by Eerily Remains » Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:30 am
BH's advice might work for those who spend there excess energies in worthless hedonistic pursuits, or basically such a simplistic form of motivation may work for anyone with excess unfocused, or poorly focused energy. It doesn't seem that's the case here. Riddle's difficulties working alone are not the same as a refusal to take work seriously. Rather than saving his energy for trivial matters, he actually may be using more energy trying, and failing, to work alone than he spends when successfully working with others.
Basically, one can't summon energy that isn't there, whether it's physical or emotional, without straining oneself. If he was running a race and used uncommon will to motivate himself to run faster than is natural he would likely hurt himself. Similarly, if he uses uncommon will to motivate himself to work while alone, he may find he develops disorders from the internal strain, ulcers for example.
As for the issue of friends, it would likely help to reduce the stress of working alone if he had more, because with enough friends some people become tired of socializing and the relief at time alone may counter the stress involved with being left to their own thoughts.
Though, it's not as simple a matter as to say he should get some friends. He seems to have opportunities, living in a town where he's known, yet they're aren't for him. I don't know what type of town he lives in, but chances are those people would be good enough casual friends for most people, so my assumption is that he's sufficiently different than most.
With that said, him being different, it seems useless to ask him to try harder at what he's doing, when it appears that what he's doing is typical, just as the friends he rejects are likely typical.