> It doesn’t matter how many years you pursue your calling, you are always moments away from failure through a few simple mistakes achievable by the barest neophyte
I think it does. It's easy to look at master's end results, admire those results, then assume we want to be like that so others admire us the way we admire the master.
But do you really want to put the work in? Do you really want to understand Nietzsche or do you just want to sound smart?.
Your post here and a book I read on Ecclesiastes really helped clarify these thoughts for me.
I really enjoyed reading this and the line about the strong still struggling. It's prompted me to discuss it with my class today. It made me think of the theory of the 'central governor' and how the mind shuts down the body to protect it from perceived physical harm. I also think the same is true with 'identity protective cognition' where the mind tries to protect the ego from harm by convincing us to shun tests or challenges that may damage us. I think both link into what you've said here.
“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights.” - Ronnie Coleman/Pr0ph3t
> It doesn’t matter how many years you pursue your calling, you are always moments away from failure through a few simple mistakes achievable by the barest neophyte
YES
Great essay, sir!
"Only those who have walked far enough to feel their own weakness at each dawn have anything worthy to tell us."
Brilliant work. Brings back powerful school memories, that quote from Gattaca.
Deeply underrated film.
"further down the dangerous path of doing what is right in each moment" is it, gives a refresher on the cost of playing it "safe".
I've been mulling over this concept for a while and I think I can now sum it up as: What do you want to be vs what do you want to be seen to be?
That’s probably as good a summary as I can imagine. I think the two often get confused in our/my head without our realizing it.
I think it does. It's easy to look at master's end results, admire those results, then assume we want to be like that so others admire us the way we admire the master.
But do you really want to put the work in? Do you really want to understand Nietzsche or do you just want to sound smart?.
Your post here and a book I read on Ecclesiastes really helped clarify these thoughts for me.
It always comes back to Ecclesiastes, as it should! 😃
I really enjoyed reading this and the line about the strong still struggling. It's prompted me to discuss it with my class today. It made me think of the theory of the 'central governor' and how the mind shuts down the body to protect it from perceived physical harm. I also think the same is true with 'identity protective cognition' where the mind tries to protect the ego from harm by convincing us to shun tests or challenges that may damage us. I think both link into what you've said here.
This is why I never buy anything selling “the easy way”.
Just 5 steps to become an expert at X!
Impossible. Nothing worth doing ever gets easier, as you eloquently elaborated.
Good piece.