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278 sats \ 4 replies \ @cryotosensei 14 Apr \ on: Some thoughts on success mostly_harmless
I woke up early enough to work on my resume. Your question fascinated me n I was about to answer it after I brushed my teeth etc. Now both my kids are awake…and I still want to answer this question.
Having read all these threads, I still believe in the conventional thinking that hard work trumps talent. I think the concept that you need to invest 10,000 hours into practising something has been proven to be flawed - but the premise still stands. We need to devote ourselves to honing our craft - and that cannot be achieved if we don’t work hard.
How do we know if an interest is worth pursuing in the first place? How do we avoid the heartbreak and disappointment that inevitable comes when we give of ourselves totally to something and realise that we suck at it compared to people who blow us away with their natural flair and aptitude? I am reminded of a Dance seminar (I am the teacher in charge of the Dance Club). An accomplished dancer said to the audience: You must enjoy the struggle. I doubt Felix Stocker regrets how he went all out to be the best rugby player.
(Aside to @Undisciplined, now my daughter is determinedly trying to crawl over the human barricade that is me. I agree that letting our kids solve problems is a worthwhile thing we ought to do for them.)
If Felix hadn’t invested all that time and energy, he might have been plagued by the what ifs. The uncertainty - be it cognitively or emotionally - incurred by not following your interest is a hurdle that prevents us from moving on to the next thing. Now Felix can say, “been that done that” and take the moral high ground.
And I’m sure his years as a rugby player has informed his writing. I think to be a truly unique and exceptional writer, one needs to have tons of lived experiences from many areas and synthesise his insights to create something that is original. Cross-pollination is key.
Personally, I am passionate about writing (Duh). That’s why I post every day. Writing is in my blood; it comes so naturally to me that if I suppress myself n not write, the words and paragraphs will still be floating around in my mind’s eye and taking up valuable cognitive space. It’s definitely something I want to get better at.
At the same time, however, I’m not obsessed about it. Part of it is due to raising two young kids. Parenting drains me. But a greater part of it has to do with my own disposition. I know the MBTI profiling tool is a pseudo-science but I’m ENFP n believe in it wholeheartedly. My mind just comes up with all these different ideas I should write about. I lack the patience to go all in on one idea and write about it thoroughly and profoundly. Something like what Natalia brings to this site. I should discipline my mind more and work on an idea consistently for days on end, but right now I don’t feel the inclination to do so.
Perhaps I want to painstakingly produce thoughtful pieces on Japan like Pico Iyer, but because my frame of reference is parenting, I find myself writing about them. This is not to say that I begrudge the inspiration they gift me though haha.
I think the pie is big enough for us all. Even if I’m not the best writer, I’m doing the best with the cards Life has dealt me - and that’s good enough.
Okay, I need to change their diapers! Thanks for putting together this thought-provoking post!
I'm usually an INTJ. It's a miracle we get along so well!
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Wouldn’t you know? ENFPs get along well with INTJs.
Thanks for sharing. It got me thinking about my wife. Although she has never taken the MBTI, I would peg her down as an INFJ. I had a light bulb moment about why she seems relatively unperturbed about the stresses of parenting while I whine all the time about my lost social life. She is independent n doesn’t mind being alone if raising her household n kids demand her full attention. I need constant stimulation in the form of diverse groups of people. Thank God I married her haha
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And I’m sure his years as a rugby player has informed his writing. I think to be a truly unique and exceptional writer, one needs to have tons of lived experiences from many areas and synthesise his insights to create something that is original. Cross-pollination is key.
I think this is a very deep idea, and one I wrestle with all the time. I tell myself: hey dude, all this weird random shit you waste time on, is actually super important to think all these interesting thoughts you want to think.
But I'm a little worried that I'm fooling myself, that it's an excuse. Actually, I'm a lot worried.
Thanks for putting together this thought-provoking post!
Thanks for such a meaty reply!
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Thanks for confessing your anxiety here. Ofc Sensei will not let your vulnerability go unnoticed haha.
I would suggest, just chill n go with the flow with whatever direction you have decided on for now. The Universe will intervene if it wants to whip you into shape. Case in point: Undisciplined mentioned the other day that he won’t zap me 33,333 sats because I confess my love for SN every day. He meant it in jest. It got me thinking nonetheless. Shouldn’t I be writing something out of character for once? His question tapped into my insecurity - I should be applying low time preference and spending my energy on a looooooong-form post if I want to step up as a writer.
So, thanks to him, I actually have an idea in mind and will take the effort to flesh it out. Stay tuned for it haha.
This is how the Universe intervened in my case. I guess your anxiety stems from a place of wanting to get it “right” the first time. In regard to this, I think a useful exercise to undertake is to write your own euology. That was what I did for a film appreciation module in teacher training college - and I think I can retrieve it from FB Notes if I make the effort. Anyway I remember writing about singing to my own tune and dancing to my own beat. That’s why I engage in weird random shit because I want to carve my own territory rather than be the best in an accomplished area. Case in point: I used a poem on light to teach my Science students about photosynthesis. It made it all the way to the FB page of my Ministry of Education. So I may never make it to Senior Teacher level, but it’s okay. I answer my own KPI: be an authentic n interesting teacher who can make links across different subjects like no other.
If you feel rushed by the passage of time, then fast iteration is the way to go. Just produce something quickly n gather feedback. Think about whether you should persevere or pivot. Rinse n repeat until you feel that you’re inching closer to the person whom you want people to reminisce during your funeral haha.
Do you need to be riding in a private jet for your life to mean the world to you? 😆
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