They’re disempowering themselves. Describe themselves as a victim of circumstance, powerless and without responsibility. It’s a disempowering narrative. You’re shooting yourself in the foot. In this story that we live, you are casting yourself as an npc.

On the flip side, saying “I can’t” adds authority to your argument. You’re citing an unstoppable force as the root cause of your actions. So it’s a tradeoff that way.

  • Goodman@discuss.tchncs.de
    2·
    2 hours ago

    We wake up in our cells and dress in limitation

    To deprive ourselves of action and causation

    Can’t or won’t we see that we rob ourselves of agency?

    Why waste our will with can’t where we could won’t?

    So don’t say that you can’t.

    And do say that you won’t

    And I will know that you will will

    For where there’s a will, there’s a way

    And who knows where you may stray

  • i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca
    36·
    14 hours ago

    I can’t stand Taylor Swift.

    I don’t like her music and it always annoys me.

    I won’t stand Taylor swift.

    I am now on several watch lists and my online orders are being heavily scrutinized.

    • presoak@lazysoci.alOP
      313·
      12 hours ago

      You and a lot of the people here. Ah the freedom of language. To avoid the point forever.

  • billbasher@lemmy.world
    7·
    11 hours ago

    I can’t design a rocket ship implies I don’t know how. I won’t design a rocket ship implies I do know how but won’t because I’m too busy or am against the person likely morally. There’s a reason there are multiple words.

    I do agree though if you say like ‘I can’t eat this sandwich’ if you’re like full or vegan those are 2 different things

  • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
    19·
    15 hours ago

    I appreciate the optimism, but if “Anything is possible” I doubt a majority of people chose to be poor.

        • linule@lemmy.world
          12·
          6 hours ago

          Not sure what you mean. I’m just saying that everyone contributes to social situations (in varying degrees, of course). That is, to the group they’re part of. When you look at the language people use to describe the current political environment, for example, you notice that many feel that they live in a movie (“I hate this timeline”, “can we skip to the part where…”). That’s a pretty significant part of the cause, but it’s usually overlooked, because the responsibility is put only on the active participants.

        • Maeve@kbin.earth
          41·
          14 hours ago

          I can’t do that [because I respect myself too much]. Not everything needs to be said aloud.

      • orbitz@lemmy.ca
        3·
        12 hours ago

        Mean there are more poor people so…sort of?

        Yes I know the social equallibriam of it all, but only the people can change it too. Never thought I’d see the US fall so quickly in my lifetime and hopefully people will realize that.

        I’m also Canadian so can’t do much else but post about it.