Must We Overcome?

An exploration of the dangers of seeking to overcome

Overcoming.

I hear the word and its synonyms often.

Getting over our fears. Winning the fight against the crisis. Overcoming our inner struggles.

Our culture is thick with such phrases and metaphors.

This all might seem natural and obvious enough.

But I wonder. What does it all mean? What does it lead to?

Dare I ask: Must we overcome?

Any time a problem arises, we want to remove it. We seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way.

Whether it’s our own lack of confidence, our business’s strategic issue, or a societal crisis, our inclination is to overcome it.

We assume that once we overcome what’s in our way, then things will be better.

“If only I had more confidence and my team was more talented, then I’d be fine.”

So, we dedicate our efforts to strategizing, problem-solving, and fixing our way out of our challenges.

This urge to avoid and remove undesirable experiences is, of course, a natural and important reaction.