My main concern is that spoon theory might help to create and reinforce self-limiting beliefs. Most people are stronger and more resilient than they think, even if they have a chronic illness or a disability. We all have limits, but it's dangerous to think about those limits as hard and fixed.
I'm reminded of Ludwig Guttmann, who founded the Paralympic Games and revolutionised the care of people with spinal cord injuries. Prior to Guttmann, the received wisdom was that paraplegics would inevitably die within a few years from a variety of complications; the standard treatment was simply palliative. Guttmann realised that paraplegics could live long, active and meaningful lives with the right programme of physical and psychological rehabilitation. His approach was tough bordering on brutal, but it saved and transformed thousands of lives.
I worry that spoon theory nudges us back towards old attitudes to chronic illness and disability that define people in terms of their limits rather than their abilities. We can't pretend that everyone has the same opportunities and capabilities, but it doesn't help anyone to think of ability as a finite resource that is continually depleted. We all have the opportunity to develop and grow.
I'm reminded of Ludwig Guttmann, who founded the Paralympic Games and revolutionised the care of people with spinal cord injuries. Prior to Guttmann, the received wisdom was that paraplegics would inevitably die within a few years from a variety of complications; the standard treatment was simply palliative. Guttmann realised that paraplegics could live long, active and meaningful lives with the right programme of physical and psychological rehabilitation. His approach was tough bordering on brutal, but it saved and transformed thousands of lives.
I worry that spoon theory nudges us back towards old attitudes to chronic illness and disability that define people in terms of their limits rather than their abilities. We can't pretend that everyone has the same opportunities and capabilities, but it doesn't help anyone to think of ability as a finite resource that is continually depleted. We all have the opportunity to develop and grow.