Am I Green?
Here’s another thing I like about martial arts: everyone wears a colored belt. The black belts are the best, and have been training since time immemorial. They have exemplary technique, speed, and power. The white belts are just starting out, and are akward and nervous. You need to stand back from them a bit so they don’t accidentally kick you in the head. Everyone in between (the colored belts) are working their way up the ranks, for example from yellow to green to blue to red (the exact order will depend on your sport).
Now even though the whole thing is about fighting, there’s no insurrection. People with higher-ranked belts than you are better–period. It’s part of their duty to help you learn, and they do so cheerfully. People with lower-ranked belts are less advanced than you, and it’s your duty to help them. Diligence is rewarded, but you can go at your own pace. No one is going to kick you out of the ranks due to an annual cap on yellow-belt promotions. There is no "up-or-out" rule.
Is this what academia would look like if there were enough academic jobs for everyone who paid their dues?
