Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

What do you think about impact of the phrase 'nothing is impossible if you work hard enough' ?

2456710

Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I too have only heard it said to children.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    You look young and healthy.

    That might be why you think anything is possible.

    That's also a privileged position, whether you realize it or not.

    No matter how badly I want it, or how hard I work, I'll never be able to lunge to full depth or squat ATG, for example. I'm older with two forms of arthritis, and my joints will only take me so far.

    Now I have gone from walking with a cane to running, so while *that* was possible, I don't think ANYTHING is possible. In fact, I know it isn't.

    Mind you, I'm not pulling some victimized thing here. I just know that I have limits due to a medical condition. That's facing reality. I'm not bitter or anything like that.

    I just don't like trite, pat little sayings like this. There are lots of things people face. I think the important thing is to do your best, whatever your circumstances are. I may not be able to do everything, but I'm doing far more than I ever thought I could, and I think that's pretty damned awesome enough.

    Indeed. We don't have control over a great many things. Winning, losing, genetic, medical conditions etc. What we do have control over is the effort we put forth in achieving our goals, whatever they may be. As long as you give it your absolute best (and deep down we know wether or not we do) you can hold your head up high and be content with who you are at this moment...
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    Sounds like a good way to encourage someone to overexert themselves.
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 233 Member
    How about Yoda's "Do. Or do not. There is no try."
  • ACanadian22
    ACanadian22 Posts: 377 Member
    I say it to my kids. They know what their weaknesses are and their strengths. It is nice to see my youngest(13) running the track practice for soccer where as the other children are walking cause they are "too tired"!!!! 13 and TOO LAZY and this Mama is proud her boys believe they have it in them to go far in life...as long as they try :)
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    edited October 2017
    J72FIT wrote: »
    I'm thinking the reason we mostly say this to kids is because that's when everyone has the most potential. I'm sure we can all acknowledge that windows of opportunity get smaller as we get older, but c'mon it's a little ridiculous for someone in their middle years to feel burned that they're not going to be a star athlete when they haven't been putting in the work for decades.

    Perhaps this is a glass half-empty/half-full kind of thing. Anyone who's read any self-help books would know the positive impact of visualizing goals instead of just writing them off.

    As for the whole privilege thing? I'm not disputing that the difficulty setting is different for everyone, regardless of race, gender, $, etc. But it's too easy to let 'privilege' be an excuse. So it's going to be more difficult for you than it is for others. Doesn't mean you can't do it.

    Final note, I've always believed that hard work alone is not the determining factor to success. Everybody would rather work smarter, than harder but if you're doing both, I think the odds are you're probably doing better than your peers. And as for some people just being lucky? To throw out another trite phrase "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

    There's the magic word. Not everyone gets the same opportunities. Sad but true.
    Still though, work hard and do your best. Let the rest be what it will be...

    That may be true, but I pass by 4-6 opportunities a week that I can't exploit because my time and other resources are already directed at other opportunities. Some of those opportunities are time sensitive, some are not. Most of the nots are still around days or weeks later.

    Opportunity knocks every day.

    Does not change the fact that some are not afforded the same opportunities. That said, it is not an excuse not to do your best...
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    I'm thinking the reason we mostly say this to kids is because that's when everyone has the most potential. I'm sure we can all acknowledge that windows of opportunity get smaller as we get older, but c'mon it's a little ridiculous for someone in their middle years to feel burned that they're not going to be a star athlete when they haven't been putting in the work for decades.

    Perhaps this is a glass half-empty/half-full kind of thing. Anyone who's read any self-help books would know the positive impact of visualizing goals instead of just writing them off.

    As for the whole privilege thing? I'm not disputing that the difficulty setting is different for everyone, regardless of race, gender, $, etc. But it's too easy to let 'privilege' be an excuse. So it's going to be more difficult for you than it is for others. Doesn't mean you can't do it.

    Final note, I've always believed that hard work alone is not the determining factor to success. Everybody would rather work smarter, than harder but if you're doing both, I think the odds are you're probably doing better than your peers. And as for some people just being lucky? To throw out another trite phrase "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

    There's the magic word. Not everyone gets the same opportunities. Sad but true.
    Still though, work hard and do your best. Let the rest be what it will be...

    That may be true, but I pass by 4-6 opportunities a week that I can't exploit because my time and other resources are already directed at other opportunities. Some of those opportunities are time sensitive, some are not. Most of the nots are still around days or weeks later.

    Opportunity knocks every day.

    Does not change the fact that some are not afforded the same opportunities...

    Just because they aren't being seized doesn't meant they're not available.

    The opportunities I'm talking about are generally available to anyone. They aren't secret or hidden, But hundreds of people walk past them and don't take them.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    edited October 2017
    J72FIT wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    I'm thinking the reason we mostly say this to kids is because that's when everyone has the most potential. I'm sure we can all acknowledge that windows of opportunity get smaller as we get older, but c'mon it's a little ridiculous for someone in their middle years to feel burned that they're not going to be a star athlete when they haven't been putting in the work for decades.

    Perhaps this is a glass half-empty/half-full kind of thing. Anyone who's read any self-help books would know the positive impact of visualizing goals instead of just writing them off.

    As for the whole privilege thing? I'm not disputing that the difficulty setting is different for everyone, regardless of race, gender, $, etc. But it's too easy to let 'privilege' be an excuse. So it's going to be more difficult for you than it is for others. Doesn't mean you can't do it.

    Final note, I've always believed that hard work alone is not the determining factor to success. Everybody would rather work smarter, than harder but if you're doing both, I think the odds are you're probably doing better than your peers. And as for some people just being lucky? To throw out another trite phrase "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

    There's the magic word. Not everyone gets the same opportunities. Sad but true.
    Still though, work hard and do your best. Let the rest be what it will be...

    That may be true, but I pass by 4-6 opportunities a week that I can't exploit because my time and other resources are already directed at other opportunities. Some of those opportunities are time sensitive, some are not. Most of the nots are still around days or weeks later.

    Opportunity knocks every day.

    Does not change the fact that some are not afforded the same opportunities...

    Just because they aren't being seized doesn't meant they're not available.

    The opportunities I'm talking about are generally available to anyone. They aren't secret or hidden, But hundreds of people walk past them and don't take them.

    And the ones I am talking about are not. Again, not an excuse not to work hard and do your best. Sometimes in life all you can do is work with the hand you were dealt...
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'
    There are certain things though that people may be disadvantanged physically regardless of how dedicated and determined they are.
    I've seen just ONE guy who was 5'2" dunk a basketball. Genetic freak in jumping. The average 5'2" guy isn't going to achieve that regardless of how much effort and dedication they put in because jumping up almost 60 inches vertically for someone that height is improbable.
    I'm not saying that hard work and effort DON'T pay off. I see it often with people I deal with. But I also have to temper expectations with them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...
  • WorkerDrone83
    WorkerDrone83 Posts: 3,195 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...

    Obviously, I agree. I think people's definition of privilege is too broad. If it's not something that is given to only select people and denied to others, that's not privilege.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...

    Depends on who you ask.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...

    Depends on who you ask.

    No...
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    I would put intelligence in the category of circumstance rather then privilege...
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Intelligence is probably a privilege. I know I am sometimes unfair (when frustrated with someone else) in attributing to "not trying" or "intentionally being obtuse" things that sometimes just are a matter of intelligence or aptitude. I loved school and currently have a job that tends to appeal to people who loved school (uses many of the same skills) and saying "well, anyone else could have the exact same job I do, if they'd just bothered" is not actually true. Which of course isn't that important, since there are many other ways to make a living.

    estherdragon's point about it being so frustrating to work at something you know you will only be mediocre at best at is worth considering too. I'm bad at a lot of team sports in part because I did not work at them, but I did not work at them because I believe I would never have gotten more than eh at them and the work is unpleasant to me. Finding something I enjoy (running and biking and other solitary sports, not team things) was important for me. Similarly, I enjoy singing but am not musical, so haven't really worked at getting good or fooled myself I can. I sing privately, instead. ;-)

    There are things I wish I'd worked harder at despite a seeming lack of aptitude (learning another language), but it always comes with a tradeoff.

    Same story here. I'm bad at fine coordination, but have little physical fear and relatively good balance(made better with practice), So throwing and catching a ball are out and hitting one with a stick is WAY out. So running/walking/gymnastic type skills are where I put my energies.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...

    Depends on who you ask.

    No...

    Yeah, it does. Many people assert that the ability/willingness to hustle and keep at something are a sign of privilege.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    katsheare wrote: »
    Wow, I did not expect to be in the minority on this one. That's a perfectly positive phrase and I've found it to be mostly true. The other variant I've heard once was "If someone REALLY wants to do something, that person is going to do it REALLY well." I'm not sure if intelligence, dedication, and strong work ethic counts as 'privilege.'

    There are an awful lot of other privileges, the lack of which can make achieving the promise of this phrase logistically improbable.

    Besides the fact that the bolded are not privileges...

    Depends on who you ask.

    No...

    Yeah, it does. Many people assert that the ability/willingness to hustle and keep at something are a sign of privilege.

    Agree to disagree...