Career Bottlenecks: The Futility Argument

Have you ever doubted yourself, wondering if there's still a chance to shake off mediocrity and become a star in the workplace? More than once, right? Whether it's facing setbacks, being sidelined, getting fired, or just feeling weary over time, you inevitably fall into the trap of "self-imposed limitations."

Taking advantage of a short break, Ah Xiong has updated a brief guide, supplemented with references.

First, let's see what's different between you and a workplace star: attention management. You read that right, it's not just something schoolchildren need to train for; adults are more likely to overlook the effectiveness of their attention. For example, you see on the internet that elites in Hong Kong's Central are in the gym at 5 a.m., every day; you might think they're "crazy" or just being pretentious, but in reality, our attention is most focused in the morning, which affects the "rhythm" of your entire day. How do most other professionals start their day? Groggily propping themselves up, not to mention fighting with conviction, but rather just to get by, with few days filled with anticipation and motivation on their way to work.

Next, let's look at the factors of self-limitation: comfort zones, fear of the unknown, social pressure, self-doubt, avoidance of failure, and the most brutal of all: lack of goals and motivation.

1. **Comfort Zones**: People tend to stay within areas where they feel comfortable and safe. Venturing beyond their capability boundaries can bring uncertainty and discomfort, so they prefer to act within familiar confines.

2. **Fear and Uncertainty**: Faced with the unknown and potential failure, many people feel fear. They are afraid to try new things or pursue bold goals because they worry that failure will bring pain or shame.

3. **Social Pressure**: Social and cultural expectations can limit an individual's actions. People may feel pressure from family, friends, colleagues, or society to behave in a certain way, leading them to self-impose limitations and avoid taking risks or challenging the status quo.

4. **Self-Doubt**: Many lack confidence in their abilities, doubting whether they are good enough or capable of achieving their goals. This self-doubt can lead to self-imposed limitations and a reluctance to try and exceed their limits.

5. **Avoiding Failure**: Fear of failure can lead people to avoid taking risks or trying challenges. They may choose to maintain the status quo rather than face potential failure or setbacks.

6. **Lack of Goals and Motivation**: The absence of life goals often stems from a lack of cultivation of values and worldviews in education. Do you believe that most adults find it difficult to articulate their relationship with the world and their value in society? In the scarce genetic imprint of history, people are more concerned with survival and means of production, without seriously contemplating life. Without goals, the only motivation left is money; organizing means of production, being a boss, or a leader is seen as a glorifying existence. This seemingly abstract and elusive cognition creates an unreachable distance for many.

Finally, a few words on the impact of psychological suggestion on the futility argument. Professionals like to read motivational quotes, but in fact, they are a slow poison because you see your own "shortcomings," many of which are expectations you simply do not meet. Simply put, the more you read about grand principles and others' successes, the more you'll belittle yourself, forming a continuous negative psychological suggestion. If you want to delve deeper into the mechanisms and cases of psychological suggestion, pay attention to the following experiments:

a. **Stanford Prison Experiment**: Conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1971, this experiment aimed to study the impact of the prison environment on individual behavior. Participants were divided into guards and prisoners, and it was found that the guard group gradually exhibited cruel and power-imposing behaviors, while the prisoners showed passive and negative attitudes.

b. **The Hawthorne Effect**: A series of experiments conducted at the Western Electric Company in Illinois, USA, from 1924 to 1932. The results indicated that employees changed their behavior when they were aware they were being studied, revealing the so-called "observation effect."

c. **Bruce Lipton's Psych-K**: Although not a traditional psychological experiment, Bruce Lipton's practice has had a significant impact in the field of psychological suggestion. His work explores how belief systems affect physical health and life outcomes, proposing methods to change lives by reshaping belief systems.

d. **Albert Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment**: Conducted by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1960s, this experiment showed that children who watched adults model attacking behavior on a doll would themselves exhibit similar aggressive behaviors, revealing the influence of imitation and suggestion on behavior.

Additionally, I'd like to share some psychology knowledge applicable to the workplace during my spare time. If you're interested, please leave a message in the circle of friends. Before setting up a live broadcast, I will first inquire about needs, perfect the knowledge tree, and then combine real cases to share with everyone.

Axiong’s Essay