Human Weakness is a limitation, imperfection, problem, phobia, or deficiency

1. Human Weakness ( মানবিক দুি বলতা)
Human Weakness isa limitation,imperfection,problem, phobia,ordeficiencypresentinacharacter
whomay be otherwise veryfunctional.The flaw canbe a problemthatdirectlyaffectsthe character's
actionsand abilities,suchasa violenttemper. Everyone of ushas a fundamental flaw,animmaturityof
character, a dark side ornegative tendency.This humanweakness,alsoknownasa‘Chief Feature’,
tendsto take control wheneverwe feel stressed,anxiousoruncertain.
Here listed fromthe mostintrovertedtothe mostextroverted:
1. Self-Deprecation(belittling/diminishing/undervaluingoneself)
2. Self-Destruction(sabotaging/punishing/harmingoneself)
3. Martyrdom (denyingresponsibilityforoneself)
4. Stubbornness(resistingchange inone’slife)
5. Greed(selfishoverindulgence,over-consumption)
6. Arrogance (inflating/exalting/overvaluingoneself)
7. Impatience (intolerance of frustration/obstruction/delay)
Impatience and martyrdom are bothaboutour actions.It isas if there isa battle of willsgoingon
betweenourselvesandothers,orlife,orevenourselves. Withimpatience,we hate itwhenever
anythinginterfereswithourwill orslowsusdown.“Whydopeople alwaysstopme fromdoingwhatI
needtodo? Everybodyshouldjustgetoutof my way.”Frustrationisintolerable.
Withmartyrdom,we feel aconstant needtoblame othersforour ownactions,as thoughwe have no
will of ourown,or no otherchoice.“Don’tblame me for whatI do. It’sall your fault.”Responsibility
alwayslieselsewhere.

2. Greedand self-destructionare bothaboutourpersonal existence andrelationshiptolife.Inbothcases,
there isa mindsetthatpreventsusfromeverfeelingOKinlife. Withgreed,we feel aneedtograspand
hoard,as thoughthere were an intolerable lackof some vital substance:“Life willneverbe OKuntil I
have it all.”Butthe sense of lackisa bottomlesspit.
Withself-destruction,ourveryexistence isincreasinglyintolerable:“Life will neverbe OKuntil Iendit
all.”There isa constantinnerturmoil thatmakes uswant to getawayfrom ourselves.
Arrogance and self-deprecationare bothaboutcontrollinghow we are perceived,andatleasthowwe
imagine we are perceived.The thoughtbehindthemissomethinglike,“WhoIreallyamwill neverbe
satisfactoryinthe eyesof others.Sono-one musteversee the real me.” Witharrogance,we feel aneed
to be seenas betterthanothersbecause beingordinaryisintolerable.“Imustnevercome acrossas
merelyaverage;Imustalwaysseembetterthanthe nextguy.”It’sa superioritycomplex.
Withself-deprecation,we feel aneedtobe seenaslittle aspossible because we believeourselvestobe
miserablyinadequate.“If anyone takesaclose lookatme,theywill see how patheticIreallyam.”Thisis
an inferioritycomplex.
Stubbornnessissimplyaboutchange inany form. Withstubbornness,we feel aneedtokeepall things
justas theyare and resistanyoutside influence,evenpositiveones:“No,no,no!Youcan’t make me.I
won’thave it.Leave well alone!”
We all have,withinus,elementsof all sevenof these negativepatterns.Itgoeswiththe human
condition.Andwe canbe influencedbyanyof themfromtime totime.But whicheverone of these
patternsisalwayssubconsciouslypullingyour strings,which isyourchief feature,yourprimaryobstacle,
your Achilles’s heel.
In termsof our psychological well-being,personalgrowthandspiritual developmentinlaterlife,our
chief feature presentsachallenge.Toovercome it,we have tobecome more conscious.Butif we utterly
succumbto it, the resultcan be a grotesque humanweakness.
Engr. Mohammad ImamHossain (Rubel)