How to put it into a frame
As mentioned in last week's post: finding a fitting title wasn't easy, mainly because “fitting” is a very subjective thing. And we don't always agree, right? I mean, isn't that the reason you started this project: collecting evidence and reasoning to disagree with me? (I guess he has a point there.)
Perception is subjective, so naming is framing. There's nothing per se wrong or manipulative about it. It's simply a consequence to subjective perception. But then as we know, talking is storytelling (even with/to ourselves) and the repercussions can be significant. Who hasn't at least once been told to “look at it from a different angle”?
George – in his very nature – has a clear angle on things determined by his agenda (or so I believe): Everything is achievable for everybody but me. Now come on, I never said that! You can achieve it all, but you have to work harder! All the cool kids do it these days! If you're not up for it, you have to blame yourself.
Me on the other hand, I want to tackle the blame we put onto ourselves. Blame for not reaching imaginary (and often arbitrary) standards. The title of a blog post can be the framing and the seedling for such blame.
Last week, I wrote about comparing yourself to the people around you, blaming yourself for not being better than the best in a specific category. Basically, comparing your swimming to a shark and your flying to a falcon... while being able to swim like a goldfish while ALSO being about to fly like a bumblebee would guarantee you an entry in a record book. And your own romcom on Netflix! Let's look at potential titles and the storytelling they bring to the table.
“Why trying to beat a team must fail” Yeah, start by demoralising the audience. Genius!
“Tug-of-war at a disadvantage” I like it! Work harder and you can do it! Yes, sounds like blame game. Next.
“How to outrun a team” This was actually in my mind for a moment. Maybe George snuck it in (HeHeHe) but I feared the irony can get lost and I sound like an alpha male motivation coach. Please, we both know that you're quite a few letters away from that...
“Trying to outrun a team” So instead I wanted to shift the perception to the effort put into it. Futility aside, we take that road, we try to outrun a team. But unless you “put it like that”, you're not aware how unfitting the frame looks.
Next post: “Facts are true” Last post: “Trying to outrun a team”