How should you approach success? What is the best strategy for blending did and can? Arthur Schopenhauer pointed out, “a man can do as he will, but not will as he will.” The message is that you can’t simply “will” things to happen. You have a wide range of options for doing but no magical powers. This article helps you understand and exploit the options you actually have.
"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Although Longfellow's pronouncement has superficial plausibility, it's merely an example of polar logic. One pole is what you feel capable of doing and the other is what you have already done. The judgment reduces to can and did. You judge yourself based on "can" and others judge you based on "did," according to Longfellow. The reality is that such judgments rarely reduce to either can or did, for you or for others who judge you.
Look first at "can." If this is a judgment you make about yourself, is it reasonable to make it without considering "did?" Relying exclusively on what you think you can do, without considering what you have done, places no value on prior experience. It also acknowledges an inability to learn. Alternatively, if you consider did to the exclusion of can, your behavior is simply repetitive; and you will need to take Albert Einstein's observation to heart, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Look next at "did." If others are expecting change, improvement, innovation, or new approaches and strategies, you aren't the person they need. They can only expect you to do again what you did before. Unless "can" is considered, nothing new or different ever happens. The conclusion is that can and did aren't separable. They are the head and tail of the coin of progress.
How then should one approach success? What is the best strategy for blending did and can? Arthur Schopenhauer pointed out, "a man can do as he will, but not will as he will." The message is that you can't simply "will" things to happen. You have a wide range of options for doing but no magical powers. Alexander Graham Bell said, "The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion … It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider - and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation - persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree."
The basis for judgment is now clearer. You and those who judge you focus on both did and can. Success is a blending of the two sides of the coin; and if your goal is to get a thumbs-up from you and from others, you need to get high marks on this short quiz. – Good luck!
1. Are you carefully advancing, step by step?
2. Is your mind becoming wider and wider?
3. Are you persevering in what you know to be practical?
4. Are you concentrating on succeeding?
Sure, it's simply a variation on the old story, "Nothing succeeds like success."
Taking The Hint
How many apples fell on Newton's head before he took the hint? Hints are a good thing, especially if you are patient enough to get the point. Apples are a good thing too; but like hints, they can cause you problems if you dont deal with them thoughtfully and appropriately. To help with your management of hints and apples, consider this article; but be patient. Its value will gradually come clear.Persuasive Arm Twisting
"We have found that the most effective persuaders use language in a particular way. They supplement numerical data with examples, stories, metaphors, and analogies to make their positions come alive. That use of language paints a vivid word picture and, in doing so, lends a compelling and tangible quality to the persuader's point of view." - Jay Conger - Read about the real persuaders and the dedicated snake oil hucksters.Broken Men
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." -- Frederick Douglas -- Whether this is true or not is certainly less than obvious. The lack of clarity starts with the meaning of “strong children” and “broken men.” This article explores these questions and how you can assure that your children are "strong."