The Stanford Duck Syndrome:
Coined at Stanford University, duck syndrome occurs when you try and create an illusion of a perfect life but are working hard under the surface to keep it all together.
One evening, after a day’s frenzy, a friend and I took over the the serene and unoccupied plaza in front of the memorial church. Under the starry milky way canvas, we reclined and talked for hours.
starry starry night…
Our conversation casually shifted to the topic of the Duck Syndrome. I asked him, a Stanford graduate, if he had experienced it. He shrugged it off, saying it’s mostly an issue for undergrads who often set overly high expectations for themselves.
Ture. Moreover, there does seem to be a connection between a college student’s accomplishment and stress. I’d even bet $100 that there’s a positive correalation between GPA and anxiety level. It might rise and peak at a certain GPA level, remaining high for top-performing students.
I used to be skeptical about the Duck Syndrome, thinking it didn’t apply to me, until I found myself in its grip, experiencing anxiety attacks. But I’ve developed a strategy to deal with it: I “clip” the negative emotions. It’s not about blocking or ignoring them, just literally, clip and drop anxiety or any other emotions, to zero. Mathematically it should work perfectly. We’ll see.
As the lyric sings, in Demi Lovato’s I Love Me:
Way too good at camouflage,
Can’t see what I am I just see what I’m not.