Self-improvement is a privilege.
And by privilege, I don't mean living a comfortable life, but possessing the ability to imagine a better one—and believing you have the power to achieve it.
For those immersed in self-improvement or self-actualization, this might sound strange. They often take for granted that every person can choose what they believe and how they'll act on those beliefs, as if agency is universal.
Yet, we all know that grumpy uncle who spends his days lamenting society's injustices. Or the divorced aunt who blames every failure on her cheating ex, convinced her life was ruined beyond repair. Or the friend who’s always talking about starting a business but, ten years later, is still waiting for the "perfect" moment.
If we could rewind these lives frame by frame, at what point would we find the moment that sealed their fate? When did they cross the "point of no return," losing the chance to change their beliefs or behaviors?
The truth is, there’s no single defining moment. Life is a continuous thread, with each choice influenced by the one before it. No event, and no reaction, is entirely independent or consciously chosen in isolation.
Self-improvement, then, is not a universal game. It’s available to those whose nature and circumstances—by sheer luck—give them the ability to envision a better future and take steps toward it. Meanwhile, others, dealt a different hand, may never even perceive themselves as having control over their lives.
Not everyone can self-improve. And no, not everyone truly understands what it means.
And by privilege, I don't mean living a comfortable life, but possessing the ability to imagine a better one—and believing you have the power to achieve it.
For those immersed in self-improvement or self-actualization, this might sound strange. They often take for granted that every person can choose what they believe and how they'll act on those beliefs, as if agency is universal.
Yet, we all know that grumpy uncle who spends his days lamenting society's injustices. Or the divorced aunt who blames every failure on her cheating ex, convinced her life was ruined beyond repair. Or the friend who’s always talking about starting a business but, ten years later, is still waiting for the "perfect" moment.
If we could rewind these lives frame by frame, at what point would we find the moment that sealed their fate? When did they cross the "point of no return," losing the chance to change their beliefs or behaviors?
The truth is, there’s no single defining moment. Life is a continuous thread, with each choice influenced by the one before it. No event, and no reaction, is entirely independent or consciously chosen in isolation.
Self-improvement, then, is not a universal game. It’s available to those whose nature and circumstances—by sheer luck—give them the ability to envision a better future and take steps toward it. Meanwhile, others, dealt a different hand, may never even perceive themselves as having control over their lives.
Not everyone can self-improve. And no, not everyone truly understands what it means.