11-13-2016, 07:36 AM
(11-13-2016, 03:13 AM)K-Train Wrote: Indeed, most require some form of external validation. I think the real issue is how much external validation is it that you require in order to continue to survive and move forward. A person who almost exclusively relies on external validation in order to feel good about themselves is going to get f*cked in the ass (metaphorically speaking :P) because if they need (keyword: need) near constant external validation then they're going to be in serious trouble. So if your argument is everyone needs/requires external validation at some point...then yeah I'd say you have a good argument on your hands.
But again, some of the biggest advancements we've had in history politically, socially, economically, technologically and in terms of sports has come from people who had enough conviction and self validation to persevere through severe droughts of external validation. Jackie Robinson (first African American to play in Major League Baseball) had a metric shit-ton of people providing him with no external validation. Of course he had support from key people (external validation) which no doubt helped him along. But without sufficient internal validation (knowing that he was a great player even if people called him the N-word or whatever) he would have quit like everyone else. You can switch Jackie Robinson around with some other historical figure that had to endure heaps doubters, nay-sayers, and whatever before they got external validation (if ever).
Many people are indeed shaped by external validation absolutely. But I would argue (and I'm sure others would as well) that eventually it becomes necessary for the sake of peace of mind to reduce the amount of external validation required to such a point that you can live your life happily relying mainly and heavily (although not necessarily exclusively) on your own self-validation.
Agreed
