Originally Posted by Dude
Valedictorian is an award given to the student who most successfully exhibits the traits of gifted perfectionism, and all the baggage that entails. Depending on the size and/or quality of the school, making the top spot is a lot like an arms race.

I made valedictorian by 0.14% because I treated it as a form of strategic warfare.

In hindsight, it's clear that I shouldn't have treated my peers as existential threats to be eliminated or neutralized.