Dell's Journey

Chapter 12: The Idea Which Is Sort Of The Main Point

Something was taking shape in Dell's mind. Johnny is

always told to keep his room clean by his parents. He

grudgingly obeys, because if he doesn't he won't get an

allowance or get to watch any TV. The task is a means to

an end rather than an end in itself. But eventually, if

everything works out (which it very often does not) Johnny

grows up into a person who understands why it is good to

have clean rooms, clean bathrooms, clean hands, clean

clothes, and so on. There are benefits built in to the

whole thing, not just rewards or punishments that are

imposed from the outside. Hopefully Johnny discovers this

and becomes a tidy person.

The point is that Dell had heard of "taking

responsibility" or "growing up" plenty of times, and had no

trouble agreeing that such things were worthy goals. But

he had never actually been much good at doing these things.

I've mentioned before that Dell was fairly insightful and

could see when an issue needed to be addressed. But he

rarely, if ever, did anything about it.

He simply had to become responsible. And this meant

more than making a consistent car payment or making sure he

ate breakfast. It meant something far more difficult and

far more radical: a moment by moment, consistent way of

living that would redefine his existence. Instead of

avoiding conflict, he would face it. Instead of living for

simple rewards, he must get truly ambitious. He must aim

for the big, lofty goals: health, dignity, concern for

others, the types of things high-up on Maslow's Hierarchy

of Needs (1943).

"But –" he complained to his own thought processes,

"I don't know how! I can't do it. It's a huge

prospect, an insurmountable undertaking. And frankly," he

admitted, "I am not the type of person who is strong enough

to do it."

He was right. He really wasn't, at least, not yet.

No one is the type of person who does anything until they

actually do it.