Developmental Paths
- You choose where you end up in life...
When you look around at the world...
You see so many different people, with different backgrounds, and this shows in their appearance - because that’s all you can see.
It is part of human instinct to foresee what a person could be like.
Thus, you already possess the skills necessary for identifying potential acquaintances and potential nuisances.
On average, looking at the bigger picture, I have found 4 types of people, so 4 types of life paths:
-Bad path within the norm (bum)
-Good path within the norm (salary man)
-Bad path resulted from your own judgment (starving artist)
-Good path resulted from your own judgment (self-actualization)
We have two criteria:
-Whether you succeeded
And
-Whether your outcome is a result of society’s influence or your own decisions
The bad path within the norm (the bum/loser)
The first path is not quite the most common one, but the most familiar one.
This is the stereotypical lost cause, the waste of space.
Causes:
-Instant gratification
-No life plan
-Ignorance/Arrogance/Stupidity
Results:
-Dependence
-No respect/recognition
-Lack of: good beliefs/humility/success
The good path within the norm (the average worker)
The second path is the upgraded version of the bum, it is the unaware person who actually succeeded.
There is a path laid out in society for us all, and anybody can have success if the follow it.
Though, it will not lead to a happy or fulfilled life.
You are but a feather in the wind which landed safely.
Causes:
-Too high agreeableness
-Lack of: research/ambition/desire
-Controlling environment
Results:
-Softness/docility
-Lack of: information/excitement
-Lack of self-responsibility
The bad path resulted from your own judgment (the starving artist)
This archetype is a sad one, but only in theory.
The person who failed but tried will not be unhappier than the person who never tried - never.
When you’ll be on your deathbed, or even dead at last, you will not think to the slight bit of money which you saved up from working a normal job, but you’d like to think back to your crazy stories.
Do not take the “bad” in the name as literal; this path is better than the previous two. (in my humble opinion)
It’s only unfortunate that your plan did not work out; that’s the only tragedy.
I believe people would be happier if they took risks.
Causes:
-Very high disagreeableness
-Very high ambition
-A little too optimistic/unprepared
Results:
-Creates their own path
-Imagines an incomprehensible life
-Ultimately unsuccessful
P.S. I think the downfall of this archetype is their tendency too think very highly of themselves or to be overly esoteric.
The good path resulted from your own judgment (self-actualization)
This is the ultimate state of the human existence.
You either work towards it or you’re living incorrectly.
It is a difficult path. It often fails, but I believe it’s worth the risk.
It is very similar to the previous archetype, but the most crucial difference is that those who succeed are calculated, prepared, and unbelievably hard-working.
I’d be disingenuous if I preached the wishy-washy “follow your dreams!” advice, because I disagree with that.
This path is not beautiful at all until it is mostly traversed.
There’s no light without dark.
The secret is that you have to be outcome-independent. You have to be okay with not reaching this and being a starving artist,
Because otherwise you are not being realistic.
Causes:
-Very high disagreeableness
-Very high ambition
-Realistic/prepared
Results:
-Creates their own path
-Imagines an incomprehensible life
-Succeeds with sheer dedication
What should YOU do?
With these archetypes established, you need to take control of your life.
You undeniably recognize yourself within one of these, even if you don’t want to admit it directly.
The questions are:
Would you be fulfilled living your whole life on your current path?
If you died on this path, would it be a path you’d be remembered for, or at least would you be proud of it?
If the answer is no, change your path. Now.
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