Contest of Losers

[heavens_steed]

I'm just wondering if there is anyone out there who is a bigger loser than I am and can usurp my self-designated title of dishonor. Granted, it's not a contest anyone would want to win but out of everyone I know, I think I'm the biggest loser. And no, I don't mean losing great amounts of weight from exercising and dieting because that would be a

Comments

[footpad]

Aha! Okay. I understand what you mean by the 'exceptional' now. We're just disagreeing over the semantics of a word. I took it to mean, "markedly better than anyone else". If you're using it to mean, "striving towards the best of one's abilities", then we have no great disagreement.

I hope that disposes of that disagreement. *wag*

As for assessing one's value by comparison with others: yes, it's a fundamental human instinct and we all do it. But, speaking with the benefit of a lot of hindsight: it doesn't actually do us much good. The results depend totally on where you set your sights. Compare yourself to the stars and you'll despair; compare yourself to skid row and you'll become happy with something worse than mediocrity. If you've got to compare yourself with someone, compare yourself with you a year ago.

As for your hindrances in life:

• By your own account, you have a family who despise fundamental aspects of your nature (I think it fair to call it "your God-given nature").
• You've come of age in a time when the economy sucks horrendously, placing huge obstacles before anyone who wants to support themselves without having the benefit of an established trade.
• You have been slugged with a predisposition for depression (probably substantially genetic), and your society does not encourage treatment of the depressed.

For a start.

When I try to judge the effects of these things, I compare you and me. We're not so very different: highly verbally intelligent, socially perhaps less so, both depressive. And I think it's entirely plausible that, if I hadn't started out with an unconditionally supportive family, and the benefits of universal healthcare, I'd be in a position much like yours. Plus I'd be toothless.

On the other hand, if I'd made proper use of my advantages, by now I'd be a professor or an eminent journalist.

If you're a loser, than so am I.