Leadership Thought #427 – Weakness Is Infectious (and Dangerous)
Weakness (emotional and physical) holds many people back from living a full life.
At the risk of sounding like an old codger (which I am not), I can’t believe how worked up people get over common issues these days. It’s as if any level of adversity is intolerable. You would have thought the end of the world was near the way everyone, especially the media, reacted to the recent winter storm. We were bombarded with worst-case scenarios and impending doom. People raced to stores to stock up just in case they lost power for a few days. Surely, we can manage a few days of discomfort if necessary, can’t we? Yesterday, a friend asked, “Why is there such a huge interest in toilet paper?” Is it genuinely difficult for families to cope for a few days without an additional roll of toilet paper? Are they that close to the edge of hygienic catastrophe? I’ve seen it happen in families, businesses, schools, and communities: if you’re not careful, weakness and worry can be infectious. Like all momentous change, it begins with small, symbolic gestures and gradually gains momentum elsewhere.
As a parent of two children at impressionable ages, I am concerned that our collective societal weakness is leaving an undesirable impression on the next generation. Life isn’t always meant to be easy. You build your character by overcoming the challenges that come your way and demonstrating to yourself your capability and resilience. So, what if it snows a bit? If you’re an adult, you still have to attend school and go to work. Of course, there is some risk. Life is full of risk. Somehow, my school system in New York managed to navigate much worse storms without calling off school anytime there was a threat of precipitation. Missing school or work should be the exception, not the norm.
We also need to be able to differentiate between real and perceived threats. If everything is a crisis, then nothing truly is. And, distractions minimize your focus on what is truly important. I am often fascinated and a bit depressed when I have conversations with my peers, and their many neuroses quickly rise to the surface. Guess what? America is much safer than it used to be, contrary to popular opinion. Our largest immigrant population tends to have strong family values and an outstanding work ethic. They are not threats to the system; they keep it afloat (just like their predecessors). Our economic model depends upon immigration. China is not a threat to our global economic security. They are, in fact, potentially the biggest market in the world for our goods and services and are the top purchasers of U.S. debt. Can our national budget not weather single-digit cuts without the economy tanking? Wall Street is not the sole reason for your financial woes. It is usually your attitudes toward wealth, debt, and money that make your economic life difficult. When did it become okay to be a victim? There are actual victims out there, and lumping yourself in that category only diminishes the severity of the real problems in this world.
I am not a historian, but I would wager that the downfall of all great nations began when the people became too comfortable with the status quo and lost the edge that had made them successful in the first place. They began to look backward, not forward. Instead of setting an example for other nations to emulate, they ended up falling victim to their vulnerabilities/insecurities and started substituting strong rhetoric for actual affirmative action. They also spent a disproportionate amount of money defending what they already have rather than investing in their future. Individual and collective strength of character is a prerequisite for a healthy and vibrant society. The history of humanity has shown that we, as human beings, are capable of overcoming any challenge. However, the strong (and adaptable) do survive, and the weak will wither — this is also a fact of nature.
Related articles
- Cultural change is a really complex contagion (pro.gigaom.com)
- ‘Contagious’ explains the secret behind infectious ideas (usatoday.com)
- LeaderShift: The Freedom Movement (orrinwoodwardblog.com)
