“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”
- George Eliot, Author
- Win-Lose – The Totem Pole: Win-Lose is an attitude toward life that says the pie of success is only so big, and if you get a big piece there is less for me. So, I’m going to make sure I get my slice first or that I get a bigger piece than you. Win-Lose is competitive.
- Lose-Win – The Doormat: This is a weak position. It easy to get stepped on. It’s easy to be the nice guy. It’s easy to give in, all in the name of being a peacemaker. With a Lose-Win attitude you’ll find yourself setting low expectations and compromising your standards again and again. It’s giving in to peer pressure.
- Lose-Lose– The Downward Spiral: It says, If I’m going down, then you’re going down with me, sucker. After all, misery loves company. War is a great example of Lose-Lose. Lose-Lose is usually what happens when two Win-Lose people get together. If you want to win at all costs, and the other person does too, you’re both going to lose.
- Win-Win – The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: This position is about believing that everyone can win. It’s both nice and tough all at once. I won’t step on you, but I won’t be your doormat either. You care about other people and you want them to succeed. But you also care about yourself, and you want to succeed as well. This is about having an abundance mentality. It’s believing that there is enough good to go around for everyone.
Lesson Idea:
Read children’s books or novels or history stories about characters of each of the above attitude and discuss whether the characters are happy or unhappy. Are their needs met or not?