this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2025
189 points (97.5% liked)
LinkedinLunatics
5486 readers
437 users here now
A place to post ridiculous posts from linkedIn.com
(Full transparency.. a mod for this sub happens to work there.. but that doesn't influence his moderation or laughter at a lot of posts.)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It is, because it discourages you from making things better for yourself.
You're being told that being miserable is actually good, and that if you're not satisfied with it then it's your own moral failing.
To me it means the opposite. Obstacles remain obstacles until you create opportunities.
They're not telling you to go seek or make opportunities, they're telling you to consider your obstacles as opportunities.
Its like saying being robbed is an opportunity to make as much wealth as you previously had.
Every non-unique obstacle can become a problem that you solve as a business and sell the solution to others who become your customers.
But that's not a reasonable expectation.
It only becomes an opportunity if you're in a position to start a brand new business. I'm not in a position to start one business, let alone one for each of my obstacles.
And even if I pitched it to the business i work for, why would they listen to me? And even if they did why do you think I'd get any credit? Now I've just got a other monthly bill.
And it's a very bold assumption to think that every non-unique obstacle can be monetized, or that it's ethical to monetize. Maybe a charity, but even then it can get pretty sketchy.
Do you see how you avoid seeing an opportunity? Pitching to the business you work for can create other benefits, like making yourself visible.
Do you see how delusionally optimistic you are?
Pick an average job like mechanic and an average obstacle like access to mental healthcare. How do you think a garage is going to spin off a mental healthcare business? Why do you think they'd want to? Why do think their boss would even listen to them, let alone appreciate the pitch?
So not at work then, how do you think a mechanic would get access to the knowledge of running a business? Where do you think they'd get the connections to raise capital with the average person's credit?
If you work somewhere that you could pitch your own obstacle to your boss as a business opportunity, you're in the 1% access to opportunities.
If you have the ability to start your own business to solve your own obstacle, then you're in the 1% access to opportunities.
The advice just doesn't apply to the vast majority of obstacles for the vast majority of people, and telling people that their inability to capitalize is a moral failing is evil, and actively helps evil people.
I think there is no moral judgement. There is no obligation to change perspective and especially none to capitalize.
That's the point. Illusions, visions, inspirations, instead of resigning one can allow the brain to look for a solution.
Which is an opportunity for change.
You're placing the onus on the wrong party. If you tell someone that they just need to take control of a situation in which they have no control, what psychological impact do you think that'll have on them when they're inevitably unable to?
This advice is dangerously naive at best, and victim blaming to support existing power structures at worst.
Nobody ever controls a situation entirely. That allows everybody to control something, and to grow from there, in theory. In reality the situation can be so frustrating that it is not possible. Yet whoever wants to, can try.
Lol I'm not sure which of the perspectives that'd fall under, but I'm not sure that's a great long term strategy either in the current job market.
Reality and ideality (is that a word?) are unfortunately pretty divergent
Seek the truth, always.
I think you missed my point.
Also idk how serious you're being.
It's about expectation management. If you're taught to expect that you can turn struggle into strength and obstacles into opportunity, then when you're unable to then you'll feel like something is wrong with you, and when society expects it of others then it becomes a moral failing.
But the times where it's feasible to transform those negatives into positives are rare and fleeting, so we're setting ourselves and others up for failure with messages like this.
And equally important, this effectively absolves responsibility from those with the power to help.
So I don't believe it's healthy to take that "positive" perspective, because I don't really believe it's positive, any more than the belief you can fly is.
Seek the truth, always.