Contentment vs. Complacency: Seek One but Refuse the Other!

by Sara Easley, Certified Professional Coach

What determines the difference between complacency and contentment? What is the difference between these two states of being? What can you do to achieve one and avoid the other?

As with most comparisons, the first step can be an analysis of the two words. Per the classic Webster’s Dictionary:

Contentment: The quality or state of being contented; feeling or showing
satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation.

Complacency: Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.

While both involve satisfaction, it is important to remain mindful of the differences!

Queen Christina of Sweden is quoted as saying, “It is necessary to try to surpass oneself always; this occupation ought to last as long as life.” I propose that her words represent our responsibility to continue to learn and grow and challenge ourselves, regardless of our achieved job title or status. For it is this thirst for continued self-development that keeps us engaged in our world. And through continued self-development, we can achieve contentment.

Complacency speaks of a lack of self-awareness, of ignorant bliss where we may in fact miss recognizing our shortcomings or approaching quicksand. Always in common-sense language, Thomas Edison once shared that “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Once we are in its grip, the spirit of complacency can pay a short visit or stay on for years. The length of stay is up to us. We have the ability to chase it away by revving up our internal engine with new challenges.

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” Spoken by Nobel Prize winning chemist and physicist Marie Curie, I propose these words could represent the continued quest for self-development and growth and, ultimately, contentment.

So if challenges are a part of life and cannot be avoided, why does that seem to be our first instinct? The real power could be in reframing our perspective; looking at challenges as an opportunity, to learn and stretch ourselves past our comfort zone and regular results. When new results are achieved, there is another valuable opportunity: by analyzing new or re-discovered strengths and competencies, and how our demonstrated skills or actions leveraged these, we can increase our chances of recreating successful results.

Thoughts?