The ass and the heart

Each of us feels the gap between what we have and what we desire. In this, all human beings are absolutely the same. The only difference is how one perceives this fact. For example, in the West it is becoming more and more popular to convince oneself and society that a person is a helpless victim of genetics, other people’s intentions or circumstances. Like heroin, such a move guarantees relief as the weight of responsibility for the status quo instantly falls off one’s shoulders. Except that the gap between what is desired and what is available remains the same, or rather increases every day.

I see the opposite attitude in company founders. No matter how brutally and unfairly their fortunes may have kicked them, they do not point the finger at it. Rather than scratching the itch of self-pity, they take a deep breath and then get on with rebuilding the business or setting up a new one. If the prey is the object of the predator’s hunt, the entrepreneur is always the hunter of the beast himself, i.e. he is the subject.

Moreover, it’s not about the availability of resources, for founders act this way even when they are deprived of everything and driven to a dead end. It is purely a matter of the attitude of the self-in-situation, i.e. the initial attitude of the mind. Psychologically, it’s hard at the moment, but in the long run, the entrepreneur is inexorably successful. Why?

According to Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, in a fight between two animals, both are stressed and excited. However, the one that converts this into a greater number of forward movements per unit time wins. In other words, to triumph you simply have to move forward physically against all odds. Or, as Steven Pressfield, the American author of historical novels and popular science books aptly put it, ‘Put your ass where your heart wants to be’.

Yours sincerely,

-Alexander

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