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What do you think about impact of the phrase 'nothing is impossible if you work hard enough' ?
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I think it's fine to say to kids. They don't get the nuances of reality, and its inspiring. By the time they're old enough to work out that it's actually completely untrue, it will just be in the same basket as the myriad of other things you fibbed to them about, so it won't matter.6
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I believe it because I've experienced it in many areas in my life. Not only with weight loss, but things that might have held me back because of my age, sex, race. I've worked my butt off, pushed through and have excelled because I wanted it bad. It has not been easy though. Lots of sacrifice and nothing has been given to me.
I would not tell others that nothing impossible, but I know for myself it is true.9 -
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."7 -
WorkerDrone83 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...10 -
WorkerDrone83 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.
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stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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...4 -
stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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.3 -
stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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...4 -
There are certain things though that people may be disadvantanged physically regardless of how dedicated and determined they are.WorkerDrone83 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.'
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.
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WorkerDrone83 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.4 -
WorkerDrone83 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...
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WorkerDrone83 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.0 -
WorkerDrone83 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.1 -
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.5 -
stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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...3 -
I would put intelligence in the category of circumstance rather then privilege...2
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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.3 -
stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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.3 -
stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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...2 -
stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »WorkerDrone83 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.
Whoa, this blows my mind. I don't mean to put you on the spot, but how is not being a lazy quitter a privilege?6
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