Sounds right to me. That's a very interesting way to look at it, I hadn't though of it that way before. I think for me it's probably a negative thing, I am my own worst enemy at times. XD But there are also times I overachieve simply because it's something I do easily.
I don't think I have. I wouldn't agree with his quote though. Though I think there is such a thing as healthy fear. Respect is a good thing though, and it must be maintained otherwise others will walk all over you.
I must confess that I myself would easily be categorized as an "under-achiever". I know I've lived below the bar and have not achieved the mark of excellence in my studies. Perhaps I am easily distracted, haven't found the correct method of action (sounds rather unlikely) or just fit into the quote "those who cannot do, teach", which means I'm a windbag about ideals but don't act upon said ideals. I cannot help but admit that "over-achievers" seem a little strange to me. I've met "work-horses" (those who work steadily and hard), and I've met excellent problem-solvers (thinkers who also work hard and steady, but excel in completing difficult tasks), but I have yet to meet an "over-achiever".
That quote was my poor choice, because it is out of context with what exactly we were discussing. Machiavelli was concerned with the acquiring and preservation of a king's power, not necessarily the moral good or popular benefit of it. Of course the interest in the attainment and preservation of absolute power has been the poison of many. The likes of Thomas Paine's "The Rights of Man" and many other texts has pointed out the truth of such matters. (“Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain.” -John Adam's)
There is such a thing as "healthy fear", and the word for that is "Reverence", a respect so high, that to displease or to offend against it would be unthinkable.
I seem to be hung in the middle. But I seem to be that way about most everything.
Oh, that makes things clearer. I would agree with that, corruption is so hard to identify when one is the one being affected. But that seems to be the case with a lot of things. Not being able to see the forest for all the trees.
Exactly! Then there's the levels of trust and all the things mixed in.