Daily Cascade

Never Say, Never!

Prompt: Never giving up?

"If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds."
Jesse Jackson
What do you think this quote means? Is it a good idea to never give up on something, someone, or some project that seems like a dead-end? Do you give up easily or are you the kind of person Jesse Jackson was talking about?

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I have to say, "Never say never!" This is, although Jesse Jackson was such an admirable person with tenacity. I may not be exactly the kind of person Jesse Jackson was talking about, but I don't give up easily, either.

Let's face it, we saw the results of Jesse Jackson's perseverance and determination in the face of what seemed, in those days, totally useless, but then, it wasn't useless. It opened up a whole new era for our entire country, if not for the world as well.

Still, as much as Jesse Jackson himself and this quote by him is a powerful motivator, the effectiveness of never giving up depends on the situation and the problem at hand. On the plus side, I think this advice encourages mental toughness so I don't give up when facing the smallest kind of difficulty and I can overcome most obstacles and failures.

Then, when I keep at a difficult task, I can also gain new skills and so I can develop internally and emotionally. While growing up and learning new languages and such, one of my options was for a language that had an alphabet with very different characters, signs, and letters. It was a difficult task and some people laughed at me, but as the result, I learned a lot about not one but three or more different cultures and ways of being. I am very glad I did that, so when world events turn one way or another, at least, I can see the effects of linguistic misunderstandings among the many nations.

As much as not giving up helps to build resilience,--here I go again, with resilience --there is also that risk of burnout. Although I wish I could somehow, had I tried to learn all the languages on earth, I'd probably not have lived my own life the way I would like to. There wouldn't be enough time for that and the whole effort would end up in a burnout, wouldn't it! This just goes to show that not every goal can be feasible or even doable.

In addition, persevering at something without adapting to the conditions and the difficulties of the task, can lead to missed opportunities elsewhere. From that angle, walking away can be the most practical choice. Plus, that "never give up" thing can create excess pressure on a person, especially when there is no clear direction. This pressure can lead to feelings of guilt, especially when success is not achieved.

Therefore, while "never give up" can be a valuable motto, it is also just as valuable to know when to quit or revise or change goals. So, from my point of view, real success mostly lies somewhere in between the two poles of any one goal.