We are told to focus,

To get really good at “one thing”

When we are introduced — we are introduced by what we’re known for, and what we do

When we waste couple years of our life — we do so studying and preparing to do something specific in our lives

When we have a career — we, well, commit for many many years to that one trajectory

And when we are admired for something — we are admired period. Therefore we gladly overindex on that thing, present it to everyone gladly

Again, from how we introduce ourselves, to what we put in our fucking social media bio, and even CV

boring

 

I said: get good at very many things

The only criteria is be good enough so that it’s actually useful — after that be good at more things

Then — you being good at other things — can have synergistic effect

YES, there of course are “winner effects” in many industries — e.g. in sports it’s incomparably better to be the best in the world than it is to be a “top” player

But in real life — synergies between different endeavours can alone put you in a league of your own, make you the top of the top of that rare nieche

NOT saying they will

But saying that the orthodoxy of doing just one thing is outdated

 

But the deeper point that I discovered is:

TAKING FIXED IDENTITY BASED ON A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE is tremendously DANGEROUS AND FRAGILE

 

First,

In identifying with this one thing, without any backup — your identity is fragile

Once others outcompete you — and they will — you become NO ONE

 

But fuck that, who cares about the ego

But that’s the point!

In having one thing to always fall back on — you get the benefit of having LESS DOUBT about yourself

Because you’re “already doing so well”

You’re “already doing the right things”

And everyone that knows you AGREES!

Except really, anyone can do well at one thing

You can be a complete piece of shit, and never know — because you’re so good at that one thing

Like actors, celebrities, billionaires

 

Indeed,

The right strategy would be to look at EVERY ASPECT of your life, that EXISTS

Let’s define it as everything you care hold in your thoughts, and that takes some part of your time

Since time is true mark of commitment, as the only true scarce resource

The right strategy would be to look at EVERY ASPECT of your life — and RATE THOSE THINGS

And THEN AVERAGE those things,

And THIS should be the SCORE you get in life

 

And this score is just for you

I don’t care if you think your score is better than someone elses, both of you will rot in hell all the same

The score is to inform you how you could actually DO better,

 

And also — to GROUND YOU

And CURE YOU OF DELUSION

Which of course overlaps both with ego and insecurity and mediocrity

But is perhaps the most dangerous of them all

 

If you HONESTLY, truly honestly look at every aspect of your life — PERHAPS your performance is no longer so admirable

AND the value of it is not in putting you down,

The value of it is in TEACHING YOU HUMILITY

And curing your DELUSION

Which is the greatest curse of success

Indeed, so much of extreme success is largely extreme luck

But you’re never going to truly accept that you just got lucky, it’s too tasty to bask in your glory

 

Indeed,

You should think of yourself in terms of the thing you’re LEAST successful at

THAT would actually give you some true humility, not the fake one, that’s just a lip service

(If you TRULY take this advice seriously)

 

It may even cure your insecurity, actually

Ironically

For if we play the game of being judged by our WORSE — MAYBE you’re NOT doing so horribly any more,

People have plenty of foibles

People tend to have a skewed, volatile talents distribution

Maybe you’re not doing so terribly

 

Finally,

Of course it’s neither about “confidence” or “insecurity”, both of which are problems that are, again, mostly a matter of ego, therefore largely illusory

You really should only be interested in IMPROVING EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE — rather than “improving yourself”, as though you’re the product that is being rated by some mean gods

If you truly focused on improvement — you actually would NEITHER know insecurity nor vanity and delusion

Reality really doesn’t care how confident you are, OR insecure, or proud

It just gives you back what you gave

And that’s why, engaging reality EVERYWHERE you encounter is — is so vital

Indeed it liberates both vanity, delusion and insecurity