The 5 Differences Between Acceptance And Resignation
One of the questions that philosophy has most insistently tried to answer is the following: what is the point at which one should stop fighting to change something and begin to accept what is happening?
In this article we will see what the differences are between acceptance and resignation two related concepts that, if we know how to distinguish them from each other, help us take control of our lives without becoming obsessed with impossible goals.
The relationship that exists between acceptance and resignation can be seen as that between the two sides of the same coin.
If we stop to think about what they have in common, we will quickly realize that They refer to stopping trying something. However, each of these words has very different implications for our personal development.
In fact, maturing psychologically means, among other things, understanding the differences between acceptance and resignation, given that we do not have to settle for what can be improved, but neither can we feel obliged to change what is beyond our control. . So that, Let’s see what it is that allows us to distinguish between the two.
1. Acceptance helps us recover
Those events that harm us and that are beyond our control wear us out psychologically much less if we interpret them through acceptance, and not resignation.
Even if two people are the target of the same catastrophic event, such as a hurricane that destroys their house, those who experience it through acceptance will be prepared much sooner to continue with their lives. The reason is that she will feel less tied to the way of thinking she had before the accident, which will save her a lot of added frustration.
2. Resignation feeds passivity
Resigning to something means that we are more predisposed to consider improvements impossible that, in reality, do not have to be.
Although it may seem paradoxical, Sometimes we look for any excuse not to admit that if we tried hard we could improve the reality that surrounds us, and resignation is an excuse to pass off that passivity as a tragic outcome that gives meaning to what we are experiencing.
3. Resignation does not allow us to learn from mistakes
Those who experience a negative event from resignation limit themselves to focusing their attention on the bad. On the other hand, when that unwanted situation has appeared partly because of our fault, acceptance implies also accepting that fact and considering doing better in the future.
That is to say, Acceptance allows us to draw valuable conclusions from our mistakes which at the same time brings relief because it is a way to make sense of the discomfort we feel in those circumstances.
4. Acceptance helps us see things in perspective
A person who embraces the inevitable through acceptance notices how the emotional pain they experience is cushioned, it does not cause as much discomfort. The reason is that live that moment adopting a distanced perspective as if we saw everything by moving away from our body.
This shift of attention towards the general situation, and not only towards the bad, is very useful as an ingredient for resilience, that is, overcoming crises.
On the other hand, if what causes us pain is partly our fault, Acceptance of this discomfort also implies that we recognize its existence objectively ; that is, as a factor that helps us ensure that this situation does not repeat itself. In other words, it shows us that even in those low hours, discomfort has served to gain a lesson.
5. Resignation promotes helplessness
While acceptance promotes a way of perceiving what happens in which suffering is not important, resignation causes discomfort to demotivate us and drain our energy, leaving us more exposed to other possible risks.
Conclusion
Much of what we experience is more related to the way we interpret it than to the objective fact itself. Therefore, knowing the difference between acceptance and resignation allows us to go through bad times in the best possible way, laying the foundation for our recovery through a process of resilience.
Whether in a grieving process for the death of a loved one, for lowered job expectations, for health problems, or for something similar, making acceptance our way of life is essential to not let the typical difficulties of life weigh us down too much and restrict our freedom.
