Grant warns that effort has been over-emphasized in education

Analyzing the article

The New York Times

sweeping generalization

Our Analysis: 1 Fallacy

After 20 years of teaching, I thought I'd heard every argument in the book from students who wanted a better grade. But recently, at the end of a weeklong course with a light workload, multiple students had a new complaint: "My grade doesn't reflect the effort I put into this course."

While Adam Grant validly highlights the importance of distinguishing effort from excellence and cautions against valuing persistence without results, he oversimplifies the intentions of those who support praising effort. Additionally, he relies on an overly broad generalization which undermines the strength of his argument.

1. sweeping generalization • The author makes an overly broad claim about an entire generation's educational experience and values without adequate qualification or evidence.

We've taught a generation of kids that their worth is defined primarily by their work ethic.

It is not obvious that this is "primarily" what kids have been told is the basis of their worth in society.

Here are alternative messages/values that challenge the sweeping generalization:

Character-based worth • Kindness, empathy, and how you treat others • Integrity and honesty • Moral courage and standing up for what's right
Achievement-based worth • Academic or athletic accomplishments • Creative or artistic expression • Innovation and problem-solving ability
Social contribution • Community service and volunteering • Leadership and inspiring others • Making positive change in society
Personal growth • Self-awareness and emotional intelligence • Resilience in facing challenges • Ability to learn from mistakes
Identity and authenticity • Being true to oneself • Cultural heritage and values • Individual uniqueness
Relationship-based worth • Being a good friend/family member • Building meaningful connections • Supporting others
Multiple intelligence areas • Social intelligence • Musical ability • Spatial reasoning • Linguistic capability
Citizenship values • Civic engagement • Environmental consciousness • Social responsibility

This variety suggests the original generalization overlooks numerous alternative messages about personal worth that many young people receive. This is a matter of Grant overstating his case; the generalization could potentially be moderated without undoing his overall argument.

References

Adam Grant (2024, Dec 26). No, You Don't Get an A for Effort.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/opinion/school-grades-a-quantity-quality.html

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Disclaimer

Note that there being one or more apparent fallacies in the arguments presented in this article does not mean that every argument the arguer made was fallacious, nor does it mean there are not other arguments in existence for the same or similar position that are logically valid. Also note that checking for fallacies is not the same as verification of the premises the arguer starts from, such as facts that the arguer asserts or principles that the arguer assumes as the foundation for constructing arguments. For more about this, see our 'What is Fallacy Checking?'

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