Illusions Around the Choate Bubble

Compared to the illusions of the outside world, Choate is an alternate universe. In “Losing Our Illusions,” Parker J Palmer writes about the world’s tendency to dilute the issues in society by denying them. In reality, the idea of acceptance has been corrupt from the beginning of 1776 when “America proclaimed the ‘self evident’ truth that all people are created equal—then proceeded to disenfranchise women, commit genocide against Native Americans, and build an economy on the backs of enslaved human beings (Palmer 2).” Americans hide behind illusions to limit confrontation with the facts of life, while Choate uses illusions to separate internal conflict from public conflict. The Choate community is not afraid of controversy among students, but is aware that such strong opinions can be unattractive to the general public. In light of that, students are not taught to pretend the issues are not there, but to portray an image of flawlessness from all angles in an attempt to uphold the reputation of the institution.  It is nearly impossible to become disillusioned in a privileged environment in which being extremely cautious is seen as progressive and articulating an opinion is often overstepping a boundary; therefore, Choate has carefully manufactured its illusions and uses them as a disguise rather than as blindfold.

        Choate’s academic system is extremely unique considering the people that make up the student body, and the illusion is found in the ego of the student body that will never admit to struggling. The “real world” of education described in “Losing Our Illusions” is a difficult sentiment for Choate students to grasp. Unlike many other schools in America, malnourishment, lack of education, and neglect are not prevalent issues on campus as students are provided with rigorous courses, food and shelter, and supportive faculty. Similarly, dropping out of school is a foreign concept because failure is not in the repertoire of many Choate students prior to their arrival. The community does not need to use illusions to feel educated because the community is already educated, which is actually the root of the issue. High academic performance is nothing knew for the average Choate student, and many of them have never been in need of outside help to complete a task. The level of independency that has been present in the majority of Choate students for the entirety of their educational careers increases when put to the test in an even intellectual playing field. The competitive atmosphere reinforces the deception that the opportunity to be at such an establishment and compromising a small part of one’s mental health go hand in hand.

        There are very few settings in which being considerate of unfamiliar cultures is stressed as regularly as it is at Choate. A large part of the Choate community is made up of international students with cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs that differ from those of Americans, and it is necessary that all are accepting of each other’s differences to be unified. Yet, there is an inclination to become hypersensitive in a highly integrated group. A seemingly popular belief on campus is that a high concentration of culture will increase knowledge, while Americans on the outside believe overlooking certain ideals of culture will eventually blend everyone together. The paradox of “We the People” being only a select group of white people is a classic example of America shying away from combining those who intend to live the American Dream and those who the American Dream is intended for. Conversely, the Choate cultural illusion is not that the community is blinded from reality, but the community looks at life through such a thick lens that the crux of cultural unity, understanding, is diminished by the fear of offending one another or unintentional appropriation, which all stems from the lack of knowledge on the matter. Even still, the truth that “Culture change is neither quick nor easy (Palmer 6),” is disregarded for the same reason no student will admit to struggling: a mix between the fabrication that many intelligent people put together makes an all-knowing entity and a stubborn individual that does not see failure as an option.  Separating the coveted image of brilliance from actuality is difficult for competitive students, just as acknowledging inequality is difficult for those who are not affected by it, which has created a barricade in front of cultural assimilation.  

    The overarching illusion of Choate is that there are no illusions.  It is deemed a very liberal and tolerant school, and, in many ways, it is. However, in an attempt to build a superior, transparent image on a flimsy foundation of opinionated, ambitious, and borderline egotistical people, the progression has come to a halt. There is a notion that the stress students feel every day is equivalent to the soreness of muscles after a workout: it means something is working and a larger gap is being established between those who take action and those who do not. A similar relationship can be drawn between Choate and America as one is trying to use issues to catalyze progress while the other is trying to step over issues altogether and still reach the set goal. The gap between Choate ideals and American ideals is overestimated because of the superficial image Choate builds around internal struggle. Despite the average IQ, Choate as a whole still has much to learn, and expelling arrogance and truly understanding the details of culture is the first step to tearing down the façade and becoming a truly impactful unit with the potential to aid the rest of America in removing the blindfold and initiating a transformation.