<p>I feel as though my intellect isn't strong enough for me to achieve my goals. I want to be a professor at Princeton, solve the problem of determinism, read 90% of the books in the philosophical canon, be the next Wittgenstein, etc.</p>
<p>but in reality, I'll just be another ho hum teaching at Mediocre College or working in a cubicle. Anyone else feel this way?</p>
<p>All the time. But you can't let yourself.</p>
<p>Everyone has their doubts about themselves from time to time, or even frequently - but the key is to never let the doubts outweigh the high goals and aspirations.</p>
<p>There are going to be times when you feel overwhelmed and like things are going to be impossible - and while, yes, realistically, some people fail and some succeed, the ones who succeed are the ones who keep pushing and don't LET themselves fail.</p>
<p>I know what you're thinking : easier said than done!</p>
<p>True.</p>
<p>But hey...you know that cheesy Michael Jordan story a lot of teachers tell their kids? "He wasn't let on the high school basketball team...tried really hard...look where he is now" - well, not so cheesy after all, right? Its the core of the story thats real - he wouldn't let himself give up on his goals, even if others readily did.</p>
<p>And you shouldn't either.
Chin up. Its all in the attitude. ;)</p>
<p>cherrybarry, I know exactly what you mean. I want to be a great philosopher, and I can't even understand Kant. We all have limits, and, unfortunately, the limits of the great minds of history are far beyond ours. The best we can do, I suppose, is to dedicate ourselves to the things we conisder important to the greatest degree that we can. It may turn out that you can't solve the problem of determinism, but you should try anyway. Pursue it as far as your potential will allow. </p>
<p>As far as the other things, those are more external, and as far as I believe, consequently less important. You have far less control over a potential professorship at Princeton than you do over the things to which you dedicate your thought.</p>
<p>And in the end, you never know. Be assured that the vast majority of people rarely stop to think about anything important, and that self-awareness is already a major achievement. And you have time. We remember great people for their masterpieces. Those works didn't come easily to them either.</p>
<p>If you have the determination and a positive attitude you achieve the majority of your goals.</p>
<p>"I missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
-- Michael Jordon</p>
<p>It is all in the attitude, like wildflower & superior say.</p>
<p>Sorry, I forgot to write this in my previous post. Read steps one through three: <a href="http://www.meditationexpert.com/Articles/Goals.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.meditationexpert.com/Articles/Goals.htm</a>
Most of you probably alread know about the study mentioned but anyone who has high goals set should use it as an example. Also, it might help if you actually write down your goals and sign them. It is just like signing a contract with yourself and has great effects psycologically.</p>
<p>i have felt the same way too. I have a culture where the women are almost looked down on in some aspects. you will find very few who become great professors or scientists or lawyers, etc. even in my own school, the girls with the same race as mine don't even try in school; they cannot even imagine themselves going to college and becoming independent people. as for myself, i strive to break out of that hole. i don't want my race to stop me from pursuing my dreams and goals. but then again, sometimes i stop and ask myself, "Am i being realistic? Is there really a place for me out there in the real world?" i wanna give up sometimes. but then, something good happens in my academic career that pushes me to keep going. right now, with the summer here and all, i feel kind of low. i have been laying around the house for days now; my sats on saturday and act the saturday after that are waiting to be studied for. but for some odd reason, i can't seem to find that drive to succeed anymore. it's almost as if i gave up. but the fact that i am bothered by this new attitude may signify that perhaps i still care about school and college and life...i don't know, i am so confused.</p>
<p>ya, i've felt this way before. it kinda comes and goes. my family is really poor, most likely in poverty, and it's kind of discouraging when i want to go to a somewhat-prestigious college that will cost like $40,000 and be successful. nearly everyone in my family has only a high school education, dropped out of high school, or dropped out of college. even though i try really hard in school and am doing really well, i sometimes wonder if it will amount to anything in the future, or if i will just be like them. ah well. whenever i lose my drive, i just tell myself that if i don't motivate myself, i WILL become like them, and it's all good in the world again.</p>
<p>sometimes, when de-motivated, i take a small nap. that seems to help.</p>
<p>Woah, those are some pretty specific goals...</p>
<p>I'm still stuck on:</p>
<p>"Successful"</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, I share the same anxiety. I question myself about my intelligence, my looks, my ability to succeed, and my drive. I am a perfectionist too as I know many of us all are. Achieving a 99 out of 100 peeves me even. Every day I struggle to recognize my talent while I emphasize my flaws. All I know is that one must continue onward and hope.</p>
<p>I feel pretty limited like that too sometimes...I suppose that is why religion is becoming ever-popular...Oh well, try your best and have fun at whatever you do.</p>
<p>Wow, at least I not the only one who feel like that time to time:)</p>