Are you accomplished? On your way to being accomplished? Accomplished in some things but not others? How about your friends? Your family members? Do you consider them accomplished?
Dan and I started a “discussion” last night in front of the fire. (What fire? You ask, since we have not a fireplace in Casa Amarilla. To answer your question, it was an outdoor fire. We borrowed a neighbor’s pit and burned some of our ever-present yard debris.) Beautiful night. Coupla beers.
Somehow, the term “accomplished” came up when discussing various people we knew. I pointed out several people I thought were accomplished, but Dan argued against them.
It quickly became apparent (in my humble opinion) that Dan has some extreme criteria for what counts as “accomplished.” For example, a straight-A student from a well-known university or college is not accomplished. Only a Valedictorian from an Ivy League institution passes muster with Dan. Maybe. If there was a lot of competition.
PhD’s, Master’s degrees, the number of degrees a person holds… none of those make a person accomplished. Medical school or law school? Yes. Doctors and lawyers are most definitely accomplished people if you ask Dan.
A successful writer? No. A writer that wins a Pulitzer? Yes.
A priest? No. The Pope? Probably.
Are you getting the picture here?
By the time our discussion concluded, I was seething. I still am this morning. I’m not sure exactly why I let it get so far under my skin, but I feel like Dan is failing to recognize many, many worthy accomplishments and the people who have achieved them.
I believe you do not have to earn a ton of money, attend an Ivy League school or be the president to be accomplished. Teachers, mothers, scientists, nurses, software developers, sales people… it doesn’t matter what your chosen profession is… anyone can be accomplished in a number of ways. My 6-year-old is an accomplished track builder, for example.
In my opinion, catching a bad guy is an accomplishment. In Dan’s opinion it’s only an accomplishment if it’s Al Capone.
What are your thoughts? Who are some people you think of as accomplished and why? Here is Dictionary.com’s definition of the word “accomplished.”
ac·com·plished 
[uh-kom-plisht] –adjective
| 1. | completed; done; effected: an accomplished fact. |
| 2. | highly skilled; expert: an accomplished pianist. |
| 3. | having all the social graces, manners, and other attainments of polite society. |
6 responses so far ↓
1 Maddog // Sep 28, 2008 at 9:59 pm
It’s a question of how its used (I think.) One can accomplish (in the sense of “completed, done, effected”) his objective - like an arrest - but not necessarily be an accomplished cop (in the sense of “expert, highly skilled.”) I’d go with accomplished as meaning “expert or highly skilled.”
2 Troy Remick // Sep 29, 2008 at 6:32 am
I think your gender depends on how you look at it. My husband is the same way. It isn’t enough that he is a General Surgeon. He says he is ‘just’ a General Surgeon. He needs to be a Trauma Surgeon or a Heart Surgeon. What this line of thinking does; however, is make the people around him feel less than him. So if he is ‘just a General Surgeon’, what does that make me? A worthless stay at home mom? I know they don’t mean to infer this but that is exactly what that kind of attitude does. We have had many of the same discussions (arguments) where I have been left feeling extremely insulted. I finally decided to quit discussing it with him. He is the one that is short sighted and will lose out on recognizing many accomplished people despite their perceived mediocrity.
3 Alexandra // Sep 29, 2008 at 10:39 am
I think a SAHM is the MOST accomplished. We’re a jack of all trades. Personal assistant, groomer, chef, taxi, tutor, etc. I don’t need a fancy sticker on my diploma to feel accomplished as long as my little boy is happy every night when I tuck him into bed.
4 Maddog // Sep 29, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Troy and Alexandra: terrific responses! Mine was remote, analytic and vaguely entomological. Blech. Yours were expressive and right on target. Two thumbs up!
5 Gwen // Sep 29, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Maddog is accomplished in using long adjectives. But could he have meant etymological (having to do with word derivation), and not entomological (having to to with the study of insects)?
6 Liz // Sep 30, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I think someone is accomplished if they seem satified with what they are doing!
As far as the last definition! I will never be accomplished with the social graces and manners…bummer!
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