You are employed at a law firm, fresh out of law school (a "trainee" if we're going by British terminology).
Your employers are a bunch of bullies and the hours are long but let's assume, that for the sake of this hypothetical, you aim to please. You need this job to "work" because if it doesn't, you are going to be absolutely destroyed in the social and financial sense in every single meaning of the word.
For whatever reason, you underperform. You're tired, the work is too challenging, you're overly stressed out, and you're overall extremely unhappy and whatever support you're getting, it's not enough. However, you aim to please.
Assuming that your company has a "sink or swim" mentality and that you can't just quit because it results in you being Black Balled, you've got 2 options for this hypothetical:
Option 1: Your boss says to you (and this represents what she truly believes):
"I'm getting the sense that you're not too overly enthusiastic about some of the work that you do. We do some really really important work here, clients depend on us. We need DEDICATED people. Now you're a smart, young woman. You made it out of law school. If you apply yourself, I have every confidence that you'll succeed. Its not a question of intelligence. I have every confidence in you."
(Translation... after processing all the corporate verbiage: "YOU DISLOYAL, LAZY, PIECE OF GARBAGE! ... APPLY YOURSELF YOU PIECE OF %$*&%($&%*(#$&*%$!" ... OR I'LL FIND MESELF ANOTHER SOLDIER GIRL!)
Option 2: Your boss says to you (and this represents what she truly believes):
"I admire your effort. However, don't worry if it's not all coming to you yet. There's a saying: everyone is different. Some people are sponges, and the practice of the law just comes to them, CLICK, just like that. They absorb everything like a sponge does water. For you it may be different. Everyone has their pace. Rest assured when you hit your threshold, I should hope that you're every bit as effective."
(Translation... after processing all the corporate verbiage: "YOU'RE A MORON. STOP BEING A MORON!" SMARTEN UP YOU PIECE OF %$*&%($&%*(#$&*%$! OR I'LL FIND MESELF ANOTHER SOLDIER GIRL!)
As I say, you aim to please. You absolutely need this job. So which perception of you (assuming you have to choose one), do you choose?
Would you rather be considered a moron or someone who is lazy/unmotivated (assuming the reality is that you're struggling with this new lifestyle and the challenges of the profession)?
Please explain and justify.