The Differences and Consequences of

“Over-Achievers” and “Under-Achievers”

WORK: such a simple word sparks a vast diversity of reactions, emotions, and viewpoints among everyone. There are those who love to work hard and those who love to hardly work at all; there are those who are dedicated and exemplary in fulfilling their tasks and are thus considered a great ‘asset’ to their company, and there are, on the other hand, those who are idle and mediocre workers who take a minimalist approach to their work, doing the least necessary to fulfill their tasks just to get by and receive another paycheck. Work is considered a blessing by many and a curse by others. These two views present us with two groups of people leading a lifestyle and adopting an attitude which are both so different from each other as are night and day: the first group views not only work but life in general in an optimist, maximalist viewpoint, doing his best in order to truly live out all his potential to the fullest. The second group adopts a more minimalist mediocre lifestyle and attitude, doing the bare minimum necessary just to get by in all that he does; he does not live out his potential to the fullest, nor does he go above and beyond what is asked of him, and rarely does he ever perform a job as perfectly or ideally as he should and could do so. This group of people does only the minimum asked of them to get by in their every day tasks, not just in work related matters but in every day, ordinary matters as well. The question remains: in what manner do these two groups of people affect or concern society at large, and what are the basis, nature, and implications of these two groups and their effects on society?

In order to properly respond to this question, one needs to take into consideration at further detail the nature of these two groups. An analysis of the two will show the great contrast between them both.

To begin with, the “under-achiever” and the “over-achiever” differ in a very fundamental matter: they both hold a sincere desire to succeed in life in some fashion or another, but they both differ in their approach to actualizing this same goal. The over-achiever is willing and able to go above and beyond what is asked of him, not only in work-related matters but in common, everyday issues as well among family and friends. The over-achiever does this because he knows he has great potential to fulfill his everyday tasks, and with this realization in mind, he truly aspires to perform his best at what he does. The under-achiever, on the other hand, may or may not realize his potential, but whatever the case may be, he is not willing (able as he may be to do so) to challenge himself to do better than what he does; he may at times recognize that he can do more, and even if he can’t, he may realize that he can do better than what  he does, but instead of performing better than his routine manner of doing things, he conforms to doing the least necessary “just to get by” in order to finish faster and/or just to obtain the expected end (whether that end be to just finish the task, obtain a reward for it, etc). This is a fundamental difference between the two, one lives out a maximalist approach to life – “What is the best I can possibly do to finish the task, and how can I go about going above and beyond my assigned tasks so that I can truly do my best in this?” – while the other adopts a minimalist approach to life – “What is the least I can possibly do to just get the job over and done with, and do I really ‘have to’ go above and beyond what is expected of me?”

Thus, both of them truly want to be successful in life; they both want to be good providers for their families, good citizens of the state and singular members of society. They both want to work for a living and perform their tasks faithfully. Nevertheless, this aforementioned difference leads us into another difference between the two: the over-achiever actually excels at what he does not only because he goes above and beyond what is asked of him, but all this he does because he actually loves his job, he loves what he does on a daily basis, and thus, he shows great pleasure in carrying out his tasks. The under-achiever, on the other hand, considers work not so much a blessing but a curse. He doesn’t necessarily hate his job, but it certainly isn’t his favorite; he would prefer to do other things, though hardly any effort is placed on his part to find a “better” job by his standards. He works just to get a paycheck, and since the paycheck is the only thing he looks for (his focus is solely or primarily on the reward rather than the effort needed to obtain the reward), hardly does he show any effort on his part to truly do his best at what he does. He does not go out of his way to go “above and beyond” the expectations of his supervisors or co-workers, but instead seeks to do only the least necessary just to get his duties over and done with, and hopefully leave a few minutes early for the day (despite the fact that he is among those who is usually late for work). Thus, the difference between the two is not only that one does his best at what he does and the other one does not, but they do so because one actually loves his job and is truly happy at what he does, and the other one does not. Thus, the effort both place on their daily duties depends on the attitude that they hold towards their work.

And this leads to a third difference: their attitude and outlook not just towards work but also towards life in general. If the under-achiever only wants to do just the least necessary to get by and obtain the desired end and reward, and not go out of his way to put any true or extra effort on his part in fulfilling his daily tasks, then he is not likely at all to truly succeed or excel in life. He is not likely to be the one promoted, nor will his position be retained at a time when the company needs to let go of certain employees; he will not obtain a raise nor will he be looked upon as exemplary by his co-workers and employees. And this will no doubt reflect on him when applying for future positions elsewhere. The over-achiever will be completely opposite of this, because he shows love and effort in carrying out his duties; he shows fidelity and punctuality; he goes out of his way not only to perform his assigned duties but also in respect to being early to work and making sure he doesn’t leave until all has been done for the day. The under-achiever complains about his boss, gossips about his co-workers, and is often frustrated by his duties; the over-achiever begs to differ, establishing a good relationship with his boss and co-workers, easily becomes a role model for all, and always speaks well of all and goes out of his way to do his best at all that he does. Thought precedes action; one’s attitudes and feelings towards something or someone determines one’s actions towards that object, situation, and/or individual(s).

These details about these two groups provide ideas in which they affect not only themselves and their immediate circle of friends and relatives, but also society at large. Businesses can easily expand or collapse based upon the excellence or mediocrity of its management and/or employees. Families can be affected positively or negatively based on the dedication or lack thereof of the working members of the household. The number of individuals receiving or applying for welfare benefits and similar services may either increase or decrease depending upon the number of people who are able to work but who may or may not be willing to live to the best of their ability, thus taking advantage of a system which is meant to serve those who truly need it. Consequently, these two groups affect not only themselves in their own personal lives but their families, friends, and society. The two groups hold two lifestyles different from each other as is night from day, and both have consequences for all, either negatively or positively.

Miguel Agustin Livas