One of the most dangerous and destructive words in the modern day is 'potential'. It's not a hurtful word, it's not going to cause wars, it's not going to demean anyone in any way. What it does do, is it can create pressure for someone who has 'potential'. It puts more light on the little flaws that would otherwise go unseen. It makes the person put more effort into each and every day to the point where they could burn out.
I first started thinking about this when I stopped to watch the NFL draft a little bit last week. I personally do not think that they should put that much hoopla and fanfare into it, but what do I know? So watching the experts talk about the upside and downside to these kids getting drafted, they started to throw the word 'potential' around. 'He has the potential to anchor that team's offensive line for years to come.' 'He has the potential to be a shut down corner.' 'He has the potential to be the cornerstone for this franchise going forward.' So on and so on for almost every single player. While some positions in football fly under the radar, think about the offensive and defensive line, there are other positions (quarterback, wide receiver, safety) that are such an individual position or spot that one little mistake will be over analyzed for weeks. But, that quarterback that threw four interceptions thought that he had the potential to make those throws. He has the potential to carry the team on his back with his ability to read defenses and make accurate throws. He has the potential to be the franchise player that will lead them to the playoffs and beyond.
Another instance in sports is Bryce Harper. A nineteen year old kid that got called up to the Washington Nationals over the weekend. He has the potential to be the best player in the game for years and years. He is going to be the face of the sport. He....got booed by the visiting fans in Los Angeles when he walked up for his first at bat. If this kid is suppose to be the future of baseball, why would they boo him? Even if he didn't play for my team and the next best thing was making his debut, I would be excited to see that. Think back to when you were nineteen. Were you doing what you loved to do? If you were, were you getting booed by tens of thousands of people? Even if you weren't, think about if you were.
Potential isn't meant to be a destructive word, but if it is applied and whatever or whomever it is applied to doesn't live up to the potential, are they a failure? Does potential set people up for failure if they don't reach something that another person says they have the ability or potential to do? What if they don't want to reach that potential? If a person goes to college and gets a bachelor's degree and has the potential to continue on towards a master's or doctoral degree, but they go off and use that degree in getting a job, have they failed or is getting that one degree all they really wanted? Being in school for a decade isn't for everyone, some people get their degree and want to get out into the real world and start their careers.
In the end, the only potential that people have to live up to is their own. Whether it is in sports, life, school, whatever, outsiders' opinion on someone's potential doesn't mean anything. Live your life and you can't go wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment