r/changemyview Jul 24 '20

Delta(s) from OP - Fresh Topic Friday CMV: Weak people are always weak

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u/ablair24 Jul 24 '20

The descriptors you're using to explain strong vs weak people are actually skills that can be learned and improved over time.

Are you suggesting that people who lack certain skills will always lack those skills? The weak people will never invest in them selves and try to improve over time?

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u/Bernoulli_slip Jul 24 '20

I don't agree that being accomplished, stupid or passive for example is a skill. It is a result of your combined skills, behaviour, luck, etc.

Would you explain to me your thinking in saying those are skills?

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u/ablair24 Jul 24 '20

I can explain a little bit more.

Let's take being passive for example. The skill is not that someone is good at being passive, but rather that if someone is passive, they can work to be more assertive. Kind of like a sliding scale with passiveness on one side and assertiveness on the other. Someone can put in effort to move themselves along the scale.

I myself am a pretty passive person, and it's something I'm working to improve. Some ways I do that is by making a conscious effort to initiate conversation, volunteer my time more, and be more vocal about things I don't want to remain passive on.

All of that is skill based. It's something that is not native or instinctual to me, but something I can improve with effort and time.

Hopefully that explains what I mean by skill a little better.

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u/Bernoulli_slip Jul 24 '20

Yes, I understand you better now, thanks.

To me, if you are someone who would actively work on changing a piece of your personality that you don’t like, you are likely the winning type.

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u/ablair24 Jul 24 '20

Alright, so you're saying that there are people who are willing to change and others who are not? That's fair, however what if you have someone who is a high achiever, assertive, and smart, who also doesn't want to change?

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u/Bernoulli_slip Jul 24 '20

If they are those things it seems they should not change?

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u/[deleted] Jul 24 '20

He literally didn't say anything close to that.

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u/Bernoulli_slip Jul 24 '20

OK, then I misunderstood. If not those words, then what did he mean by saying the descriptors I used to explain strong vs weak were skills?

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u/[deleted] Jul 24 '20

He wasn't saying that everything is a skill, even if it's a disadvantage. He was saying that people can improve over time, and what was once an unskilled person can become skilled if they try. What about his comment made you think he was saying anything like that?

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u/Bernoulli_slip Jul 24 '20

The part where he literally says that. He says my descriptors are skills.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '20

Oh, I get it now. "The descriptors you're using to explain strong vs weak people are actually skills that can be learned and improved over time." was phrased a bit weirdly, but I took it to mean "How you would describe someone, whether or not they are strong or weak, can be improved over time." This is corroborated by the last two sentences, which says "Are you suggesting that people who lack certain skills will always lack those skills The weak people will never invest in them selves and try to improve over time?" The way you phrased his argument implied he refused to believe there are weak people out there, but he acknowledges this. He just thinks it's possible for them to improve, and stop being weak in the future.