I found this article to be extremely interesting, but I do have some arguments that I would raise against it. The central argument that he makes in this article is that the current paradigm that exists within our education system is flawed. He argues that the current system of education functions to teach our youth to excel in all subjects, and when they show a weakness in a specific area we tell them to work on fixing that weakness. However, he claims that this is limiting our potential because all characteristics which differentiate us come with both a strength and corresponding weakness. Therefore, he argues that we should instead train our youth to work at building their strengths, recognizing that weaknesses are normal and enable our strengths. His argument centers on the belief that our desire to create well-rounded individuals is not only unattainable, but a flawed and misguided goal to begin with. In all of his theories I absolutely agree with him, but in the ways that he suggests people apply his theories I do have some arguments.
The first point of his that I am going to discuss is the third point labeled Flawless: There’s Nothing Wrong with You. In this section he makes several arguments about why our perceived flaws are actually indicators of strength and are not fixable. I do agree that many of the characteristics he listed as strength often have the corresponding weaknesses that he lists, but I don’t believe that you can prove the combinations he lists as absolutely true because I believe many different forms of strengths and weaknesses exist in everyone. For example, people who are creative can be organized, and someone who is passionate is not necessarily impatient. He goes on to give examples, one of them being Todd Crandell in describing addiction. I disagree with his claim that Todd’s addiction is a part of him that cannot change and that one can only change the focus of the addiction. I personally know many people who have overcame addictions and no longer feel the need to consume experience in ferocious ways.
Next, I will discuss the fourth suggestion titled Forget It: Don’t Try To Fix Your Weaknesses. This section makes the argument that we are unable to fix our weaknesses, that any time spent trying to fix them could be better spent developing our strengths, and that we should ultimately build our strengths and ignore our weaknesses. This is where I fundamentally disagree with the author. I believe that our minds have the ability to overcome our mental ailments and that the struggle to do so a fundamental human struggle. He furthers his argument by the claim that working on our weaknesses is painful and that we do not enjoy doing it. However, I would argue that those things which are hardest in life reap the most benefits, and that the very fact that it is a difficult thing to do makes it so important. Even if we become perfectly efficient at something we will always be held back by our weaknesses, and if we never work at them we will ultimately be consumed by them.
The final section I will look at is the sixth suggestion Focus: You Can’t Do Both. In this section he argues that you cannot simultaneously build your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. The reasons he gives for this are that we all limitations, that focusing on weakness prevents us from focusing on strength, and that focusing on a weakness can actually diminish the corresponding strength. I absolutely disagree with his argument. I think the entire way that he is polarizing these two components of our being is flawed. Strength and weakness shouldn’t be separated as two conflicting things which we must reconcile with, but rather our mental struggle toward happiness should be viewed as a constant, single process of bettering ourselves. He is essentially advising that we turn our backs on the parts of our self that we don’t like because it’s “time consuming” and “difficult” and that we should focus on those things which will get us ahead in the business world. I find this entire argument to neglect the basic human need to create a calm and centered mind, to seek inner peace. Furthermore, I would argue that working on a weakness necessarily improves the corresponding strength, not the other way around.
In regards to creativity, I find my greatest strengths and weaknesses represent a single struggle toward a balanced process, not an exploitation of one of my skill sets. I find that my greatest strengths are in developing a single idea which I will fall in love with and become very passionate about. I find that I can manifest these very powerful ideas in my head. However, I find that my weaknesses are all related to work ethic and the ability to do what I need to do. This laziness has always prevented me from expanding my ideas and taking advantage of opportunities to further them. Therefore, but working at my weaknesses of procrastination and laziness I will ultimately improve my ability to create powerful works more than I would have ever been able to do by ignoring my problems. That is essentially how I argue against his theories.
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