<p>[AFF</a> Doublethink Online The Self-Made Man](<a href=“http://americasfuture.org/doublethink/2008/05/the-self-made-man/]AFF”>http://americasfuture.org/doublethink/2008/05/the-self-made-man/)</p>
<p>A very interesting discussion of The Runner (James Hoague story) with thoughts on why author Samuels wants to abolish the ivy league.</p>
<p>“It is because Samuels believes that Harvard and Princeton really are the center of the universe, and that they are so powerful as to be the arbiters of not just the destinies of their successful graduates, but also of everyone else in America, that he is convinced that the Ivy League must, in the name of fairness, be abolished.”</p>
<p>Well I’m not sure the article’s author is qualified to draw this conclusion. But if true then Samuels didn’t get much of an education during his years at Princeton. If the goal of a society is to create ever-greater opportunities for its citizens, why even contemplate abolishing the greatest available opportunity (since that’s how Samuels’ apparently views Ivy League schools)?</p>
<p>I hven’t read the book, nor the original article. So this author may be exaggerating. He claims that Samuels states he abhors the ivy league yet appears smitten with it. Plenty of contradictions.</p>
<p>I read the article years ago. It’s a fascinating story. The imposter was a runner. He won some trophies in high school. Long distance running is one of the few athetic endeavors where someone 26 has the edge over someone 16.
Part of the reason the imposter got into Princeton was that his times were good enough to make him a great athletic recruit for P’ton. My recollection is that he was “outed” when someone who had competed against him in high school recognized him at a track meet.</p>
<p>It seems Samuels telling of the imposter’s story takes a curious turn.</p>
<p>One of the most fascinating elements of the story is that someone like The Imposter (31 year old Western con man) could pass himself off as a Princeton student.</p>
<p>This raises interesting questions about identity and what it means to be self-made. It could be argued that the imposter’s story shows how an Ivy League acceptance or education is as much a superficial label as it is a defining element of an individual.</p>
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<p>The rest of the world can live and thrive even without an Ivy League education…really!</p>