<p>All of the “unpopular” kids who ran for office in my high school either had ridiculous attempts at a “funny” speech… or their speech just sucked.</p>
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<p>Just a random application into real life politics, but perhaps this is why we often get bad politicians in office; we choose them based on how popular they are, not how much they actually know for the job.</p>
<p>Thank God hs elections were a popularity contest, or I wouldn’t have won.</p>
<p>lulz I hate fresh. will do</p>
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<p>Popularity is often determined by the aptitude of their social skills, something quite necessary in real life politics.</p>
<p>^Sure, social skills are important too, but without knowledge, you can’t actually get problems solved. For example, if a bunch of doctors, etc, were making the healthcare reform bill right now, the whole process would probably run much more smoothly.</p>
<p>^Sure, social skills are important too, but without knowledge, you can’t actually get problems solved. For example, if a bunch of doctors, etc, were making the healthcare reform bill right now, the whole process would probably run much more smoothly. </p>
<p>The reason the reform is not smooth isn’t knowledge, it is a disagreement of opinions. There isn’t set knowledge on what kind of health care system is necessarily the best. Not to mention doctors are experts in a field of medicine, they don’t necessarily know what kind of health care is best.</p>
<p>If anything, social skills are far more important depending on whose side you are on; politicians need to persuade, make deals, or force reform in what manner they want. This is what a politician does. They get plenty of knowledge from advisors and aids. What makes or breaks a politician is how well he can communicate what ideas he believes will benefit his constituents the most.</p>
<p>Much of the work as a student officer is communication. It really doesn’t take a brain really. If anything, it is very important to have the social skills sociable, amiable people have in order to achieve some things, like getting donations from stores/corporations/etc.</p>
<p>You could be the smartest little bug out there, but if you can’t make a single coherent sentence in front of people, then being a politician is a flop for you. On the flip side, you could be best speaker out there, but maybe you have the brain size of a walnut.
People who knows a lot about one topic, let their knowledge show usually during their speech. The determinations in the way they carry themselves. The load of information they provide. The fire in proving that they want something very bad. Even someone with speech impediment could do that. Race have nothing to do with being someone who could speak. But then again, maybe my school is upside down, where the smart kids are popular, and geeks and nerds make the best public speakers :)</p>
<p>Here’s what I have told my daughters about high school and popularity. If you are popular in high school-- its sad that the highlight of your life ended so soon. No one will care once you leave high school! Knowing you will find friends that think like you and appreciate you for who you actually are-- rather than superficial stupidity that causes kids to ‘jump off the bridge because someone else says so.’ Turned out the popular girls in my school were the ones visiting planned parenthood–having sex and secretly being pretty miserable trying to live up to their own hype.</p>
<p>^While I understand what you are saying, not everyone who is “popular,” which is a very arbitrary term, are promiscuous, miserable degenerates. </p>
<p>You can be yourself AND be popular. If being yourself doesn’t exactly make you “popular,” that’s fine.</p>
<p>Many “popular” people I know are smart and friendly individuals who should have many other highlights in their life.</p>
<p>^ Case in Point.
Popularity could mean two different things in high school. One, you’re a total party animal and sleeps around. Two, you are a nice, smart friendly person and people like you’re company for who you are inside and out.</p>
<p>I think student council elections are SUCH A JOKE. It’s not like students have much power over the school’s administration and district anyway, so what’s the point? The only thing that my school’s student council is good for is raising money by hosting stupid class nights at crappy restaurants and selling lollipops so we can have our prom somewhere decent.</p>
<p>What do you think politics is man? It’s a popularity contest in high school and it’s a popularity contest when you’re an adult.</p>
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It doesn’t have to be power over administrator. The whole point, is to make a high school more enjoyable. If your student council wasn’t holding the fundraisers to begin with, then where will your prom me? Somewhere not decent I suppose.</p>
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<p>That’s an extreme generalization and even stereotyping. Honestly, your post sounds more bitter than didactic. Popularity does not cause a miserable future, while the two are sometimes correlated many popular students excel both in academic and social areas.</p>
<p>Wow, Calc BC as a freshman? Good job. Even on CC, I don’t see that often.</p>