Posted on by Californiacontrarian

A Paradoxical Peter’s Principle ?


For those who are aware of this term, Peter’s Principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter, which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their “maximum level of incompetence”: employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another. (Emphasis is mine.)

In day to day life we see this all the time. For instance, in baseball, players are constantly brought up from the minors to the major league club because they have had success in the minor leagues. How often do these players stay in the majors? Often it depends on their ability to hit an authentic curve ball. If they do not have this ability, they do not remain with the major league club, and back down to the minors they go. Note here, however, with this example, baseball players who do not succeed at the minor league level are not called up to the major league team.

Likewise there are many good teachers, and at some point some of these teachers become principals. Not all of these principals are good principals as they have reached their level of incompetence. What often happens to these now proven to be incompetent principals? They retire, or they go back to teaching often at a different school or different district, or they get transferred to the district office where many possibly remain incompetent, but usually unnoticed. Note with this example, poor or unsuccessful teachers only infrequently move up the food chain.

In both of these examples, the individual who has risen to his/her level of incompetence is dealt with appropriately, and does not remain in that position in which he/she is incompetent.

What about politics?

Right from the very start one might be tempted to say that Joe Biden is the modern, personified definition of Peter’s Principle. One problem with this, however, is that Joe Biden never had any ‘real success’ in his past endeavors.

According to Wikipedia, he was a “poor student” in high school, and an “unexceptional student” in college where he earned a Bachelor of Arts.

Yes, he did graduate from law school, albeit in the lower part of his class … 76 out of a class of 85. He did practice law for a few years. Not much is know about his success as a lawyer, but suffice it to say that during these few years, he supplemented his income by managing properties.

He never did serve in the military as he obtained five student draft deferments, at a time when most draftees were sent to the Vietnam War. In 1968, based on a physical examination, he was given a conditional medical deferment … whatever that means. In 2008, a spokesperson for Biden said his having had “asthma as a teenager” was the reason for the deferment. This is interesting because Biden played baseball and was a standout halfback and wide receiver on the high school football team. A star football player with asthma??  … I guess it’s possible. 

However, now we have a person who is the commander-in-chief of the military who apparently finagled a conditional medical deferment … again what does that actually mean …”conditional.” Granted we have had other presidents who have never served in the military, however these other past presidents have been successful in something … Joe Biden, not so much.

Moving right along, in his previous position as a Senator and as a Vice President did he have any ‘real success?’ Can anyone enlighten me on any of his accomplishments in these endeavors?

But now comes the practical issue … Joe Biden has seemingly reached the level of ultimate incompetence, even though he has never really succeeded in any of his past jobs.  Whereas it usually takes a while for incompetence to manifest itself, here it has only taken a few months. 

Both in baseball and in schools when  Peter’s Principal is obvious and someone is not up to the task, he/she doesn’t last long … black to the minors or a transfer to the district office, but here we are stuck for years to come.

Here perhaps we should refer to this paradoxical pattern as the Biden Principle:

“Never succeed at anything, yet rise to the ultimate level of in competence.”

9/7/21

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