The ones who can’t or won’t…
For the last 50 or so years we have seen and heard what it takes to be successful in any given activity, even life itself. Plenty of examples of successful people, in all walks of life and endeavours, lots of opportunities for those who strive for better and also plenty of ‘life coaches’ with their books on how to be successful. We know certain deep desires and ambition are needed, we know sacrifices have to made here and there, we know certain mindsets are required, we also know certain attributes, both physical and mental, are required to be successful. These people become the movers and shakers, who make themselves noticed, who are the leaders and workers, both professional and skilled, who have their oft times ‘rags to riches’ stories told over and over. They are admired, exalted even, as examples of what we should all try to become. Our schools are dedicated to it, their reason for being. We have developed many mantras towards this end, positive ones that push the high ideals of the rewards of success and negative ones that show the results of lack of effort – the ‘light’ of success that comes with at least trying and the ‘darkness’ of failure that comes with not trying.
But what about those that can’t or won’t?
What about those people who, through no fault of their own, do not have the required attributes, not physically or mentally, for success in anything? Who have no ambition, who don’t comprehend what all that fuss is about, but see all around them ambitious people who are continually encouraged to be even more ambitious, but take it all in stride with a smile and don’t expect much out and for themselves. These people are pushed aside, ignored, just seen as folks who didn’t try hard enough and so fail ‘the program’ towards success.
And then there are those who won’t try for success within the current program, who do everything against the grain, who do not fit in, or try, even though they demonstrate over and over that they indeed have attributes and abilities, but simply refuse to participate, who have everything but ambition. They do not see the point, find it irrelevant to them and begin to loath those that do. Some are openly aggressive, while others passive aggressive, towards the ‘program’ or system. They seem to be, and some are, anti-everything as if they can’t imagine a better way, or if they do it’s too much work for them. Intelligent and able, but lazy, simplistic, grumpy, everything is someone else’s fault, the world is against them, angst filled people. They look sideways, sneer at and put down those that are involved and trying. Some actively, controversially, try hard to subvert the ‘norm’ with their own often diametrically opposite and contrarian point of view.
Somehow the ‘can’t and won’t’ people, largely led by the ‘won’t’ faction, now have voice and their narrative is everywhere for all to see and hear. Uncomprehendingly the ‘can and do’ people look on and wonder what has happened. How is it that this ‘can’t and won’t’ narrative has taken, indeed usurped, center stage?