No ExcusesExcuse is a big enemy of efficiency, performance and growth. It is the refuge of the cowards and the ignorant. It is the sanctuary of those who wish to remain in the dark cloud of illusion
and are afraid to face the existential realities.
Excuse is the glib explanation offered by us when we commit blunders and are afraid to own them. It is the shelter of the weak and inept. Hence it hinders growth like nothing else. It is an exercise in self deceit and a show of untruth.
An employee is reprimanded by his employer for shoddy work performance and he tries to throw blame at his peer who gives him vital inputs for his items of work. A physician treating a patient is unable to make a precise diagnosis with little improvement through treatment. He continues with the treatment out of commercial greed telling the patient that his ailment is complicated and will take a longer time for cure. A politician is elected to power by his voters on the basis of lofty manifesto promises but after elections, does not deliver on his promises and gives a glib explanation stating that the mess created by his predecessor is the reason for delay in turnaround of things. A school teacher not good at his job blames the inattentive and indisciplined pupils for their poor results. A habitual late comer to the office has a long list of patent excuses to choose from. An executive reaches his place of business appointment late but he could have made it in time by proper time management even with the traffic jam that he blames it on.
A bad workman quarrels with his tools.
Excuses for non performance are given by the dishonest and the indisciplined. Excuses are tools used by self righteous persons to create or maintain good impressions on others even if it means being dishonest to their own selves. Excuses are alibis for failure.
Why do we really indulge in offering excuses? We , in most cases, know in our hearts that we are not being true to ourselves but the devilish mind prevails over the intellect and entraps us in the vortex of lies and we have to pay heavily to come out of it. We have to pay by penalty or penance to reconcile with the realities. A man who offers excuses is not a realist. He lives in a make believe world and befools his own self although he thinks he is befooling others. What an irony!
No human being is perfect. We are all limited of intellect, understanding and knowledge. We are continually on a learning curve and we continue to imbibe knowledge and refine understanding till our last breath. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing wrong in admitting to a mistake. To err is human after all. The important thing is to acknowledge that we went wrong and correct ourselves. The important thing is to correct course before it is too late.
Bindu Sehgal
