I recently finished reading a book titled “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe. It follows the tale of the very first astronauts and the challenges undertaken by these men. Originally Air Force fighter pilots, the “right stuff” refers to the intangible character traits that helped these men survive such death-defying day jobs. In situations of intense danger with mere milliseconds to make a life or death decision, the pilots with the “right stuff” came out alive. Those who died, well, they were considered to have had the other stuff.
The book led me to ponder what would constitute the “right stuff” for college students. So what do we do? We sit in classrooms listening to lectures and from time to time regurgitate the information consumed. If the lead-filled bubbles on our scantrons accurately match up with what the machine was seeking, we receive the letter A. The more letter A’s collected, the closer we get to the number 4. The game is simple. Here’s my query: if a million “yutes” (irrelevant Cousin Vinny reference) reach the almighty number 4, does that mean they all possess this shimmering righteous stuff? Unlikely. The “right stuff”, in an academic sense, entails an intrepid thirst for knowledge. It’s the viewpoint that receiving an A does not constitute a satisfactory comprehension, but rather serves as the catalyst for further exploratory reading. It’s the burning desire to ask questions and find answers, only to further question the given answers. And at a certain level, it’s the audacity to receive a 95% on a paper and think “Hmm, this teacher must be pretty bright. He understood 95% of my paper.”
Now why do we pursue these exemplary grades? Because we are trying to get jobs, or, if so bold, trying to get well-paid jobs. While trying is nice, execution is a separate matter. Whether it be at a job fair, interview, or any random networking opportunity, an imperative part of our morbid job-seeking process is simply gaining an audience with potential employers. The opportunities are abound, but too often do students cower in their moment to shine. Perhaps out of respect, but more likely from fear of humility, many students approach accomplished professionals in an almost self-demeaning manner. Students today are more intellectually advanced than ever before, and it’s a fact that should be realized. “Sir, I know I’m just a college student, but..” -is not the ideal way to establish a rightfully earned credibility. Not that being disrespectful or outwardly insubordinate is the key to employment, but come on, let’s show some bravado.
In satisfying my innate male dependency on capturing the world in a sports analogy, let’s view the employer as a basketball player. If you have respect for this player, you don’t simply bow down and admit to their greatness. You attack them, proving your worth by rising to, perhaps even instigating, a challenge. Michael Jordan didn’t ask Magic Johnson’s permission before tenaciously ripping his first championship from him, and it certainly wasn’t Derrick Rose’s designated turn to win the MVP last year. They saw what they wanted, and weren’t afraid to take it. Suffice it to say there isn’t (wasn’t – in the case of MJ) a team in the league that would turn down the opportunity to have either of these men on the squad.
Transitioning back to businessmen, I have a hard time imagining Sam Walton sitting in a lecture hall looking on in reverent fear at some mid- or even upper-level professional speaking to his class. Would he respect him? Of course, but he’d likely be plotting a strategy to surpass him rather than merely gain acceptance by him. When the twelve-year-old Steve Jobs needed an extra part for a school project, and knew HP had it, he didn’t patsy around worried about overstepping his boundaries. No, he called Bill Hewitt, got the part, and finished the damn project. (Subsequently, the phone conversation led to his first internship). Employers, if worthy of employing, are looking for future leaders and innovators, not perennial robots. The great ones know who they are before the rest of the world figures it out. They couldn’t possibly cower in fear at an employer, or rather, the challenge of impressing that employer. What’s to be feared when you know you’ve got a back pocket chock-full of the right stuff?
There’s a million examples of what the right stuff entails and the behaviors those with or without it undertake. It’s the indefinable gold that fuels a student’s mentality to surpass the task of making grades and getting a job, ascending with the prowess of a fighter pilot into new heights. It’s the ability to socialize with the best without getting bested by the social scene. Making grades is certainly a part of it, but the inclination to see beyond the grade is far more valuable. While a mere college degree gives most the ability to fit-in with the world, those clutching the right stuff boast an impregnable determination to shape it. Thirty five years ago, the twenty-year-old Steve Jobs stood at the forefront of an insufficient computing industry and asked “Why can’t I revolutionize this shit?” Last year, the twenty-two-year-old Derrick Rose stared at an NBA littered with established veterans and asked “Why can’t I be MVP?” Right now, there’s a handful of graduating seniors glaring down their respective fields and asking a few questions of their own. At the end of the day, the good ones hoped in consideration of their circumstances, while those boasting the right stuff planned in accordance with their expectations. This essay’s question isn’t whether or not the right stuff exists in America’s youth. It certainly does. No, the question is, do you have it?
