Motivational Posters Of Green Acres, Part V

The text on a motivational poster in the nursing office reads:

“THINK OF A CHALLENGE NOT AS ADVERSITY, BUT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF”

The accompanying large, glossy photo shows a bald eagle in rapid descent over open water, wings back, eyes focused downwards , legs extended below, talons outstretched. Anyone who has seen an eagle fishing knows what happens next-- the eagle drops to the water, snatches an unsuspecting fish in its vise-like claws, and flies off for lunch. I guess there is a bit of “challenge” in this, for the eagle, because now and then they miss and have to swoop around for another shot.

But what of the fish? One moment he is minding his own business, unaware of any “challenge”, and the next he has eight razor-sharp talons lifting him into the sky while piercing his internal organs. Are we to encourage him to think of this situation “not as adversity”? Sure, the fish will “show the eagle what he’s made of”-- but only in the unfortunate literal sense, when the eagle rips him into little pieces back at the nest.

Overall this “motivational” advice seems applicable only in situations where the challenge is of moderate proportions, and only to the party likely to prevail.

I would re-write the poster thus:

“THINK OF A CHALLENGE NOT AS ADVERSITY, BUT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN THE TIMELESS PROCESS OF NATURAL SELECTION”