Are You Nice?

I rub the slippery surface of my dorm lobby’s couch. “Look, the thing is, I just don’t trust-,”

“Why don’t you?” my friend asks. “What’s the difference? If you do nice things, then you’re a nice person.”

“I disagree,” I say. Midnight nears, and this starts to look like one of those late night college conversations, the ones that rob me of sleep – and sometimes, sanity. “You have to look deeper.”

“Why though?” she prods. “Either way, the nice action or whatever is accomplished. Does it matter what the person’s motivation is? Wouldn’t it be annoying to always distrust people?”

Well, I think, as I smile and nod and agree to disagree, I officially don’t trust you. Or your family. Or your family’s cow. If your family even owns a cow…

Should Students Be Paid To Get Good Grades?

This topic – whether students should receive payment for obtaining good grades – came up in my Psychology class a few months ago, and it got me thinking.

I’m not the brightest guy on the block, but when it comes to academics, I admit that I do decently. So if someone were to propose to me a plan in which I would receive money for my straight A’s and cash for my SAT score, why not? In this economy, any amount could go a long way. As a high school junior, college is coming up for me in a couple of years, and it’s not like the cost of tuition is becoming cheaper. But while one may be saving for future expenses by receiving money for their academic achievements, they could be losing something far more important in the process – their intrinsic motivation.