Delayed Strengthification

A topic I’ve been writing and thinking about is strengths: how to find them, why you should focus on them, and more.

A slightly different angle to think about the concept of ‘strength’ for a given topic is in the context of cultivation. While you may naturally be above-average at something, to remain world class is to embrace changes to the flow or environment around you, with the hope that if you’re effective enough, you can be the change you want to see in the environment.

The poem Ozymandias talks about the cruel visage of an ancient emperor. This powerful tyrant’s monuments gradually fades to dust because there is nothing maintaining his hold over the reality that continues. While his acts when he was alive set into motion events, the cascade towards entropy resulted in the environment crumbling around him.

But, as some things decline and decay, other sources of power arise. There are always spheres of influence vying for control, attention, and resources. As one languishes, others seek to take its place. Maybe I’ve gone off topic a little bit.

Returning to the cultivation theme, consistent effort and improvements compound over time. Effort and reflection are the key inputs that create strengths. Take something like blacksmithing. When you try and build a sword for the first time (bear with me, I know nothing about blacksmithing), you have an incomplete picture for how different parts of the process play into each other. You haven’t mastered the fundamentals, and thus don’t know which areas to improve first.

As you move from novice to journeyman, you start to recognize the nuances surrounding certain areas. While you may be limited in some ways, you can see clearly how pieces interact, and you may know where to better yourself further. The tools are often in front of you to describe and hone in on what you aim to learn about further. An expert, or a master is a journeyman who doesn’t quit.

Most people give up things early. At the first sign of struggle, they move onto a new thing. This attitude towards fear often prevents people from becoming world class at the things they engage in. Oftentimes, there’s a lag between effort and progress. Ironically, people learn the quickest when they just start learning out things, despite often not taking the time to see the results of their effort.

This poses an interesting dilemma, because in a previous post, I described exactly the importance of doing things you’re good at. However, if you aren’t good at anything since that requires delayed gratification and a desire to push through obstacles, it seems like there isn’t a way forward towards success unless the Gods themselves have endowed you. I think there are ways to thread oneself towards success, without having tons of natural skill.

I think this has to do with how one sets goals. If you base your goals on specific milestones, with clear checkpoints, where you can quit only at specified points, you can more realistically evaluate your rate of learning, and whether it’s worthwhile to continue.