Sunday, August 21, 2011

Challenge Accepted

In my head (don’t tell me you don’t want to be there), there is a big difference between “dares” and “challenges.”  I’m so incredibly risk-adverse that I blow off any type of dare.  It’s been like this since I was a child. Observe:

Another child:  I dare you to climb to the top of that tree.

Me:  No thanks.

However,

Another child: Who thinks they could climb to the top of that tree?

Me: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

I would then try ineffectively to shimmy up a tree.  I’d only manage to get one or two feet off the ground.  I never had good gross-motor skills.

It wasn’t always physical challenges that prodded me to take on a challenge.  There were academic challenges too.

Math teacher:  Ok, it’s time to review our algebra homework.

Me: AAAAARRRGHHHH.  Math is hard.

However,

Math teacher:  Ok, here is an extra-credit algebra worksheet.  You get 1 extra-credit point for each problem you answer correctly.

Me: I’ll take two, please.

Now, I was no great-shakes at math, but that’s besides the point.  If you try to motivate me to achieve a goal by betting me I could never do it, well, you’d be right.  If some one thinks I’m unable to accomplish something, and they tell me so, I have no desire to prove them wrong. 

But if you simply present me with a lofty goal, I’ll rise to meet that challenge.

And sometimes I succeed.

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10 comments:

I've Become My Parents said...

Interesting how that works. Pretty cool that you actually figured that out. I guess the next step is to figure out how to take full advantage of it.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@I've Become My Parents - I know. I think a lot of people like to prove people wrong. I guess I just want to show off on my own terms. Don't ask me how I figured this out.

chemgirljaime said...

I'm totally the opposite... if a challenge was presented, I wouldn't bother but if someone told me I couldn't... that's when I would kill myself to prove them wrong.

I was a wicked tomboy when I was younger and so I always felt the need to prove I could do anything they could do.. and I have the scars to prove it.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@chemgirl - I think a lot of people are the opposite. I'm not exactly sure why I'm different. Maybe it's just because I hate conflict. Good on you, though, for meeting all those challenges!! Scars only go to show what interesting lives we've had.

mamamash said...

I think you're the first person I've ever come across who looks at it that way! We're all a bunch of competitive a-holes around here, and the quickest way to get someone to do something is to tell them they can't!

Oh, and algebra is AWESOME. :P

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@mamamash - I know, I'm bizarro.

Betty Fokker said...

So, who thinks they can send me $100?

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Betty - If I had $100... no wait, I'll never have $100 ;)

Marianna Annadanna said...

Oh, I"ve always hated dares. I'm a baby.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Mariana - I also hate practical jokes. I was no fun at a sleep-over party as a youth.