Success of the Production VS. Credit for My Piece
“Cressida has smoothed everything over in the creative department with her gesture. Praised Fulvia for what is, in fact, a really good idea, and cleared the way to continue her own on-air depiction of the Mockingjay. What’s interesting is that Plutarch seems to have no need to share in the credit. All he wants is for the Airtime Assault to work. I remember that Plutarch is a Head Gamemaker, not a member of the crew. Not a piece in the Games. Therefore, his worth is not defined by a single element, but by the overall success of the production.” -Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
Plutarch Heavensbee, strategic planner extraordinaire! I like getting big ideas from dystopian children’s novels. But seriously, this was about the deepest thing I’ve come across in the Hunger Games books. I love this idea. It can apply to everything from how you work, to how you see your role in life and all the way to how you manage your money.
Even though getting out of debt gets you caught up in the details, it’s even more challenging to move on from the details and visualize your bigger picture. For a while, you have to focus on the little stuff because that IS a part of changing the patterns and attitudes that got you into debt in the first place. But it’s not about being petty, it’s about building good automatic habits so that you don’t have to focus solely on details. Every now and then you can ask yourself, “What would Plutarch Heavensbee do? Am I still winning the game or am I just fighting to take home scraps (or not get killed in the arena)?”
I’d like to think I’m moving towards pulling the whole production off as a big success and not as worried about getting credit for my every move. But I know I get caught up in wanting credit for lots of things I do and feel like I’m spending way too much time on petty stuff. If I can remember I’m doing that, if I realize just how narrow my focus is, I can usually take a step back and reassess the situation.
What’s the goal of YOUR production? It definitely doesn’t need to be money-related (although money might help you get there!)
I haven’t read the hunger games, so I’m not quite sure exactly what you’re talking about, but I think the point you mention is a huge reason why people go back into debt after climbing out. For many people, they can’t think past the goal, or don’t know what to do once there. If they’re not paying off debt, they are back accumulating it because it’s the only way they know how to live. It’s that bigger picture that you talk of that most people just don’t know, and that’s a huge problem.
[...] Hunger Games deep thoughts over at American Debt [...]
Hunger Games! Is it blasphemy to admit that I haven’t seen the movie yet?
I think we let ourselves get caught up in all the little things- not just wanting credit for the baby steps, but also feeling overly set back when we make a mistake. I think it’s very important to keep the big picture in mind so that you can see the overall progress you’ve made and take credit for that.
Is it bad that I don’t even know what the hunger games are? I think I need to work less… I guess I”m with Well Heeled Blog, but slightly worse…
But re: credit, I used to self promote in the office quite a bit (still do too much, but I’m getting better). Then I switched to over-crediting others with big successes and it’s amazing how much MORE credit I got from “those whose credit matters” after that.
The only people on the planet who have not seen Hunger Games or read the books commented on your post. Amazing. That includes me, too. I think remembering not being indebted is a way of life. Embrace it.
@Nick @Wellheeled @DrDean: Haha! You guys make me laugh. I only read all three books in the last month, I wanted to see what the fuss was about and it had been a while since I read any fiction. They were quick reads. Fun if you want a watered-down version of 1984 and any other dystopian novel (Year of the Flood, anyone?)
Ha! I have seen the movie and am on the second book – from where this quote is, I am guessing. I am not convinced that this is a children’s book though – or it is one of the very smart ones in which both children and grown ups can find meaning. Then again it may be only me – only people who have lived through totalitarian regimes can understand the Hunger Games existentially.
As to the production – absolutely vital. I managed to formulate my production (not saying what it is though) and by doing this I stopped wanting credit for little things. Having an idea of the whole production keeps you so focused!
My last boss in the TV news industry was one of the people who insisted on taking credit for every single little thing that happened, even when he had no role in it. Yet, he refused to take any culpability in the overall broadcast when things didn’t go well. IT’s kind of the inverse of what you outlined here, but your question reminded me of his behavior nonetheless.
[...] at The American Debt Project a financial epiphany arises from a few lines in The Hunger [...]
@Elizabeth: We see people who act like that all the time don’t we?? I always wonder if it’s impossible for them to see anything they do as wrong. To quote 50…”You shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house
And if you got a glass jaw, you should watch your mouth” Not sure if that’s totally relevant but I’ve been needing to quote a rapper all day
I rarely take credit for things. When I played sports, everything I did was for the betterment of the team. Even if I scored 3 goals or drove in the winning run, I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates.