A person strives for the primacy. Everyone wants to be the best everywhere and always. This happens involuntarily, regardless of conditions and possibilities. Just a man craves recognition, worthy of an evaluation of his abilities and merits.
Why is it that the second place is often worse than non-participation? The essence, of course, in human nature. The label "second" means "not the first, but very close to it." Take, for example, the olympiad in mathematics among schoolchildren. Any pupil who has taken places below the fifth, can say that he simply did not give all his best, he did not work on himself properly. He refers to this simply. He is not depressed by the fact that someone managed to get around him. Such a participant can all spihnut to rush and sloppy. But those who from the very beginning are focused on the championship and occupy the first five places can not say so. After all, they made every possible effort. The lucky one who got the first place will naturally be very proud that he was appreciated, and the rest will be full of grief and despair, because their hopes have remained unjustified.
Silver is not gold. In every competition, the second place, whose prize is a silver medal, is hated for potential leaders. After all, it is the one who occupies the next place behind the leader who realizes that he did not have quite a bit for a complete victory. The silver medal becomes for such people a symbol of missed opportunity. That is why many athletes of the Olympic level would prefer to remain without a medal than to be awarded "silver".
School Relay
A silver medal in the school is given to those who, after graduation, have grades of "excellent" and no more than two grades "good" in the subjects of the general education profile. It is also called the medal for diligence. Some people perceive this without much joy, because diligence is the application of enormous efforts to the learning process. But it seems that as diligence without result does not mean anything, so diligent study without a gold medal does not make sense. Many students, and especially students, are very sensitive to the evaluation of their efforts.
Of course, the presence or absence of a medal does not always determine the future of the person, but the emotional background that accompanies such situations can leave a sediment in the heart of a person for life. Every parent needs to remember that his child needs support and acceptance. Those who are "shining" a silver medal, this is sometimes necessary even more than those that graduate from schools with an average ball.
A silver medal can be a turning point that will make a person think that his efforts will never be appreciated. In this case, it is important to let the child know that grades, medals, diplomas and certificates are not the main thing. They do not determine the future of man, his fate. And, of course, happiness, recognition, respect and love do not depend on them at all. There is something more important in life than getting an education. The main thing is not to be the best for someone, but to live in accordance with the ideal that you yourself have determined for yourself. It is worth remembering that it is impossible to please everyone.