If life doesn’t humble you then you’re not challenging yourself
How does one grow prideful, arrogant?
By thinking he’s doing (so) well
When does one think he’s doing well?
Usually one thinks he’s doing well AFTER he DID DO WELL, with something
And this sense of “doing well”, sense of contentment about oneself, it lingers
This sense of contentment lingers, and perhaps there is also pride, and it lingers, and perhaps there is also arrogance, and it lingers
How long does it linger?
Well you continue existing and doing things
You’re doing well or not so well
If you continue doing well then you continue believing that you’re well
And if you’re not doing so well any more?
When you’re not doing so well then now you have some contrary information to what you believed, about yourself “doing so well”
You can use that information to humble yourself
Or you can use that information to become even more conceited
You can reject this negative feedback — and by rejecting it you invalidate it — while further validating your sense of self-importance and ability — by now asserting that you’re somehow qualified to pass judgement on what constitutes valid criticism
Fucking ego
Now, how long can you play this game?
Not very long if you’re a serious doer
Serious doer who is serious about his outcomes eventually gets tired of the ego-trips and pride and the unending defensiveness and criticism and antagonism…
because all that nonsense is plain and simple unproductive
The serious doer is busy doing things
And now that he’s not doing so well — if he’s a serious doer serious about doing well — then he will step up, humble up, and do whatever it takes to improve
But most men are no serious doers
Most men get on their path — and then stay at it
Sometimes it even looks as though they’re moving — because a lot changes around them — a new car, new title, new toy, new hobby, new place, new story, new this new that,
But inside they’re doing the same shit every day,
It’s like when you’re watching all those different movies on the TV — you’re still just doing the same thing actually — sitting on a couch and watching fucking tv
Most men are no serious doers. They do the same things. Their outcomes are actually the same — just the packaging is different
The only DOING is doing NEW THINGS
Therefore the only serious doers are those that do NEW THINGS, new EXPERIMENTS, new ATTEMPTS, new heights
And if that’s what you’re doing — climbing new heights — then life is NOTHING BUT HUMBLING
You can’t just continue deluding yourself with aggrandizing stories. You can’t because the challenges you’re undertaking are humbling you completely. You’re struggling and you’re failing and you’re learning and perhaps you’re improving…
…All the while looking up — at others who did it.
You don’t have to feel inferior to them. You don’t have to feel inferior to anyone. Serious doers have no inferiority issues — they are too busy DOING thing — and deriving their sense of self-worth from the continuous ELEVATION
However it’s difficult to feel SUPERIOR to someone standing clearly above you. Even if it’s only one of many mountains that you’re climbing.
They stand above you. Perhaps with their help you’ll get there faster. And you’re a serious doer. You want to get there faster. You’ll listen. You’ll humble up.
You’ll humble up.
The poor self-satisfied little babies — they won’t.
Those that are unfortunate enough to be deprived of a good challenge — they are cursed. Great luck is cursed
Their only hope is to challenge themselves by themselves. And it’s hard without that extra push from life. It’s hard to find that motivation.
And it’s hard to humble up if everything you hitherto did is so pretty and satisfying and correct
If life doesn’t humble you — then you’re not challenging yourself enough
If you see an arrogant fool — show some compassion — likely life deprived him of it’s vital lessons.
Likewise the clueless fools and prideful fools and ignorant fools and vain fools
Inspire them to challenge themselves. Tell them they can still do more. Tell them that every day matters, every day is special, and EVERY DAY THEY CAN DO BETTER. A little bit better. A lot better.
And inspire yourself,
Challenge yourself
Let life humble you, if you need it
Don’t ever let life stop humbling you, stop challenging you
This is how you stay sharp
And this is how you stay alive
And this is how you feel alive