Being exceptionally good at something is appealing to most people but the hidden secret is how unbearable it can actually be.
When you are the best at something then everyone else is terrible at it. When you are the master no one can help you when you encounter problems. Everyone else expects you to solve their issues. There is no competition for you. You have no stimulation. You’re simply set to watch in pain as everyone else struggles with what seems trivial to you. Unless you are patient, it can be painful watching others attempt the tasks you have mastered.
Most people think being the best at something is extremely desirable. We view that by being exceptional at something we will never have to struggle with that thing. The pain caused by the failures and difficulty would vanish as the tasks would be easy and flawless to perform. Watching people exceptional at their craft perform it is mesmerizing. Tasks that may seem impossible are done in an effortless and smooth manner.
What we usually miss is that most of the enjoyment in what we do comes from the struggle we experience when doing it. Failure and disappointment when learning a new task gives us a nemesis that we must overcome. When we finally become skilled enough to do these tasks we are filled with joy. The joy comes from the process of finally being able to do something that we were not able to do. Once we are good at it there is not as much joy felt when performing that task. We strive for challenges and we usually keep going when we know that we can overcome.
Joy comes from being able to measure progress. Progress is measured relative to what is at the peak. If you are at the peak then you never see progress, you’re stuck. The difference with being stuck somewhere in the middle is that at the peak you have nowhere to go. At least when you’re making the climb you’ve still got a point to aim for which gives some hope.
The best place to be in my perspective is to be striving to be the best but never be. It is a cold, empty and lonely place at the peaks.