The Fleeting-ness of Accomplishment
Purpose vs. Accomplishment
"The problem" she said, "is one of perspective. Purpose is easy as it usually is pre-defined. You don't usually do something without having some idea of why you're doing it. Accomplishment, on the other hand, is entirely subjective. Even when we're told or have physical evidence that we've accomplished something to some external standard, we're still stuck with our own judgement on how well we really thought we did."
"Yes but once we've made that judgement doesn't that define it?" He asked.
"Ah...that's just the funny thing about it." She smiled. "It does become part of your history, but it also remains subject to a constantly changing re-evaluation."
"What do you mean." He looked quizzically at her.
"How many times have you seen people who work hard to fulfill some purpose, who are constantly discounting or refusing to acknowledge the progress they're making." she replied.
"Yes, I see what you mean!" he said. "As time changes their perspective, even the feeling that yesterday things were going okay can change dramatically."
"True," she answered. "Subjective opinion is a tricky thing to have to rely on."
"The problem" she said, "is one of perspective. Purpose is easy as it usually is pre-defined. You don't usually do something without having some idea of why you're doing it. Accomplishment, on the other hand, is entirely subjective. Even when we're told or have physical evidence that we've accomplished something to some external standard, we're still stuck with our own judgement on how well we really thought we did."
"Yes but once we've made that judgement doesn't that define it?" He asked.
"Ah...that's just the funny thing about it." She smiled. "It does become part of your history, but it also remains subject to a constantly changing re-evaluation."
"What do you mean." He looked quizzically at her.
"How many times have you seen people who work hard to fulfill some purpose, who are constantly discounting or refusing to acknowledge the progress they're making." she replied.
"Yes, I see what you mean!" he said. "As time changes their perspective, even the feeling that yesterday things were going okay can change dramatically."
"True," she answered. "Subjective opinion is a tricky thing to have to rely on."