But who really knows what excellence (hence mediocrity) is in any but historical contexts? I don’t — I struggle with immense uncertainty about choices in hope of realizing real value.
Disagree. In most cases, the difference between excellence and mediocrity is clear in the context of the same kind of work. You can immediately tell a great guitarist from a mediocre one, and a great salesman from a mediocre one.
This essay would have been better titled: Stop Defending Individual Mediocrity.
> A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.
To support a tree is to weaken it. A tree should be protected from extremes that would topple it until it has established itself but it must be allowed to sway in the wind. For the action of the weakest winds give it the strength to resist the greater winds.
“Now, I am not asking you to become Jobs 2.0 and not care about the sharpness of your feedback. I am, however, asking you to take individual mediocrity seriously and not let it slide under the rug” …don’t think he was advocating being an asshole.
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[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 28.0 ms ] thread> A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.
To support a tree is to weaken it. A tree should be protected from extremes that would topple it until it has established itself but it must be allowed to sway in the wind. For the action of the weakest winds give it the strength to resist the greater winds.
Maybe he needs more "ruthless self-reflection"