Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A to Z Challenge - Justify

For the A to Z Challenge, my topic is leadership and goal-setting. I am posting short excerpts from my book, Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership and Goal-Setting, along with an inspiring photo. Enjoy and dream big!

Justify

We all crave approval. We long to hear that we are accepted and liked by others. When another human being pays attention and truly listens to us, it conveys a sense of importance. Our sense of worth either increases from their interest or is reduced by their rejection. Sometimes we even resort to negative and destructive behavior to elicit a response that will justify our existence. The desire for acceptance factors into almost everything we do or say.


20 comments:

Stina said...

My kids are always justifying things. When my 12 yo tells me about his exams, he always justifies his poor mark by prefacing it with a comment on how low the class average was. And my 9 yo always starts his sentences with, "Well, . . . ." lol

Rob-bear said...

This is really fascinating. Never thought about it this clearly.

shelly said...

I learned this about my own children. And what's going on between the cat and dog?

Anonymous said...

Yikes! Those are some menacing looking claws. Maybe you could LOL! this pic up for your Weekend SIllies.

Unknown said...

Yes, even if we think we don't need anyone's acceptance, we all do to an extent. Love the pic.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I agree it's great to feel accepted by one and all but sadly that is not always the case.

Yvonne.

Jaye Robin Brown said...

I think social media is a bit like that. Did anyone comment? Did anyone like what I said? And if they didn't well we justify why.

Narayana Rao K.V.S.S. said...

Good to know about your blog through Google+ message.

I am writing for the challenge in my MBA Course Knowledge Center Blog

http://nraombakc.blogspot.com

I shall go through your blog and cover your posts in my blog for the benefit of readers of my blogs. I shall do it in May.

Johanna Garth said...

I'm very good at justifying my need for a second cookie (because I skipped lunch...of course) ;)

Glynis Peters said...

Justify, a good word. I used to be dreadful for trying to justify myself in one way or another. Now I don't bother.

Matthew MacNish said...

Great post for J, Diane!

Southpaw said...

Is that a vampire kitty? What's the justification there? Hum...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

We do it even though the only real sense of worth must come from within.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Stina, that's kids for you.

Thank you, Karen.

Shelly, they are both cats - Spunky is attacking Rocko.

Stephen, be good for a caption, wouldn't it?

Jaye, good point.

Southpaw, some days she does suck the life out of me.

Kittie Howard said...

Big applause for hitting the nail on the head about so much. When justify nudges accountability out, I cringe.

Jai Joshi said...

Very true, Diane. Almost everything we do is an effort to justify ourselves.

Jai

Heather M. Gardner said...

Very true.
Well said.
Heather

Nicole said...

I agree with Karen Walker because the desire of acceptance can be destructive if that desire goes too far to the point of being all that matters.

With that said, we all have to justify our need for approval in our professional lives, whether that be at a job or a career. When I was in school, I relished in the fact that I was among my teachers' favorite students and after graduating, even to this day, I feel bad if I don't live up to certain potential that they may have seen in me because it feels like I've let them down otherwise.

Cheers!

~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

This is so true in everything and about every one. I try to remember it as a teacher and a parent.

Tamara Narayan said...

That picture reminds me of my two kid's today--oh, the fussin' and fightin'. And yes, they justify it to the skies.