In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life.
-- Albert Bandura

So where does this sense of self-efficacy come from? And how does one become resilient? Through managing obstacles and inequities? Well, how does one learn to do this?

Okay, so here’s a little Psychology 101. Bandura, one of the big giants of psychology – you know, the guy who studied the aggressive kid who beat the hell outta the Bobo doll – believed that self-efficacy, or one’s belief in his abilities to handle situations that affect life, is developed via modeling, experience, and encouragement, that one’s belief in Self is strengthened when consistently exposed to these occurrences, and the absence of dependable events ultimately leads one to have a fragile sense of self-efficacy and human agency.

Further, Bandura asserted that when a person overwhelmed by doubts about their capabilities is faced with challenges, he is more likely to give up and settle for mediocrity, whereas a person who believes in and trusts his abilities will put forth greater effort to beat down the challenge.

So, in order to succeed in life – to trust oneself, not give up, and settle for the okey doke – one has to see, do, and hear/feel success, and, through human or personal agency, be motivated to act on what he’s seen, done, and heard/felt. If he adds to that the ability to bounce back, recover, and learn from botched attempts at success, perhaps success is a mere right waiting to be obtained.

Oh but it were that easy.

It’s more than a notion, this self-efficacy thing. For some of us, self-efficacy is a luxury. Living year after year and generation after generation in poverty and deprivation sometimes makes it difficult to consciously conceive and act upon the belief that rising above such circumstances is possible. Trusting your ability to make sound and safety decisions while being beaten within an inch of your life each night by another whose sense of self-efficacy is diminished is possibly improbable especially since it’s happened for 10 years at the drop of a dime. And, it’s possible that your baby boy feels the same sense of mistrust of himself as he tries to master third grade standards and middle class behavior in a No Child Left Behind environment. A lack of self-efficacy begets more lack of self-efficacy and the inability to make responsible choices and decisions.

Even for those of us whose circumstances are not as bleak, self-efficacy can be fleeting or fractional. Perhaps you are highly competent on your job. You’ve received all kinds of commendations and accolades for the work that you do, and you’re regarded as one of the best in your field. But at home, baby, you suck. You can’t keep your house in order, your marriage is in shambles, and your kids are the worst on the block. It could be that maybe you’ve never seen a model of how to effectively manage a home, marriage, or children; your experience with these entities is so limited; and you’ve yet to receive a pat on the back for even trying to keep it all together that you don’t even have the wherewithal to try to keep it together and make it different.

The point is in order for a person or community to be successful, to rise above current circumstances, see beyond the moment, and live life to the fullest, self-efficacy must be operational. Each of us has to believe in our capacity to face and conquer life’s obstacles. We have to look at where we are, marvel at how we got here on the bones and scraps we were thrown, and remind ourselves of the toils that we as individuals and a community of people overcame to see this day. We made it on sheer grit, and if we can remember the grind of our ancestors (the models), the lessons we learned along this path (the experiences), and the blessings of God to see a new day (the encouragement), we’re well on our way to receiving the right of success for ourselves, our children and the community.

Sadiqqa © 2008