Capability Benchmark
Capability (in my definition) is the ability to stretch yourself to new heights in order to achieve your goal. If someone can run a marathon in 6 hours, they are extremely capable. Does this mean, someone who cannot run a marathon is not capable. Of course not, because running a marathon was not their goal in the first place.
Capability therefore cannot be defined as the ability to achieve ANY goal. It is all about the goal that matters to you.
There are a lot of individuals who constantly compare themselves with others and feel they are not capable enough. Vice versa also holds true. Many more individuals think they have long list of accomplishments under their belt so they are more capable than their peers. There are a lot of home makers in India who are extremely under confident because they think they are not capable of going to swanky offices and discussing politics with intelligent looking men. Behind the closed doors of their households, they are constantly criticized for not being a good enough cook, cleaner, nurse, and sex partner. Is this acceptable?
Someone who stays awake by the bed side of an ailing child for days and nights is equally hardworking and capable as someone who stays behind a desk, burning mid night oil on a project report. Both roles are equally challenging and, more importantly, essential for the society today. Therefore, both should be equally acknowledged and rewarded. Unfortunately, while the good work at a job receives public acclaim, good home management is rarely recognized.
A song from my school days has always inspired me–
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all”
Because everything was created equal, we are no one to decide if we are more or less than anyone/anything around us. We are just a small but significant part of the world that we live in. We are here to do our part, like all others around us. By considering others as incapable, we prove none other, but ourselves, incapable of understanding this basic rule.