In this discussion, Todd Rose, a Harvard Graduate School of Education professor and co-author of "Dark Horse," explores rethinking success beyond societal norms. He critiques the rigid 'Standardization Covenant' that often leaves individuals unfulfilled. Instead, he introduces the 'Dark Horse Covenant,' advocating for personal motivations, or 'micromotives,' to guide one's path to fulfillment. Through inspiring stories, he emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and adaptability in navigating unique career journeys and aligning passions with professional success.
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insights INSIGHT
Standardization Covenant
The Standardization Covenant prioritizes fitting in and outperforming others on a predetermined path.
This system, designed to benefit institutions, often leads to a disconnect between success and fulfillment.
insights INSIGHT
Institutions vs. Individuals
The Standardization Covenant serves institutions, not individuals, by prioritizing filling predetermined slots over individual capabilities.
It assumes a scarcity model of quality, limiting opportunities and neglecting diverse talents.
insights INSIGHT
Premature Career Choices
The Standardization Covenant pressures young people to choose career paths before their personalities are fully formed.
This can lead to dissatisfaction later, as individuals' interests and motivations evolve over time.
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Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment
Ogi Ogas
Todd Rose
In 'Dark Horse', Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas explore the concept of the 'dark horse' – individuals who achieve impressive success despite not fitting the conventional mold. Through the Dark Horse Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, they studied women and men who succeeded in unique ways. The book outlines a mindset that empowers readers to make choices aligned with their unique interests, abilities, and circumstances, leading to a life of passion, purpose, and achievement. This approach rejects the 'Standardization Covenant' and promotes a personalized path to success in the Age of Personalization.
The standard route to success in modern life goes as follows: work hard in high school, score high on your SAT, get into a good college, do well in your classes, get a good job.
For some people, that path works, but for a lot of people, it leaves them disengaged and frustrated because it doesn't actually lead to a life of fulfillment.
My guest today has spent his academic career studying individuals who have bucked the standard formula for achievement and found success on their own terms. His name is Todd Rose. He's a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the co-author of the book Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment. We begin our conversation discussing what Todd calls the "Standardization Covenant," including how it developed to serve institutions rather than individuals and why following the standard path often leads to frustration. Todd then explains his idea of an alternative "Dark Horse Covenant" and what it looks like theoretically and in the lives of those who've followed it. He then walks us through the steps that dark horses follow to find success and fulfillment on their own terms, including focusing on "micromotives" to figure out where you fit, making decisive choices, creating your own options, and trying new strategies until you find something that works. We end our conversation with how Todd would like to see the Dark Horse dynamic incorporated into our educational system.
The Art of Manliness 
