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Why do people place limits on thier own potential?

I hear people say things like: "That's the way I am" or "I just can't change" and I wonder if this is the norm. I have the attitude that I am the one who determines my actions but that doesn't seem to be the attitude of many others.

I see people who use the excuse that they are "born" a certain way and can't change. Or they use the excuse that somebody "made" them that way.

But I think those are excuses and that people have the power and ability to do amazing things including changing habits/feelings/lifestyles if we desire to.

So am I right in assuming people place limits on their own potential and if so why do you think they do that?

And if you think I'm wrong and people can' change, then I wonder what makes some of us have the ability while others don't. As a Christian, I do think we have the power of God to help us but it seems that even people who recognize God's power use those excuses and some that don't believe are able to overcome those excuses. Your thoughts?

5 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I agree with you - many,many people spend their life in a cage of discontent, anger and excuses and never realize that all this time they have had the key. It's called being responsible for yourself and your actions. Also, if a person believes that they can go no further it will become a self-filfilling prophesy - sad but inevitable.

  • pxp608
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    It all comes down to ones comfort zone.

    Let's face it, we are all creatures of habit.

    We also go by the saying.."if it ain't broke, why fix it"

    Or they make comments about themselves by saying.."I'm just [fill in the blank]..." They sell themselves short because that's the decision they made. Many people want to do "enough" in their lives. Status quo is waking up, go to work, come home, sleep, and do it all over again the next day. Anything outside of that schedule is avoided as much as possible. Everyone has the potential to be and do something extraordinary. The difference is the comfort zone. Are you willing to put yourself out there, step outside of your comfort zone and show the world why you are unstoppable?

    For most, the answer is no...

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    exciting question. i will think of a few replace could nicely be seen as a rebelion against the divine plan, given which you attempt to grow to be the identifying element your self. loss of humility could nicely be a tough one to crack and subsequently greater advantageous prevented, yet sufferer mentality, melancholy and exterior attribution are definately blockages we ought to consistently attempt to do devoid of. For me in my opinion I dislike skill and documents, with the aid of fact it brings with it the load of a probability corruption by technique of it and the ought to apply it while suitable. issues are plenty less difficult once you're a one trick pony. i've got faith that's no longer basically that skill corrupts, yet fairly that it attracts the already corrupted. additionally our barriers tension us to confront circumstances which we'd otherwise steer away from, which i think of is a robust (albeit no longer ordinary) element. subsequently i've got faith one do not have greater skill/wisdom than one has self-progression and awareness. yet another rule I stay by technique of in my opinion is that I on no account seek for out skill or wisdom for their very own sake nor to feed my ego/self photograph. I basically seek for such skill or wisdom if i will locate no incorrect thank you to help my brothers and sisters. this way as quickly as I income something i will right this moment supply it an area in my worldwide and don't affiliate it with myself. It will become a step on the process dharma (which I see as serving an superior objective no longer of your self). walking the process dharma does convey with it skill and documents, yet they're on no account the objective. the skill and documents are granted to grant distinctive studies and perspectives and to make you a greater useful device.

  • sparky
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    A very simple answer...FEAR.

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  • Dovey
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    One word: Fear. (See how simple psychology can be?)

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