الوضع الليلي
0
Aligning Goals with Capacities
10:58:26 2026-03-18 36

While choosing one's goals, one should keep in view one's power, potential, and capacities and refrain from being unreasonably ambitious, for that would lead to failure and disappointment.

Imam 'Ali, the Master of the Pious, may peace be upon him, makes this interesting remark:

Whoever asks for something beyond his limits deserves disappointment.

Whoever demands something he does not deserve will face Disappointment.

Psychologists describe ambitious goals that are not consonant with a person's capabilities as one of the causes of failure:

The causes of failure lie either within the person himself or in the environment or both. The internal conditions of failure relate to mental and physical ability and health. The other internal conditions consist of personal goals and ambitions. Individuals differ in their capacity to face obstacles. Many people cannot succeed in overcoming their problems due to inadequate capacity. The causes of failure lie within the person himself when he expects more in order to fulfil his needs than he has the capacity to procure. For instance, Ahmad is a healthy young man and an athlete. He takes part in most of the sports at his college and is someone who can make many friends and enjoy their company. However, he is always sad and depressed. Ahmad thinks that people do not appreciate him as much they as should, that he did not get the medals that were received by others, that the newspapers do not print his pictures on the first pages, and things of this kind.

Ahmad's expectations are more than what his abilities would permit. His problem is a product of his own thinking, and it is something commonly observed in individuals, especially young people. If we observe carefully, we would see that many people are not satisfied with their work and their expectations are greater than their abilities would warrant.

Those who have too many expectations from the world are never at peace or happy. If their personal capacities were enough to fulfil their expectations, these expectations would definitely be realised. But the main problem is that expectations often exceed capacity. We have been taught that one can achieve whatever one wants, but we have not been told that this is true when one has the necessary capacity and power. Of course, effort is necessary at all times. Defeat must not stop one from making effort, and everybody must struggle to reach his goal. But goals must be chosen in accordance with one's capacities. 

 

Reality Of Islam

True Freedom

10:44:29   2026-03-16  

Humiliation and Sin

11:34:27   2026-03-14  

A Big Fault

12:8:13   2026-03-09  

A Mathematical Approach to the Quran

10:52:33   2024-02-16  

mediation

2:36:46   2023-06-04  

what Allah hates the most

5:1:47   2023-06-01  

allahs fort

11:41:7   2023-05-30  

striving for success

2:35:47   2023-06-04  

Imam Ali Describes the Holy Quran

5:0:38   2023-06-01  

livelihood

11:40:13   2023-05-30  

silence about wisdom

3:36:19   2023-05-29  

MOST VIEWS

Importance of Media

9:3:43   2018-11-05

Illuminations

educators

9:50:37   2023-02-28

abbas-ibn-firnas

3:42:22   2021-12-24

friendship

2:42:26   2023-02-02

think well

8:39:51   2022-09-23

true friendship

11:2:27   2022-10-06

different roles

9:42:16   2022-10-19



IMmORTAL Words
LATEST Aligning Goals with Capacities How can I help my children develop healthy eating habits? Interpretation of Sura al-Nur - Verse 32 Is Your Brain Actually to Blame for High Blood Pressure? A New Kind of Atomic Clock Could Redefine the Second Tropical Peatlands Are Burning Like Never Before in 2000 Years Best Foods for Kids True Freedom Interpretation of Sura al-Nur - Verse 31 This Simple Japanese Eating Habit Is Linked to a Longer Life This Ultra-Thin Device Controls Light Like a Microscopic Spotlight Desert Dust Is Freezing Clouds Across the Northern Hemisphere