The authors of this book feel differently. They stress that "studies of human development show that once a person has an area of competency, structuring of knowledge provides a framework for acquiring new knowledge and understanding" (40).
Once a person is competent in an area of strength, he or she can begin to add other areas and build on experience.
How does one know what his or her strengths are? Hints of strengths include Yearnings (to do, not to have the trappings); Satisfactions; Rapid learning; Glimpses of excellence; and Total Performance of Excellence or flow of behavior that occurs unconsciously.
One should sort the strengths found and go with just one at a time. This sounds difficult, but it works well. Then perfect it by doing it over and over. Only then go on to the next strength.
In contrast, one also has to find one's weaknesses: These include eight steps:
1) Feel defensiveness about performance; 2) Obsessive attempts to overcome something we do; 3) Slow learning (just don't "get it"); 4) No profit or gain from repeated experience; 5) Having to continually think through the step of a process;
6) Decrease in confidence drops when performing the activity; 7) Having no vision of doing...
Then managing this weakness, but not trying to make it a strength, and finally find alternatives to these the weaknesses, such as finding someone else who is strong in the area.
Since this book was written, it seems that even more of emphasis has been placed on people having to succeed in all areas. Students are told they have to do well in all parts of the SAT, be involved with different extra-curricular activities in and outside of the school and participate in volunteer programs. The student who goes to auto repair or graphic design school is looked down upon. As a result, I feel that our country is suffering and will do so more in the future.
We are not allowing people to develop their strengths to the maximum and taking advantage of the parts of their total being that makes them special individuals. The best aspect about humans is that everyone, no matter who it is, has strengths and weaknesses. It is a waste of time trying to make the weakness into a strength. That is inefficient use of resources. It is better to make the person's strong points even stronger and benefit from them in all ways possible.
