87. Helpful Support (Independence) vs Harmful Support (Dependence). Mentioning Jon Haidt, Kim Scott,
Jan 07, 2025•57 min
Episode description
Helpful Support = 1. Increased Trajectory + 2. Increase Resilience
Harmful Support = 1. No Improvement In Trajectory + 2. Lowered Resilience
Support in Different Contexts
- Workplace: Managers should focus on developing employees' skills and independence
- Parenting: The goal is to raise independent adults, not perpetually dependent children
- Friendships: There's a delicate balance between being supportive and becoming a "coach"
- Addiction and mental health: Support should aim for long-term recovery and resilience, not enabling destructive behaviors
Jon Haidt's Three Great Untruths:
- "What doesn't kill you makes you weaker" => What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
- "always trust your feelings" => Feelings should be examined, sometimes immediate responses are counter productive and one should 'think slow, not think fast'.
- "life is a battle between good people and evil people" => The world is not zero sum, most things are 'win-win'.
Defining Effective Support
- Support done well leads to independence and growth, not dependence
- The goal is to "teach someone to fish" rather than continuously "giving them fish"
- Good support maximizes the trajectory of someone's improvement over time
- Effective support may involve allowing someone to struggle or fail in order to learn and grow
Challenges in Providing Support
- It can be difficult to let someone struggle or fail, especially in personal relationships
- There's a balance between intervening and allowing natural consequences
- The recipient's mindset (growth vs. fixed) impacts the effectiveness of support
- Clear communication about the intention and reasoning behind support is crucial
Reframing Support
- Support should be viewed as increasing resilience and ability to handle future challenges
- It's about being on the same "team" and working together for mutual growth and success
- Good support acknowledges feelings without necessarily endorsing them
- Support should aim for win-win outcomes rather than reinforcing a zero-sum mentality
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