[nabs-l] Personal characteristics and traits of successfulblind people

Thu Mar 27 21:29:46 UTC 2014

Yes, part of success is to be comfortable in one's skin. 
However you choose to identify yourself is secondary to you being comfortable in your own skin. You can be comfortable in your blindness yet not call yourself blind nor would you prefer others to call you blind.
Someone who is of Japanese dissent my call themselves American or Asian American or Japanese-American or Japanese. 
If they're doing what they want to do, living the life they want to live, comfortable where they are then they can be called successful. Since this is very much a relative term, who can argue against it?

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> On Mar 27, 2014, at 2:19 PM, Sophie Trist <sweetpeareader at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Brice, you make a good point. Successful is an abstract word with no true definition. But in my opinion, being successful is doing what you want to do and being good at it, whether you're a successful novelist, doctor, or garbage collector. It's knowing that you are good at something, knowing that you have the skills and ability necessary to further your personal ambitions, whatever they may be. As to traits of successful blind people, one important one that no one has mentioned (and I agree with everything that has already been mentioned) is acceptance of blindness. I've known people who have denied their blindness. I was talking to a guy I'd just met on a school trip, and I made some casual reference as to him being blind. "I'm visually impaired! I can still see stuff, so I'm not blind!" he snapped at me. We must come to term with our blindness. If we are comfortable with it and accept it as a fact of life that we cannot change, we will grow in confidence. And if we grow in confidence, people will notice that. Whereas if we are uncomfortable with our blindness or inefficient because of a refusal to accknowledge blindness and receive training, people will notice us for an entirely different reason. They will give us "the pity treatment" as someone earlier said. This is a great discussion and I look forward to getting more input.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Brice Smith <brice.smith319 at gmail.com
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:57:12 -0400
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Personal characteristics and traits of successfulblind people
> 
> This entire discussion is pointless because no one has defined
> successful. What is it? Is it getting a master's degree and job in
> your field? Climbing a tall mountain? Working as a garbage collector
> to feed and protect your husband and children? If I travel solo around
> the world would you call me successful despite my disability, or laugh
> at me because I don't have a job? If I have an expensive English
> degree and work as a receptionist at an engineering firm am I now
> considered "successful" even if I'm miserable and hate my job? If I
> work at Target because I've got bills and responsibilities, am I
> successful for getting a job or a failure for not having the
> curiosity, intellect, training, adaptability -- or whatever other
> characteristics you have identified in this thread?
> 
> We go on and on with these useless terms and buzzwords without
> defining them or considering that success to one person might be
> failure to another.
> 
> Brice
> 
> 
> On 3/27/14, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> You do have to be better than the majority; it is not fair, but you do. At
> times, you will get a little bit of a break, but to be really successful,
> you have to be better than average to make people decide that hiring you
> befriending you, or loving you, or what-evering you is worth stepping
> outside of their comfort zone.  While I won't dare hold everyone to my
> personal opinion and say it is gospel, if you are just average run of the
> mill, technically, you would be counted as less than your counterparts,
> because they have nothing as a barrier for the boss, friend, or lover to
> access their averageness. Spin it anyway you want, but you've got to be
> better than average and a little unique to really find the success you
> want.
> If you and a sighted person go for the same job with the same credentials,
> we'll use an undergrad degree in sociology, the sighted person is probably
> going to get the entry level job.  Get your master's degree in counseling,
> and stand out.  There is less competition, and you are seen as an expert,
> or
> something close. Average, or below average may get you the pity treatment,
> or you may even get the customer service job in the call center, but it is
> a
> dead end job for sure.  You don't want to just be the token; you want to be
> a real contributor.  Not that everyone has to get a master's degree, but
> you
> got my drift.  You want people to respect you.  Admiration is alright, but
> that does not get you hired, dated, or anything else you really want. It is
> merely the gateway to respect, and respect of your piers is what helps
> catapult you to actual success.  Okay, I'm leaving out spirituality for
> purposes of this conversation, but once again, you got my drift.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie
> McGinnity
> Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2014 2:26 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Personal characteristics and traits of successful
> blind people
> 
> This brings up another discussion entirely: do we need to be better than
> our
> sighted colleagues to make it in the world?  Do we need to make ourselves
> look particularly successful so that others will not overlook us because we
> are blind?
> 
> Here's one idea...  I feel like blind people who are successful don't over
> emphasize their blindness.  It is one of many characteristics that define
> them(us).  We are blind, and we need to deal with it, learn necessary
> skills, and continue to develop our talents and skills in other areas.  We
> are not just blind; we are people.
> 
> A counter argument would assert that due to the widespread misconception of
> blindness, we need to be constantly on our gard and focusing on educating
> and advocating.  Personally, I think this is no way to live our lives, but
> I
> bet that I am not the only one who worries about how certain activities
> will
> work for me or whether a certain professor will treat me differently
> because
> of my blindness.
> Maybe it's reality...  What do you guys think?
> 
> On 3/27/14, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hard down skill.  All the other intangibles are nice, but if you
> aren't good at something, then they don't count for as much; you have
> to make yourself useful to folks, and try to have a little bit more
> knowledge than everyone else around you.  Understanding the value of
> good training, personal development, a wealth of knowledge, and great
> technique.  Learn any thing you can.  Learn also how to interweave
> your blindness skills into the normal skills of what you as a person
> need to no.  Learn what you do, and what you don't do.  Also, be
> willing to explore, and adapt.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Phil
> Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2014 6:29 AM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: [nabs-l] Personal characteristics and traits of successful
> blind people
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm working on a research paper, and would like to hear what you think.
> Obviously there are external factors such as accessibility barriers,
> social and attitudinal barriers and so on that affect a blind person's
> likelihood of success in life.  But if we focus on personal
> characteristics for a moment, what do you think are some personal
> characteristics that can help a blind person succeed, or ask in a
> different way, what characteristics and behavior traits do successful
> blind people around you exhibit? And what makes you cite these traits?
> For example, some have rightly pointed out that a sense of curiosity
> and exploration is key, both curiosity to explore one's physical
> surrounding, intellectual curiosity to explore different subjects and
> career possibilities, and so on. Others have also pointed out having
> the courage to be different is important as a blind person.
> What else do you think are important characteristics or behavior traits?
> Hope to hear lots of diverse views on this.
> Thanks!
> 
> Best,
> Phil
> 
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> 
> --
> Julie McG
> National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National Federation
> of the Blind performing arts division secretary, Missouri Association of
> Guide dog Users President, and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
> "For
> God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
> believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
> John 3:16
> 
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