Discussion The Capacity to Work Hard is a Talent

[derpyderpins]

Prominent people with reach and perceived accomplishments LOVE to tell others that success has nothing to do with circumstances, nothing to do with luck, and - for some reason - nothing to do with natural ability. It's all "hard work," "put in the time," "work harder than everyone else," "never give up," etc. It's a rather spiritual argument, isn't it? It paints the picture that if the successful person's soul/spirit could be implanted into any random body, they still would have been equally successful.

This helps feed the feeling of superiority, of course. If I became a world-famous such-and-such because I'm talented, well that means I just got lucky, right? I'm no better than anyone else. Buttttt if success has nothing to do with my natural talent, then I am a better human entirely than everyone else.

The truth is, yes hard work is usually required. eg., to master an instrument, you must put in many many hours of practice. Those at the top have put in that work. What they don't consider is that energy, focus, willpower, ambition, etc., the traits that make up the "capacity for work" have genetic components. They have no idea if their soul was put in my body if they would be able to get my brain to actually focus and get things done, because it's not the brain they grew up with and had their success with. How surprised would they be, I wonder, when focusing simply becomes an impossibility?

This isn't meant to just be an excuse-fest. The point is that people are good at different things, including working hard. While you shouldn't use a small capacity for work as an excuse to short-change people you owe something to, you should not make yourself feel horrible and guilty for not being able to put in the heavy grind hours like other people are.

 

[sserafim]

Why do you feel horrible and guilty for not being able to put in the heavy grind hours like other people are?

 

[derpyderpins]

Why do you feel horrible and guilty for not being able to put in the heavy grind hours like other people are?

I already accepted your explanation of over-socialization. This thread is part of my way of addressing it. Feeling guilty for only having a pretty decent work capacity is a distorted thought I need to combat, so I'm laying out a reason not to feel so guilty.

Why do you feel horrible and guilty for not being able to put in the heavy grind hours like other people are?

This is why I say things like "what are you going to do with the diagnoses?" I have accepted that my guilt is out of control, distorted, and irrational. We could talk all day about why I became like this, and probably come up with 100 explanations, but that doesn't help get rid of it. I'm crafting myself an alternative argument for "here's why you shouldn't feel so guilty" to try and replace the negative script that repeats in my head.

 

[Pluto]

All true. I don't really like the word 'luck'. I don't want to speak of fatalism either. It's just a system of natural selection that is quite clinical and amoral in its functioning.

Millions of people are aspiring to this or that success, yet only a tiny minority will be wildly successful. There is no means of having 8 billion celebrities or 8 billion wealthy people.

There is a practical purpose for motivational talk, since it encourages people to put in efforts that maximise the probability of success. That mindset is important. But this does not mean that the comments made by motivational speakers are actually accurate if subjected to critical scrutiny.

There will be huge numbers of decent, honest, hard-working people who get nowhere despite making every effort. Mental or physical disability at any level can be a silent killer. Poverty kind of sucks. Motivational speakers have to ignore or even belittle these factors because truly acknowledging them would kill the vibe they are trying to convey.

 

[sserafim]

All true. I don't really like the word 'luck'. I don't want to speak of fatalism either. It's just a system of natural selection that is quite clinical and amoral in its functioning.

Millions of people are aspiring to this or that success, yet only a tiny minority will be wildly successful. There is no means of having 8 billion celebrities or 8 billion wealthy people.

There is a practical purpose for motivational talk, since it encourages people to put in efforts that maximise the probability of success. That mindset is important. But this does not mean that the comments made by motivational speakers are actually accurate if subjected to critical scrutiny.

There will be huge numbers of decent, honest, hard-working people who get nowhere despite making every effort. Mental or physical disability at any level can be a silent killer. Poverty kind of sucks. Motivational speakers have to ignore or even belittle these factors because truly acknowledging them would kill the vibe they are trying to convey.

Work smarter not harder

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Work smarter not harder

Too many of the ways to work smarter might as well be the same as working harder if you aren't already smart.

 

[enduringwinter]

I think everyone works hard in their own way. Some just have more to show for it, it's all about circumstances.

 

[DefinitelyReady]

I already accepted your explanation of over-socialization. This thread is part of my way of addressing it. Feeling guilty for only having a pretty decent work capacity is a distorted thought I need to combat, so I'm laying out a reason not to feel so guilty.

This is why I say things like "what are you going to do with the diagnoses?" I have accepted that my guilt is out of control, distorted, and irrational. We could talk all day about why I became like this, and probably come up with 100 explanations, but that doesn't help get rid of it. I'm crafting myself an alternative argument for "here's why you shouldn't feel so guilty" to try and replace the negative script that repeats in my head.

I agree with everything; however, as with any skill, something new can always he learned and practiced. Whatever skill level you end up at I guess is always up for debate until you die. I guess that's life, the ups and downs. It's how we handle them. We ask what the point is in getting back up just to be punched again? Well is it the art of sparring that's worth living? Is it worth living for every blow we give and every duck we miss to relish in that triumph that makes receiving the blows bearable? Etc and the fight of life continues.

Idk about you but the fear is paralyzing. Those people are in fight mode whereas I'm in "feign" or "freeze." (Whatever the 4 "f's" are, I always forget; and 'feign' and 'freeze' might be the same. Can't recall.) How to transition from one mode to another is something I obviously haven't figured out.

If this sounds just like drunken garbled nonsense, my bad. Had good intentions lol.

Too many of the ways to work smarter might as well be the same as working harder if you aren't already smart.

And since the world is progressing so fast it's just that more discouraging and harder to keep up with, especially if you have no support system and are already behind. People feeling like exhausted failures leading to chronic unhappiness is a strong contender of all suicides. So to feel like your work isn't paying off or never will is literally all-consuming.