Saturday, April 10, 2010

Accepting limits by Seth Godin, Kind Of

"Hm mm... That's odd. I thought Cater-Hater was about parties, catering and event planning - and stuff like that."

I've never done this before. I've never posted another writers article, verbatim, at Cater-Hater. But, I couldn't have said this any better myself. So, I figured... Why bother - he already said it. This was posted at the Seth Godin blog on April 5th, 2010 by Seth Godin.

"It's absurd to look at a three year old toddler and say, "this kid can't read or do math or even string together a coherent paragraph. He's a dolt and he's never going to amount to anything." No, we don't say that because we know we can teach and motivate and cajole the typical kid to be able to do all of these things.

Why is it okay then to look at a teenager and say, "this kid will never be a leader, never run a significant organization, never save a life, never inspire or create..."

Just because it's difficult to grade doesn't mean it should be taught.

Never mind a teenager. I think it's wrong to say that about someone who'd fifty.

Isn't it absurd to focus so much energy on 'practical' skills that prep someone for a life of following instructions but relentlessly avoid the difficult work necessary to push someone to reinvent themselves into becoming someone who makes a difference?

And isn't it even worse to write off a person or organization merely because of what they are instead of what they might become?"

Here's the deal. Don't get too familiar. Don't go writing off people and things because you think you know what you're talking about. Haven't you been judged unfairly? Haven't you been called "uppity" because you have a dream that you've encapsulated into a clear vision of more than what the 'status quo' states should be your typical daily requirement?

Sans raising kids, if you haven't and you don't (been judged unfairly or been called "uppity" because you have a dream), and if you're a bit "worried" and just a little too concerned about what someone else is doing, you probably aren't causing any type of controversy anywhere in your life - which means you probably aren't doing much - if anything, anyway. Get a hobby.

My litmus test is just that. I'm controversial, thank goodness. So... I know that, in my book, I'm doing just fine. Because who cares about what they think? They're just sitting around waiting for the people who define the very culture that we live in to tell them what's cool and what's next. Bore. Ring. Define your own culture.

"Accepting limits" said (written) by you perfectly Seth, once again, I thank you.