The children of blame are cynicism and hopelessness. When we succumb to believing that we are victims of our circumstances and yield to the plight of determinism, we lose hope, we lose drive, and we settle into resignation and
stagnation. “I am a pawn, a puppet, a cog in the wheel and can do nothing about it. Just tell me what to do.” So many bright, talented people feel this and suffer the broad range of discouragement and depression that follows. The survival response of popular culture is cynicism—“just lower your expectations of life to the point that you aren’t disappointed by anyone or
anything.” The contrasting principle of growth and hope throughout history is the discovery that “I am the creative force of my life.”