"Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else. The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life." - Stephen Covey
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According to Stephen Covey, people with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. They also have a very hard time being genuinely happy for the successes of other people – even, and sometimes especially members of their own family or close friends and associates. It’s almost as if something is taken from them when someone else receives special recognition or windfall gain or has remarkable success or achievement.
Although they might verbally express happiness for others success, inwardly they are eating their hearts out. Their sense of worth comes from being compared, and someone else’s success, to some degree, means their failure. Only some may people can be “A” students; only one person can be “number one”. To “win” simply means to “beat”.
Often, people with a Scarcity Mentality harbor secret hopes that others might suffer misfortune – not terrible misfortune, but acceptable misfortune that would “keep them in place.” They’re always comparing, always competing. They give their energies to possessing things or other people in order to increase their sense of worth.
It is difficult for people with a Scarcity mentality to be members of a complementary team. They look on differences as signs of insubordination and disloyalty.
Although they might verbally express happiness for others success, inwardly they are eating their hearts out. Their sense of worth comes from being compared, and someone else’s success, to some degree, means their failure. Only some may people can be “A” students; only one person can be “number one”. To “win” simply means to “beat”.Often, people with a Scarcity Mentality harbor secret hopes that others might suffer misfortune – not terrible misfortune, but acceptable misfortune that would “keep them in place.” They’re always comparing, always competing. They give their energies to possessing things or other people in order to increase their sense of worth.
It is difficult for people with a Scarcity mentality to be members of a complementary team. They look on differences as signs of insubordination and disloyalty.
photo: maple tree - new life!
Spiritual: To counter the Scarcity Mentality, the scripture reminds us: "whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,... Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion..." (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 10-11) People may hesitate to give generously if they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. Paul assures the Corinthians that God was able to meet their needs. He gives us the resources to use and invest. Paul uses the illustration of seeds to explain that the resources God gives us are not to be hidden, foolishly devoured, or thrown away. Instead, they should be cultivated to produce more crops (LAB, p. 2094).
reflection: God loves a cheerful giver.
Source: Stephen Covey, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
1 comment:
it's so true that many people often fall into this scarcity mentality, be it little or largely. thanks for the reminder of our anchor and provider yet again.
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