Battler Mentality vs Battle Mentality

When tough times get Australians down and make livelihoods and luxuries more uncertain, we have an iconic stereotype to fall back on, one that makes us feel honest, hardworking and dedicated to our commitments through hardship. The image of the Battler is further pushed by the media, commonly in connection with those who are especially hard done by - an enemy such as the council, neighbours, family members, bank or similar in the background.

The Battler first came about in the eighteenth century as a term of respect for those who conscientiously made the best of their circumstances, despite having little in the way of social privileges and financial reward.

The term has changed somewhat in the time since, so that we now have the pure, traditional meaning of the Battler alongside a media idea of someone who, not having the most fortunate of circumstances, complains about their situation and blames others for blocking their means of gaining the same entitlements that others receive. If there is a population consensus that healthcare is unaffordable or banks are overcharging, the Battler group is likely to be labelled as the ones hardest hit, or the ones with the loudest voice.

This is the pitfall of this Australian icon. We merge the idea of the hardworking, much-deserving individual with one who protests for more, more, more and publicly criticises their opponents. When it suits us, we can all assume the identity of Battlers in the face of a global recession - we are doing our best, but we are thoroughly annoyed at the lack of positive results for our efforts.

Quite concerning then that we believe we are part of the Lucky Country and should not be subjected to extraordinary hardships. The reality is that we should stop seeing ourselves as victims, even if that means we need to temporarily shelve our cultural identity in the process.

This is the time for a Battle mentality. Not necessarily the notion that one individual or one group should win and another lose, but rather that we should be pushing ourselves harder, choosing to leap over adversities and maintaining the determination to drive back the obstacles. We should be arming ourselves with the skills and tools to be better persuaders, better negotiators, better time users. We would all be more motivated if we felt that there was a team of like-minded others who were in pursuit of the same goals and were facing the same challenges. It's not enough to seal the hatches and wait til this economic phase passes - if we make the most of it, we will be better for it when the market recovers. Call the Battler into Battle because we will need them on our side.