#229. “Healthy Insecurity”

My last blog referenced basketball superstar Stephen Curry. And though I have the athletic prowess of a houseplant, watching what this phenomenal player can do is like watching the laws of science being suspended before your very eyes. What he can do defies conventional logic. In the interview I referenced in that previous blog, Curry mentioned that part of what keeps him going is what he calls a “healthy insecurity.” Hearing that made me think about those two words, and how they might apply to our students. I fear that all too often students are stymied by their own insecurities. Worried about failing, some students quit or stagnate because their insecurities get the better of them. For those students, Curry’s “healthy insecurity” sadly turns to unhealthy insecurity. So the operative word to me is “healthy.” We must be ever vigilant and make certain our students keep their insecurities in check. Having insecurities is inevitable, and in some ways valuable and productive, as long as they are kept in perspective. Sometimes our role must be to help every student find their successes, no matter how small, and push past their fears so they can develop that healthy insecurity of a legendary superstar.

Peter Loel Boonshaft, Director of Education
KHS America