because he knows he can sniff out danger before anyone else on the field will even consider the possibility. If Van Dijk was a firefighter, his engine would be speeding to the flames a full two minutes before anyone noticed smoke. Wouldn’t having someone that good responsible for a key service in your town make you feel great about where you lived? My bet is a lot of people would see that superior competence and want to become firefighters themselves.
It took me all of ten seconds to understand that half the reason Van Dijk is such a good defender is because he knows how good he is. It took a little longer, maybe a few games, to see that the way he carried himself infected his teammates in the most positive way. In short, everyone became a better defender with the Dutch guy swaggering around. This isn't always the case when a top talent joins a new team - cockiness or arrogance from the best player is often a precursor to demoralization or rebellion from his teammates. This is what I’m talking about when I think about developing the right amount of self-belief. It’s elitism in a third sense of the word, perhaps the purest sense, because it doesn’t merely translate what I know into action but motivates others to become better themselves. It takes focus away from the deleterious mindset of external comparisons and instead forces inward reflection – am I better than who I was yesterday? The value of an elite must rest on this question.
Am I better than I was yesterday? One reason people are quick to link good reading with elitism is because, for better or for worse, it’s generally accepted that good reading is a reliable path to consistent self improvement. But an elite is not preordained to being valuable despite this flattering definition. The key to being elite and carrying such a label with class is to expand everyone’s limits – to read good books so others will read, to share good ideas so others will think, and to write good sentences so that others have the signposts they need to complete their own journeys.
