Overcoming Defeatist Thinking: The Power of Effort and Faith in Jewish Thought

One of the most common reasons people don’t use creative thinking is because they are trapped in a defeatist mindset. In this mindset, success isn’t seen as something that depends on what a person does or how they think, but rather on factors beyond their control.

There’s a saying: “An ounce of luck is worth more than a kilo of gold.” While there’s some truth to that, taking it at face value misses the bigger picture. Certainly, Divine assistance- or what people often call “luck”- plays a major role in life. However, that doesn’t imply that we are free from responsibility. As King Solomon, the wisest of all men, said: “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4). Our efforts are the vessels that receive the blessings from above.

Still, it’s often easier for people to say that success is all about “luck” or “Heaven’s help” because in this way, they don’t feel obligated to work hard or push themselves. It’s comfortable to believe that others succeeded only because they had better luck.

People will often repeat phrases like “It’s all in G-d’s hands,” but this type of statement sometimes masks an inner laziness. Of course, we are people of faith, and no one denies that everything ultimately depends on Heaven. Still, we are obligated to make every effort within our power to achieve our goals.

Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl once said that the balance between human effort and Divine assistance is not an exact science. Each person needs to assess how much effort is appropriate in their own unique situation. The key point is the psychological side of laziness, which sometimes disguises itself as “simple faith.”

Faith Must Be Paired with Action

We strive for a mindset that fully believes that everything is in G-d's hands, while also understanding that to receive that blessing, we must act. This includes creative thinking.

Often, people cover up their inaction or mental rigidity with religious reasoning. They might say, “Everything is written and decreed from Heaven, so there’s no point in trying to get something that hasn’t come naturally to me.” If we dig a little deeper, we may find that such claims don’t come from sincere belief.

To the person who speaks so passionately about faith, the question is: “When someone wrongs you or harms you, do you say, ‘It’s all from Heaven’ and manage to let it go without anger? Do you calmly forgive them and trust G-d to handle things? Or do you fight back and try to stop them from hurting you?”

The Sages teach in Pirkei Avot that a person is judged “according to his own standard, whether he realizes it or not". Heaven judges a person based on the way they act in different areas of life. For instance, if someone fights fiercely when wronged personally but remains passive when spiritual values are under attack and says, “It’s all from Heaven,” then G-d might respond, “That’s not your true belief, it's simply an excuse for laziness- because when it mattered to you personally, you acted very differently.”

Most people, are unable to just “let go” when hurt by someone else- a sign that their faith may not be as strong as they claim. When they choose to lean on their so-called “faith” to justify not taking action in other situations, it’s often not real faith at all, but a mental escape route.

True faith doesn’t eliminate responsibility- it empowers it. Occasionally, that responsibility means putting in effort, thinking outside the box, and being willing to act, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.