Asturiel's Daily: Opportunities

[Asturiel]

Now for my weekly daily thread. Since I missed so many weeklys I have decided to do a daily thread with all the stored ideas. (Blame my computer dying!... and Anime North)

Now in life we are presented with many opportunities, the way we act on them is what is important yes? Weither to abandon them for the risks involved or go anyways for the benefits. Which is why it amazes me when there is an opportunity presented with quite literally no downside other than taking a hour of your free time and contributing to your mark and people do not go for it. This is an amazing opportunity, my teacher offered to have a small test before the exam, one that covered everything and if you did complete it she would replace your lowest, most affecting mark with it, if you did worse? She will not count it. There is nowhere to go but up, and a good way to prepare yourself for an exam.

Which makes me wonder why out of the 25 people in our class only 10 said they would do it. And just to clarify most of these people could if they wanted to go to this mock test, they just chose not to.

This leads to my question, why is it that people are willing to ignore and abandon a great opportunity to help their success? When you have something that can only help you why would you not take it?

Edit: Let me rephrase this, I can understand why people in this situation would be like this but the question is more wide spread, talking about people in general.

 

[delet]

Well, that's because it's school. Most people don't enjoy it or feel the need to put any extra effort into it. It's probably because of a lack of motivation or the fact that it's basically treated like a job but you don't get paid. I'm thinking that if there were more of a substantial motivational tool behind it then more people would be willing to do something like that.

As for myself, well I prefer to only do things when there's a substantial, usually tangible benefit at the end.

 

[DividedUnity]

snip

It is because future benifits are not as imminent as present inconvience. A lot of people are hard pressed to look past what is happening here and now even if it does leave them in a worse-off position.

 

[Marter]

I believe it has something to do with fear. Both the fear of the unknown, as well as fear of success. Some people have both fears, and don't believe that taking an opportunity is worth the potential risk, even if there isn't one.

 

[Blueruler182]

I believe it has something to do with fear. Both the fear of the unknown, as well as fear of success. Some people have both fears, and don't believe that taking an opportunity is worth the potential risk, even if there isn't one.

You beat me to it.

One also has to understand that everyone's different. People react to one opportunity in a different way than others. I have a coworking who can get Native Status, which, since I'm not sure if they have it in the states, would mean free health care and free schooling. But she refuses to look into it because it's a connection with her father, with whom she's got a few issues. She's not in a good position, and she's going to go to school besides. And there's no downside to the status. She just has issues with it.

People have individual reasons that seem trivial and moronic to anyone else, but make perfect sense to them. It's a "one man's trash is another man's treasure" scenario, of sorts. Reversed, I guess.