I too like challenging common platitudes and received opinions like some you list here. The kind of things people say without ever thinking, the thoughts we were "fed" to think. Many of these tell “you arent capable!” “there’s no point” “its too late” “leave it to the special people”.
I have directly or indirectly had to work with many people where I had to fight these kinds of inner thoughts… often acquired at school.
One thing that strikes me over and over is how it takes so little to allow people to shine and empower themselves… and so little to shut them off.
I believe that a lot of these “received ideas” were encouraged to make people stay where they are. Fit in, do what everyone does, don’t question, don’t make waves, stay in your place and for heaven’s sake don’t think for yourself or get ideas above your station like thinking you are capable to write or create or be your own person!
Pah to that!
It is a good idea to challenge all the messages out there dumbing people down, telling us the world is too complicated for peons like us, achievement is for special people, thinking is for the technocrats… especially us who are lucky enough to be in these “elites”.
Challenge these ideas whenever you find them in people, and watch the people learn to shine.
