Have you ever felt insecure that you might not get the university admission/internship/job of your top choice? Or, have you ever felt dispirited that the person that you like doesn’t reciprocate? We have all experienced that. This is especially relatable to people in their 20s like me because achievements and romance are usually our biggest preoccupations at this stage of life. I’ve been through that cycle of emotional whirlwind again and again. Then, I realize underpinning these torment is a mindset of scarcity. And, that’s not my fault or yours.
‘Everything is scarce’ - not necessarily true but necessary
‘Time is running short’, ‘bank account is drying up’, ‘age is catching up’ - the world we live in functions on the paradigm of scarcity. The fundamentals of the capitalist system governing our life are that resources are scarce. It is the sense of urgency engendered that galvanizes labor and in turn, drives productivity. Looking at it closer, it is actually fear at work. In fact, fear has been an effective tool in prodding the mass to do something those in power want. But at the same, fear is the essence of disciplinary actions which are necessary for maintaining social order. That’s why we need laws and regulations. Hence, it might be the most viable worldview for the society as a whole. However, things go wrong when this same worldview filtrates into our personal life.
Human race - evolutionary creatures
The scarcity worldview, while facilitating orderly societal functions, works against the core function of the human race - evolution. It’s been historically proven that evolution is a huge part of human race. In biology, evolution is the transformation in the inherited traits of a population from generation to generation. Obedience and maintaining the status quo are not favorable for evolution.
Fear - non-credible threat
What evolution takes is exploration. Exposing ourselves to the unfamiliar and unknown is a prerequisite for evolution to take place. Fear hinders that. Why does fear happen? It happens when we’re ignorant of the opposing forces that are demanding our attention and belief. On one side, the capitalist system keeps telling us everything is scarce, hence, we cannot afford any mistakes. This worldview is designed to drive the society toward maximized material productivity with minimized resources. In this case, scarcity is more like a non-credible threat in game theory (an economic theory).
What’s a mistake?
On the other side, as a member of human race, evolution is essentially one of our core functions. This demands us to be explorers. From the evolutionary viewpoint, there’s no such thing as mistake. Mistakes only exist when there’s a pre-defined answer. The thing is evolution is about the exposure to the unknown (hence, answers are non-existent). Do we call Columbus discovery of America a mistake? It’s not even labelled as a mistake or a right move. It just happened and we accept it as just part of the history.
Live out your life
This isn’t meant to be depressing. This to shed light on some dynamics that are impacting our lives but are below our radar. Now that you have a better picture of the rules, enjoy the game called life. The world is our playground.
That said, having handed in my application for my transfer study this fall, I do feel insecure about not gaining admissions from my top choice universities. Now, with this realization, I remind myself I am here to evolve, which means to just take the step to realize what I have in my mind and heart. After all, getting what it takes to be a champion matters more than being a champion. Because it is about the process - evolution.
‘Everything is scarce’ - not necessarily true but necessary
‘Time is running short’, ‘bank account is drying up’, ‘age is catching up’ - the world we live in functions on the paradigm of scarcity. The fundamentals of the capitalist system governing our life are that resources are scarce. It is the sense of urgency engendered that galvanizes labor and in turn, drives productivity. Looking at it closer, it is actually fear at work. In fact, fear has been an effective tool in prodding the mass to do something those in power want. But at the same, fear is the essence of disciplinary actions which are necessary for maintaining social order. That’s why we need laws and regulations. Hence, it might be the most viable worldview for the society as a whole. However, things go wrong when this same worldview filtrates into our personal life.
Human race - evolutionary creatures
The scarcity worldview, while facilitating orderly societal functions, works against the core function of the human race - evolution. It’s been historically proven that evolution is a huge part of human race. In biology, evolution is the transformation in the inherited traits of a population from generation to generation. Obedience and maintaining the status quo are not favorable for evolution.
Fear - non-credible threat
What evolution takes is exploration. Exposing ourselves to the unfamiliar and unknown is a prerequisite for evolution to take place. Fear hinders that. Why does fear happen? It happens when we’re ignorant of the opposing forces that are demanding our attention and belief. On one side, the capitalist system keeps telling us everything is scarce, hence, we cannot afford any mistakes. This worldview is designed to drive the society toward maximized material productivity with minimized resources. In this case, scarcity is more like a non-credible threat in game theory (an economic theory).
What’s a mistake?
On the other side, as a member of human race, evolution is essentially one of our core functions. This demands us to be explorers. From the evolutionary viewpoint, there’s no such thing as mistake. Mistakes only exist when there’s a pre-defined answer. The thing is evolution is about the exposure to the unknown (hence, answers are non-existent). Do we call Columbus discovery of America a mistake? It’s not even labelled as a mistake or a right move. It just happened and we accept it as just part of the history.
Live out your life
This isn’t meant to be depressing. This to shed light on some dynamics that are impacting our lives but are below our radar. Now that you have a better picture of the rules, enjoy the game called life. The world is our playground.
That said, having handed in my application for my transfer study this fall, I do feel insecure about not gaining admissions from my top choice universities. Now, with this realization, I remind myself I am here to evolve, which means to just take the step to realize what I have in my mind and heart. After all, getting what it takes to be a champion matters more than being a champion. Because it is about the process - evolution.