Is it possible to be extremely successful without being obsessive? At child rearing or anything ?--- sports, fitness, career, life? I hope so. Examples anyone?
I guess it depends on how you define "obsessive" and "successful." I think that there are many things that lend themselves to obsessive behavior. If you want to be successful in anything that involves physical or psychomotor skills (tennis, golf, neurosurgery, dentistry, playing a musical instrument) then you have to be somewhat obsessive. The more you do it, the better you get. There is no question that this happens. These are motor performance skills where neurological responses improve with repeated trials and associated critical thinking elements become sharpened with experience.
And then there are career situations that are competitive, time comsuming, and demand dedication.
But when it comes to child-rearing, it seems as though the inverse is true. Because the parents goal is for the child to become independent. To acheive this, the parent has to gradually and thoughtfully withdraw from the child. Though it seems sad, a parent is "successful" when the child doesn't need them anymore.
I wonder what you consider as "obsessive" behavior? Because I think, as a parent, one might spend a fair amount of time reflecting on family issues, without actually physically interfering with the family -- would this be obsessive?
And what do you consider to be "successful"? (Where does the professional athlete fit in - who is extremely successful in their field but hardly knows their family?)
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What a thoughtful and complex question!
I guess it depends on how you define "obsessive" and "successful." I think that there are many things that lend themselves to obsessive behavior. If you want to be successful in anything that involves physical or psychomotor skills (tennis, golf, neurosurgery, dentistry, playing a musical instrument) then you have to be somewhat obsessive. The more you do it, the better you get. There is no question that this happens. These are motor performance skills where neurological responses improve with repeated trials and associated critical thinking elements become sharpened with experience.
And then there are career situations that are competitive, time comsuming, and demand dedication.
But when it comes to child-rearing, it seems as though the inverse is true. Because the parents goal is for the child to become independent. To acheive this, the parent has to gradually and thoughtfully withdraw from the child. Though it seems sad, a parent is "successful" when the child doesn't need them anymore.
I wonder what you consider as "obsessive" behavior? Because I think, as a parent, one might spend a fair amount of time reflecting on family issues, without actually physically interfering with the family -- would this be obsessive?
And what do you consider to be "successful"? (Where does the professional athlete fit in - who is extremely successful in their field but hardly knows their family?)