While that’s not the nicest way to say it, I think accepting that is a huge part of growing up, IMO.
I am intelligent, and I am skilled in some things that are incredibly difficult to others such that those things are almost effortless to me. But I’m not the best. I’m definitely not the most intelligent by any fucking metric. There’s tons of people more skilled than me in what I’m good at. There’s countless more skilled than me in general (not just in my skillset), and even more than that skilled at what I’m not skilled at.
And that’s ok. I’m good enough.
The world is complicated, and the story that the most skilled always rise to the top, that so many gifted children hold onto through their youth, isn’t universally true. That can be depressing, but what I find important is this: There are countless people less skilled than you who were and are able to find a place to fit and a way to make it, and you never know when you’re going to find someone better than you that forces you to re-evaluate just how good you actually are at something. Take those as opportunities to learn.
Just be you. You can find a way to make it.
You don’t have to be the best. Not being the best doesn’t mean you aren’t applying yourself or working hard enough. The world isn’t separated into the categories of only first place and losers.
I should also clarify (which maybe I should have done in my comment above) that I was just referencing a snarky quote from The Sopranos, not a targeted jab at OP or anyone else in particular.
In The Sopranos, it’s used to belittle the main character Tony and comes from his uncle Junior. Tony was supposedly a good athlete in his youth, but had too many missteps to be great. So his only path in life became having to follow in his family’s footsteps with the mob. Pro sports could have been an out for him, but he never had the chance. Uncle Junior, then the most senior member of the crime family, was being gradually outmaneuvered by Tony in a series of power grabs, but he jabbed his nephew with that petty remark as a reminder that he could never become anything other than what he is, and Tony hates that.
Pro is a very specific thing too. There’s not really an equivalent for computer science because pro is so competitive that it’s only like the top 0.1% of players that are skilled at high school level. It’s not a good comparison.
You never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
While that’s not the nicest way to say it, I think accepting that is a huge part of growing up, IMO.
I am intelligent, and I am skilled in some things that are incredibly difficult to others such that those things are almost effortless to me. But I’m not the best. I’m definitely not the most intelligent by any fucking metric. There’s tons of people more skilled than me in what I’m good at. There’s countless more skilled than me in general (not just in my skillset), and even more than that skilled at what I’m not skilled at.
And that’s ok. I’m good enough.
The world is complicated, and the story that the most skilled always rise to the top, that so many gifted children hold onto through their youth, isn’t universally true. That can be depressing, but what I find important is this: There are countless people less skilled than you who were and are able to find a place to fit and a way to make it, and you never know when you’re going to find someone better than you that forces you to re-evaluate just how good you actually are at something. Take those as opportunities to learn.
Just be you. You can find a way to make it.
You don’t have to be the best. Not being the best doesn’t mean you aren’t applying yourself or working hard enough. The world isn’t separated into the categories of only first place and losers.
Good perspective, I agree.
I should also clarify (which maybe I should have done in my comment above) that I was just referencing a snarky quote from The Sopranos, not a targeted jab at OP or anyone else in particular.
In The Sopranos, it’s used to belittle the main character Tony and comes from his uncle Junior. Tony was supposedly a good athlete in his youth, but had too many missteps to be great. So his only path in life became having to follow in his family’s footsteps with the mob. Pro sports could have been an out for him, but he never had the chance. Uncle Junior, then the most senior member of the crime family, was being gradually outmaneuvered by Tony in a series of power grabs, but he jabbed his nephew with that petty remark as a reminder that he could never become anything other than what he is, and Tony hates that.
Pro is a very specific thing too. There’s not really an equivalent for computer science because pro is so competitive that it’s only like the top 0.1% of players that are skilled at high school level. It’s not a good comparison.
Nice! Sopranos reference!
This reminds me of that time I was in a diner and