The mistaken idea that we “have no limits” or that all limits are self imposed has snaked into every cranny of our modern belief system.
Not only are there limits, they exist in every area of life, at all levels, and they are mostly obvious.
We are limited personally by our biology, our physiology, and our inborn qualities and abilities.
We are limited in time and in resources. No matter how much we “visualize” being a billionaire, if we are doing so from our one bedroom walk-up the chances of success are so vanishingly small as to be nil.
And no matter how much we believe in our own immortality we will still die at some point.
As an example, I am 4’11” tall. There are many things I simply can’t reach. I can use tools to correct for this to an extent, but no tool will be sufficient for certain situations. Imagine that my dream in life had been to be a women’s basketball champion. No matter what my beliefs are, I could never have achieved this.
I am also nearly 67 as of this writing. And no matter how much I may identify as my 30 year old self I will never be 30 again. Or even 65.
This is because time is real and limiting. Body size and type is real and limiting.
Looking on a larger level, all humans systems and creations have limits. When too many refugees come into a city that does not have the capacity to take them in, the systems break. When the floodwaters are too fast and strong no wall can hold them.
On an even bigger scale, nature itself operates within limits. It might not be easy to see this. Understanding why I can’t get the cream from the top shelf is much easier.
Natural systems have a lot of give and many redundancies. But eventually even their limits become clear.
So why am I stating the obvious?
Because in large swaths of the developed world it is no longer obvious. There has been a decades long campaign to convince people that there are no limits on anything. It has nearly risen to the level of an article of faith. The results have been disastrous, as are the results of any big lie.
We all have inborn qualities that define us.
Telling people, especially children, that they can “be anything, and “do anything” when it is not true is simply cruel. And not understanding natural limits has led to catastrophe. There is a straight line between erasing the concept of limits and the climate collapse we are all living through.
Understanding how we truly are and using our strengths is much more rewarding in the end then trying to become something that we are not, no matter how attractive.
We are limited in time and space. Complete inclusiveness is over-rated and often unworkable.
The idea that we can change our essential nature's or be all things to all people is doomed to fail.
Knowing your own limits, the limits of others, and the limits out in the world does not mean giving up. It does not mean accepting the status quo or living without purpose. It means having a purpose that is achievable because it does not exceed what is possible.
This takes self-knowledge. It may be a fine line between selling yourself short and overreaching.
The recent submersible disaster is a case in point. It is not that nobody should ever attempt that sort of exploration, but rather that the limits of the craft and personnel should be thoroughly vetted before setting out.
This also does not mean accepting tropes such as “ A Black man can’t win the United States presidency”, or “women can’t be soldiers”. Neither of these are true limits. They are social constructs. True limits are biological, physiological, psychological, ecological, or matters of physics.
Take flying to the moon. In 1950 it was not considered possible. By 1969, it had been done. But is was an astounding scientific achievement involving years of development by thousands of people.
If you or I had simply flapped our arms and asserted we were about to fly to the moon the outcome would have been far different. And exceeding the speed of light is another matter, as far as we know.
So by all means, strive. Get out of your comfort zone. Just do it mindfully .
And don’t expect to win the women’s basketball championship if you are under five feet tall.
Or, more importantly, don’t expect to “grow the global economy” infinitely in a closed and limited system.
When things don’t work, try identifying the limit or boundary that is being ignored. You may not need to look any further.
I enjoy nuggets of wisdom like this.
I think about this phenomenon like so (paraphrasing a quote from I-don't-remember): you can get far less done in a month than you think you're capable of getting done, but you can get far more done in 10 years than you can possibly imagine with consistent effort.
If people tried to do fewer things, but of greater consequence, I believe there would be a lot less wasted energy in the world... but that's not so easy. We have the inertia of human divers and cultural norms to fight against.