THE THIN LINE BETWEEN COMPLACENCY AND CONTENTMENT

A popular saying amongst the Yoruba people goes thus: ìtẹ́lọ́rùn, baba ìwà, which translates as “contentment, the father of character”. While the discussion around contentment can be very tricky to talk about, it is very important to understand the concept well so as not to mistake it for its counterpart- Complacency. Hence, this article aims at simplifying each concept and giving out pointers that can help differentiate both.

Complacency is that point of satisfaction one gets to and feel so comfortable you no longer see the need to move forward.

Contentment, on the other hand, is being satisfied with what you have at the moment.

As evident in the definitions above, we can deduce that the thin line between complacency and contentment is ‘Satisfaction’, a continuous drive to enjoy every moment of our journey.

Contentment is a virtue every individual should have as it is a cornerstone for happiness, most importantly, in today’s ever competitive world. Even the Holy Bible states, “but godliness with contentment is a great gain” -1 Timothy 6:6-8. But in our bid to exercise this virtue, we need to be careful so we don’t misappropriate the word and settle for less.

One of the pointers that helps differentiate between contentment and complacency is the fact that while being content, you make efforts to move forward and grow, but with complacency, little or no effort is made to move forward or grow. So, the moment you see yourself feeling oversatisfied, overconfident, you aren’t learning or challenging yourself, you need to call yourself to order so you don’t go down the slope of complacency.

Let’s break it down further.

Contentment says: “I am grateful and thankful for what I have now (satisfied), and I know there is more out there for me, I want more, but gradually, I’ll get there, I’ll keep doing my best”. Whereas, complacency says: “I think I have enough already, no need to search further. I am uninspired. I do not need to try harder”.

Sadly, the state of the country has pushed many of us to that point where we all just want to survive, a state of compulsory contentment for everyone. An average person no longer want to dream big, those who dream and aspire are being frustrated while some others who have dreamt and achieved a level of success might be clinging so tightly to the ropes of complacency.

Complacency, in most cases, builds up or stems out of fear which cripples us, feeds us with feelings of inadequacies, limits our beliefs and stunts our growth.

It makes you hold onto a vague hope of the feeling of security till you relapse into the state of unawareness, loosing your guard. You loose focus and won’t even know when the goal is slipping off your hands.

In some relationships/marriage, complacency has made some lovers grow less in love and sometimes out of love with their partner because we easily fall into the trap of assuming they already know just how much we love and care about them from the start, hence, we become complacent and receded in showing our partner just how much we love them, failing to give them our reassurance.

At the workplace, you get so used to things being done the same way that you become very comfortable and do not always look out for any form of change in your environment.

In a nutshell, complacency is a cankerworm and should not be allowed to foster in our mind or thoughts. They are weeds that needs to be uprooted.

To fight against complacency or to pull out of it, awareness is important. You have to develop an adequate level of self awareness to be able to understand when you are becoming passive.

Here are few things you can also do to evade the silent killer called ‘complacency’:

• Step outside of your comfort zone
• Challenge yourself
• Let go of your limiting beliefs
• Keep learning
• Surround yourself with people who will challenge you
• Evaluate yourself
• Correct bad habits

Now that you’ve read the post, I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the difference between complacency and contentment. But I’d love to hear from you: what is your view on the subject matter? Did I leave anything out? Is there anything you would like to add? Please leave a comment.

Thank you.