I posted my July musing and then a friend commented with this response which is even more insightful on the subject matter.

“Crisp observations. Especially about how rejection fuels the 'desire' to then improve ourselves so that we get to show them that they were wrong. The probable reason why that's the case: Incentives move the world. Show me an incentive and can show you how people will respond. So, perhaps, indeed, man is incapable to improve himself naturally, he needs a rewarding reason to do so. Also, from a biology standpoint, we are wired to expend as little as energy as possible we are built to survive, not to thrive. So, to strive, we have to overcome our preservation mode and ways.” - Brad Odilo