Publish at June 11 2026 Updated June 11 2026
Recognition is a useful lever for boosting the confidence of the recipient. Whether in private or in public, it adds considerable value to the recipient's determination. Acknowledging one's contribution is socially appreciated.
Even if it is visibly important, doesn't the frantic quest for recognition lead to undesirable situations? When our mental programming conceives recognition as the ultimate goal, doesn't this become an obstacle to our fulfillment? How can we maintain a certain serenity even with recognition as a perspective for our achievements?
To begin with, acknowledging the contribution of others is not something to be overlooked. It shows that we value their importance and what they bring to society. Indeed, we're transformed and rejuvenated by the knowledge that we're appreciated in our own right, which puts us in the right frame of mind to give even more.
In a professional context, this is a recommended and even meaningful practice. It takes place on several levels:
The quest for recognition has taken another turn with the arrival of social networks, notably Facebook. We're witnessing a kind of democratization of information sharing and a quest for visibility. Indeed, from any corner of the world, anyone can share an image, a story or a video about anything they want.
Taking advantage of its own effect, "in the face of the decay of shared worlds and institutions of encounter, Facebook enables its members to connect with each other regardless of space and time, to meet virtually or face-to-face on occasions and at events created and driven live by anyone." (Borel Simon, 2012)
Young people are the most invested in this need for recognition, hence their constant use of social networks. They need validation and understanding, as they are in a period of emancipation. Social networks, now within everyone's reach, are a vast field of expression. In this vein, "when young people take digital social networks by storm, they do so by banking on the digital illiteracy of those in power. What's more, their infatuation with the digital also stems from the fact that they see themselves as the masters of this new territory, where the old are finding it hard to accommodate." ( Kalaba Muween, Mvula Ngyemur, 2023)
Within the family circle, recognizing a child's efforts is a way of enhancing his or her self-esteem. It puts them in the right emotional frame of mind to continue working, but...
Acknowledging a child's efforts on a daily basis is not a fault, but imagine him reaching a point where he works only in search of recognition, perhaps in the form of a reward. At this point, he becomes demanding, and may even set the condition of reward as the driving force behind his actions.
It can be detrimental to fall into the trap of overemphasizing, imposing and demanding recognition. If we live only for recognition, we create a kind of confinement, and our self-esteem depends entirely on a reality outside ourselves. You get into an uncomfortable spiral that is more or less toxic for group dynamics.
Richard Poulain has learned the hard way that the frantic quest for recognition can lead us to follow a professional path that is not our own, and in some cases, be detrimental to our health. He recounts his professional misadventure. Given the pressures and intensity of his work, he fell into a sort of deep malaise, and had to be rushed to hospital. An extract from his testimony catches our attention:
"The next morning, I found it harder and harder to breathe. Despite everything, my need to be appreciated and recognized drove me to call my vice-president to settle the files I'd left in abeyance before leaving for the Easter break. ... Just imagine: I was in intensive care and I was sorting out my office files." ( Richard Poulain; Estelle Morin, 2010)
In view of the above, constantly putting ourselves in stressful situations gradually weakens our stability, and if nothing is done, we risk finding ourselves in uncomfortable situations.
In today's recognition model, the focus is more on the individual. And yet, although an idea or a trajectory, even a revolutionary one, is driven by an individual, its deployment is often the work of a group, of a system, without which the idea would not have had the scope it did. Mark Zuckerberg's name is on everyone's lips when Facebook is mentioned. But very few are aware of the circumstances surrounding the creation of this famous social network, or of the other players involved.
Even if Zuckerberg is the name that comes up most often, since he was the mastermind behind the concept, we tend to forget that other players, also Harvard students at the time of the social network's creation and considered co-founders, are rarely mentioned. In fact, Facebook's success right from the start was due to the work of a competent, structured and complementary team. These were :
A company committed to recognizing how a system works, rather than individual prowess, is in the long term committed to team-building. Putting employees in competition with each other is certainly likely to encourage them to surpass themselves, but at certain levels this can take a rather unpleasant and even damaging turn for the company. Some will have no qualms about getting in the way of their colleagues in the name of competition.
Establishing a collective recognition of a well-functioning team makes it clear that everyone has their place in the process, and is invited to play their part to the full to avoid weakening the system.
By way of illustration, when our finger hurts, it's the whole body that suffers, and if we have to go to hospital, that part of our anatomy doesn't detach itself to get there. It's our whole body that does the moving. In this vein, mutual aid becomes a reflex, because if one member of the team finds himself in difficulty, the others join forces to come to his aid, for the good of the collective.
Until now, many educational systems have been geared towards celebrating the strongest and the best. Sometimes, a whole show is orchestrated in the classroom by the teacher. You can often tell by the intonation of his voice when he reads the first: the tone is more pronounced, triumphalist and festive. And the first to rise in a majestic gait to retrieve his report card or copy.
Far be it from us to think that the work of the most deserving should not be highlighted. However, if we think differently, we can cultivate the art of collective evolution (we're not talking about collective promotion) right from the start of the year. Cultivate solidarity in learning, the spirit of intellectual generosity.
We envision a system in which greater emphasis is placed on group results, bringing together the hardest-working with those who are less so, with the aim of fostering classroom success. In this configuration, collective performances are valued more than individual ones. By promoting group skills over the long term, we also create a society of mutual aid, collectivism and group success.
Sources
Jean-Pierre Brun; Nino Gougas , ( 2002), la reconnaissance au travail : une pratique riche de sens
https:// je-tu-elles.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/reconnaissance_jp_brun.pdf
Borel Simon, 2012), "Facebook, stade suprême de la reconnaissance", Revue du MAUSS
https://shs.cairn.info/article/RDM_040_0257
Richard Poulain, Estelle Morin, (2010), La reconnaissance : oui, mais pas à n'importe quel prix" (Recognition: yes, but not at any price)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269643270_La_reconnaissance_oui_mais_pas_a_n any_price
Kalaba Muween L. K. Mvula Ngyemur, ( 2023) Young Africans, social networks and the exercise of democracy
https://www.criged-isc.org/pdfFile/59_RCG%20VOL%20n%C2%B021,%20Juin-d%C3%A9mbre%202023-109-123%20Article%202%20Kabos%20&%20Macaire.pdf
The harmful effects of excessive competition between employees on collective performance
https://blogs-fr.psicosmart.pro/blog-les-effets-nefastes-de-la-competition-excessive-entre-les-employes-sur-les-performances-collectives-167089
The story of Facebook's co-founders
https://etudestech.com/portrait/cofondateur-facebook-reseau-social-mark-zuckerberg/
You might also like:
The world is changing and there are new possibilities, new fields of possibility in the face of new demands, challenges and societal changes. One way of doing this is to refocus on the deeper self and consciousness, in addition to all the other school tools that are more oriented towards management and hierarchy.
Are values more important than tasks?
The question of values has always had a certain importance in the workplace, but this has been confirmed in recent years. A series of factors have meant that Generation Z, among others, no longer accepts just anything when it comes to employment.
Textbooks: the end of ice deliverer
When refrigeration technology came along, many ice delivery people didn't understand that the essence of their job was not to deliver ice but to help people keep their food cool. In publishing, we are seeing much the same phenomenon...
School Collaboration: Six Key Points for Teacher Teams in Schools
Administrators and teachers share the same goals... Synthesis of 5 studies and 4 case analyses of effectives school teams.
How can video games be used in the classroom?
The use of serious or non-serious electronic games in the classroom offers a vast field of study for teachers who want to take the plunge. Of course, they need to be familiar with the title used, delimit its uses and, above all, develop a didactic strategy to ensure that the game really does serve as a learning tool, not a hobby.
