5 ms·

This is definitely a fair critique, and as I myself am _very_ American, I feel I should respond, if only to understand better myself. > The bad is how it lays

This is definitely a fair critique, and as I myself am _very_ American, I feel I should respond, if only to understand better myself. > The bad is how it lays the responsibility for outcomes solely at the individual’s feet. I’m curious: shouldn’t a manual for self improvement emphasize individual responsibility? Granted, it would be a terrible way to evaluate outcomes. But that’s not the goal here. The goal is to be individually exceptional. > Do you forever keep doing _more_ reducing yourself to a life of penitence and toil to be “exceptional”? This seems like a bit of an exaggeration. The article doesn’t advocate a narrow, singular focus on these 3 traits. That would be terrible advice (even if the goal is to emulate Ms. Buffet, for example). Of course there are reasonable limits. Who said otherwise? > When do you stop playing a game that’s rigged against you? “Relentlessly solution driven” in fact requires this, no? If you can’t win because it’s rigged, change the game. The bit that bothers me, I guess, is that it seems so easy to give up on hard things if you don’t believe the bits the article states. I know many smart people who can’t ignore things they can’t control - and it makes them unhappy. I know others who struggle to focus on solutions rather than blame - and it makes them unhappy too. Why do these traits, in moderation, make Society worse?

holografix 6y ago
Hey curiousllama, I think you bring up very valid points. A few other posters have brought up one or two arguments that have some overlap so let me try to clarify where I’m coming from and post a useful response. I don’t advocate that the individual shouldn’t bear the brunt of the responsibility. I’m trying to say that the responsibility should be _shared_ by society. I see how the main goal of the book is indeed to focus on the individual and their drive to being “exceptional”. So for people who find themselves dissatisfied with their comfortable mediocrity, so to say, I can imagine there is some value here in solving problems and removing obstacles. Finally, what I’m trying to say is: I think this concept can and is applied very generally to a large population that find themselves, at the individual level, at drastically different positions in the hierarchy of needs. What roadblocks are you powering through when you might not have shelter or food? When you feel unsafe? Should we dismiss those individuals’ “excuses”. That’s what I meant by very American. The example of Ms B. Who is clearly a one in a million type success story. Should we really bother dismissing every other pressure around us because someone was somehow able to do it? We’re her children happy and healthy? Did her marriage survive? Should we all strive to be Ms B, costs what it costs, regardless of food, shelter, security, health etc.

holografix 6y ago

Hey curiousllama, I think you bring up very valid points. A few other posters have brought up one or two arguments that have some overlap so let me try to clarify where I’m coming from and post a useful response. I don’t advocate that the individual shouldn’t bear the brunt of the responsibility. I’m trying to say that the responsibility should be _shared_ by society. I see how the main goal of the book is indeed to focus on the individual and their drive to being “exceptional”. So for people who find themselves dissatisfied with their comfortable mediocrity, so to say, I can imagine there is some value here in solving problems and removing obstacles. Finally, what I’m trying to say is: I think this concept can and is applied very generally to a large population that find themselves, at the individual level, at drastically different positions in the hierarchy of needs. What roadblocks are you powering through when you might not have shelter or food? When you feel unsafe? Should we dismiss those individuals’ “excuses”. That’s what I meant by very American. The example of Ms B. Who is clearly a one in a million type success story. Should we really bother dismissing every other pressure around us because someone was somehow able to do it? We’re her children happy and healthy? Did her marriage survive? Should we all strive to be Ms B, costs what it costs, regardless of food, shelter, security, health etc.