So in conclusion if the belts of rank in karate have toxic ego effects so can the other stuff mentioned. — HardWorker

That would depend on the sensei, one of the first things my daughter learned in karate classes was that she should never think of herself as better that others because she has a higher colored belt. She was told that as she moved up it would be her job to act as a guide and instructor for the lower belts but that meant that she was responsible for making them as good as her. To fail to help them would be a tarnish upon her abilities to lead and teach.

In schools, I am a teacher, it is one of my battles for the last twenty years to try to teach kids that if you get a hundred by honest means the you should celebrate it. But getting a hundred was not the point of the exercise, learning what you needed to get the hundred was.
Getting a hundred by any means and then bragging about it makes people into assholes, of which the world has an abundance. But it happens a lot because toxic parents also like to blab on about their super kids.
And then farcebook, snapclap and twatter come along and make it easier for them to show off.

Blame society, blame the economy, who knows who really is to blame. But if parents tried a bit harder to be parents things might be better.

That would depend on the sensei, one of the first things my daughter learned in karate classes was that she should never think of herself as better that others because she has a higher colored belt. She was told that as she moved up it would be her job to act as a guide and instructor for the lower belts but that meant that she was responsible for making them as good as her. To fail to help them would be a tarnish upon her abilities to lead and teach.

I don't know what dojo your daughter went to but from my experience, and I've been to multiple dojos, is that you're usually not expected to help teach until you get quite high up in rank, and by that I mean brown belt or higher, and in many systems brown is the color right before black, with belts.
The belt system is not perfect so just because you do have a higher color than somebody else doesn't necessarily mean you're better than them.

In schools, I am a teacher, it is one of my battles for the last twenty years to try to teach kids that if you get a hundred by honest means the you should celebrate it. But getting a hundred was not the point of the exercise, learning what you needed to get the hundred was.

But the hundred is proof that you've learned the material just like belts in the martial arts are proof that you've developed the skill. A hundred is just a number on a piece of paper, anybody can get a piece of paper and a red marker and make a big 100 on the paper, or a big A plus, and there you have it. But earning a hundred in a class means you've learned the material just like earning a belt in the martial arts means you learned the skill.

Getting a hundred by any means and then bragging about it makes people into assholes, of which the world has an abundance. But it happens a lot because toxic parents also like to blab on about their super kids.

That's extremely egotistical, to boast about getting a hundred, but you've got to remember that in such a case, where somebody boasts about getting a hundred that they really did get it, they really did earn it.

But the hundred is proof that you've learned the material — HardWorker

Nope, it just means you gave the right answers. You might have guessed most of the answers, someone might have given them to you. A hundred on an exam or grading period does not even mean that you understood the content of the course, you might have just been lucky to have memorized the content to answer the questions, or even borrowed someone else's summary and class notes to review.

where somebody boasts about getting a hundred that they really did get it, they really did earn it. — HardWorker

Ya think? Not so I am afraid. The few 100%'ers that I know rarely ever mentioned their grades to anyone. They were intelligent enough to know that it really makes no difference.

A few years ago one of my students got into Harvard, she had worked hard for all of the years I knew her. I was asked to write a recommendation letter for her, the university sent me a link to the form and I filled it out. She graduated with honors.

Another kid a few years later tried to get in as well. His grade average was just a fraction below the girls, but he got it by getting others to help do his assignments, sweet talking teachers into giving him second chance to present work and cheating on small things that had little value so that if caught he would not lose a lot.
I refused to fill in the form that the university sent, because he just took it for granted that I would do it and never thought to consult with me before hand. He did not get in and several other places turned him down because of his crappy writing skills, which he acquired by getting others to do stuff for him.

Intelligence levels, high scores are not the equivalent of knowledge. I know many very intelligent people that could do almost anything they wanted to do, but what they wanted was a simple life. I also know a few not very intelligent people that have gone a long way in life because they worked extra hard to do it.

I've heard certain people say that giving students belts of rank can be bad because it can result in toxic ego effects — HardWorker

Earning a brown belt in karate is only possible because you wanted to dedicate yourself to learning it and the way of life that goes along with it. You will always find assholes that get into it for the "being able to beat people up" effect, but if the sensei allows that then he is a bigger asshole than them.

I don't know what dojo your daughter went to but from my experience, and I've been to multiple dojos, is that you're usually not expected to help teach until you get quite high up in rank, and by that I mean brown belt or higher, and in many systems brown is the color right before black, with belts. — HardWorker

I did not mean that she was actually forced to give classes, that would have been a bit too much. What I meant was that as she became higher in the ranks she should not let herself become distanced from the others that were below her but that she should help and guide them to be better. A way of teaching them that they should not feel superior and that helping the others in the community makes them into better people.

Ya think? Not so I am afraid. The few 100%'ers that I know rarely ever mentioned their grades to anyone. They were intelligent enough to know that it really makes no difference.

Well the grading system for academics isn't perfect or foolproof but it does give a general idea of how much somebody has learned the material. Yes it is possible to get lucky and just guess all the right answers on a test and get a high score for that test but with overall performance, as in your grade not just for one test but your final grade for the class, or your GPA, would be more accurate.

Another kid a few years later tried to get in as well. His grade average was just a fraction below the girls, but he got it by getting others to help do his assignments, sweet talking teachers into giving him second chance to present work and cheating on small things that had little value so that if caught he would not lose a lot.
I refused to fill in the form that the university sent, because he just took it for granted that I would do it and never thought to consult with me before hand. He did not get in and several other places turned him down because of his crappy writing skills, which he acquired by getting others to do stuff for him.

So he cheated. If you ask me, I would say it was a good thing that you didn't write a letter of recommendation for him. As for his bad writing skills which resulted in him having others do his work and not developing good writing skills of his own, that goes to show that cheaters don't win, not in the long run.

Intelligence levels, high scores are not the equivalent of knowledge. I know many very intelligent people that could do almost anything they wanted to do, but what they wanted was a simple life. I also know a few not very intelligent people that have gone a long way in life because they worked extra hard to do it.

Well if you want to go far in life you have to have some intelligence, in addition to working hard. People alway talk about how important it is to work hard. To succeed you have to work smart. Horses work hard.

Earning a brown belt in karate is only possible because you wanted to dedicate yourself to learning it and the way of life that goes along with it.

Well you got to know what you need to do to earn a brown belt. And the same obviously goes towards earning a black belt too, you got to know what to do and if you don't you should ask your sensei.

You will always find assholes that get into it for the "being able to beat people up" effect, but if the sensei allows that then he is a bigger asshole than them.

You would not like sensei John Kreese.

I did not mean that she was actually forced to give classes, that would have been a bit too much. What I meant was that as she became higher in the ranks she should not let herself become distanced from the others that were below her but that she should help and guide them to be better. A way of teaching them that they should not feel superior and that helping the others in the community makes them into better people.

I see, well I agree with that.

I've heard certain people say that giving students belts of rank can be bad because it can result in toxic ego effects. — HardWorker

What is toxic ego effect?
You mean people become conceited through recognition of their accomplishments?
Some people are conceited with no accomplishments at all; some people are rewarded for lesser accomplishments while some who accomplish more are passed over. The world isn't always fair.

However, in skilled occupations, crafts and sports, as well as in organizations, it is necessary to devise some system of classification or rank. A match between two unranked karate students would not go well for the one who actually rates yellow against one whose ability rates a brown belt.
Similarly, I would prefer to get my medication from a pharmacist who knew 95% of the answers, rather than one who only scored 55%, even he's more charmingly humble.

What is toxic ego effect?

It's just that I've heard that belts in the martial arts can result in toxic ego effects, a discussion that's come up in the martial arts community.

However, in skilled occupations, crafts and sports, as well as in organizations, it is necessary to devise some system of classification or rank.

Most competitive sports do have rank of some sort if for any reason at all, so that you will compete against similarly skilled opponents.