In the modern age, words alone aren't good enough. You need to not only prove your qualifications, your service, your dedication but be able to continually improve upon what has already been accomplished. But this isn't reasonable.

It is as if asking Usain Bolt to continuously beat his track record.

Just because we did something extraordinary previously does not mean that we must do something as good as or better this year. These superlinear scaling expectations are simply inhumane.

A sequel is not always better than the first book.

Adults aren't always smarter than when they were children.

Progress does not always follow an upwards trajectory. 

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Edit: 12th Apr 2021

We are all Da Vincis, Pascals, Lovecrafts, (genius' who were not recognised until postmortem)... the world is just too closed-minded to see the talent inside of us until it's too late.

Anecdotal evidence should be considered "proof". Unfortunately, the Sheeple of society are slow to trust and believe that nothing happens without tangible evidence.

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Edit: 26th Apr 2021

There is a general stigma against doing things in half measures, cutting corners or simply just quitting. But should we be confined by societal conventions?

We are not omniscient and our expectations of ourselves and unforeseen circumstances play a large role when we set goals, make promises, and confirm beliefs. But nobody is stagnant – a prominent part of our identities and the essence of change.

Most people believe giving up is shameful, a waste of time and resources, however, as long as you get something out of it, is it really a waste? Is everything done on a teleological basis?

Of course, promises should be kept no matter how much you hate them. It may be argued that you were ignorant, naïve or simply not yourself, but a promise to do something is an act of virtue. Without virtue, society cannot exist. That is not to say promises aren't negotiable. Empathy is something we all share, so if you are really struggling, then mutually altering the fine print within a promise is perfectly acceptable.

Everything else though is fair play. You have no obligation to your past self – your past self would probably value your happiness over a dumb dream anyway – so don't ever feel compelled to do something you said you would. Maybe this makes you untrustworthy, maybe this makes you seem fickle, but in the end, your life is your own and if you are not happy with your life, then what is the point of living in hell?

It is okay to give up.

It is okay to change.

It is okay to not be okay.