I am likely to miss the main event if I stop to cry and complain

Goody two-shoesism runs deep. For some reason, it seems like "once a bad kid, always a bad kid," is a much more popularized idea than "once a law abiding perfectionist, always a law abiding perfectionist." But if the "bad seed" mentality is pretty much just based on the concept of learned behaviors and ingrained inclinations to deviance, than ingrained inclinations to anal retentive time management shouldn't be any different. I, unsurprisingly, have generally historically allied myself more with the Martin Prince's of the world than the Nelson Muntz's, and whether that's for better or for worse I definitely feel like the basic DNA of the Suck Up Teacher's Pet Good Kid still very much controls me. I, without trying, like following directions. I respond positively to praise from figures of authority. I get frustrated when people cut in line.

Overall, I'm more than content that my socioeconomic status, genetics, and parenting have led me to those kind of tendencies and not to, say, arson. As I commented about two years ago in a similarly-themed post, there are a lot of perks to being on Santa's nice list. That last post was, in retrospect, irritatingly self-congratulatory, though, and it's probably important to consider the fact that my ability to succeed in school and avoid jail time has just as much to do with things I had absolutely no control over as it does my own conscious decision-making.

On the topic of conscious decision-making: At this point, having gone through high school and half of college, I consider myself a veteran of Finals Seasons. As an organization fiend and an English major besides, when my various finals do come around, I'm often less stressed than many to most other people I know. Despite this, in the days immediately preceding and including finals, I've actually felt a weird kind of peer pressure to act like I'm overwhelmed by work. What is it about points of collective pressure that make people suddenly proud of being emotionally, mentally, and physically burdened with assignments? All students during finals time automatically channel the personalities of the Chronic Complainy People that, for the rest of the year, usually irritate us. I think everyone's conversations would be a lot less negative and annoyingly competitive if each of us pretended to sign an imaginary concession that says yes, I know you have a lot of work to do. Maybe even more than me. You win. New topic.