Standards = Values = Mental Health

I was reading what I suppose counts as an article on the internet recently. More clickbait, but it worked because I clicked on it to read why young people are choosing not to work. I did not get far into the topic. By the writer's second point, I could tell it was not about why young people do not choose to work, but rather why they are not choosing to work in the culture their grandparents and parents work in. I feel that is a clarifying point to be made.

Growing up, I was taught to rely on the experts in the room, the adults who knew better than me. I would also like to point out, I was a very unhappy child. That carried over into my adult life, where I've tried to take in knowledge and guidance from "the experts" around me. Unfortunately, a lot of the time these trusted advisors would tell me to lower my standards. I expect too much from myself and those around me, they would say. I listened, of course. These are the experts.

I've recently realized that lowering my standards to meet those around me has cost me much more than my standards. In my mind, the standards I hold myself to, feed my values. If I'm not doing my best work; work that satisfies me, where is my value? When I question my value, my mental health suffers. Are the things I value important? Compound that over a lifetime and yes, I have been unhappy with the results.

Circling back to the article on young people and why they have no desire to work within the current work culture, this is the advice I would give my younger self:

Dear Younger Nathan,

If anyone ever tells you to lower your standards, that your expectations are too great, the effort will be too much and they are unwilling to raise their standards to meet yours, these people are not leaders. They have accepted their fate. While they may believe they have your best interests at heart, lowering your standards should never be the solution. Keep to your standards, and your values, and quite honestly, overnight, your mental health will rise with those standards. You have the energy and the ability to change the world. Accept nothing less.

Sincerely,

Older Nathan