>i also see it as an
>overcompensation.

Not in my father's case. He was a violent, stubborn, opinionated man who based his whole life on being a victim. I am the only daughter who is still willing to have a conversation with him and that is because I am not afraid of him. I love him from a space of compassion. The rest of us are scared or they just don't give a damn, anymore.

>if you know the old system like the back of your hand and
>then, all of a sudden, later in your life, someone says to
>you "this is how it works now" i imagine it's very difficult
>to give up your old worldview -- the thing that you've built
>your life around for your whole life -- in order to grow.

That's for the campers and there are plenty of them. My supervisor is one of them. The last part is what gets me. I want to say, "You are bringing the ship down because you are unwilling to grow." But something in me stays me tongue and it's not just keeping a job. I have a feeling that my supervisor knows what I don't say and chooses not to climb even though it may mean his end. To me that's insanity.

>growing is hard; complacency is easy. but being complacent
>and ignorant are not the same things. some people choose not
>to pay attention to knowledge but that doesn't make them
>ignorant of their options. it simply means that they're
>apathetic.

Complacency appears easy but I agree that there is a fine line between complacency and ignorance. After a while complacency becomes ignorance because they get left behind. The campers become the quitters.