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This is my lazy excuse for not being an overachiever. I see people at the top of their fields and they so obviously seem innately driven to perform and be amazi

This is my lazy excuse for not being an overachiever. I see people at the top of their fields and they so obviously seem innately driven to perform and be amazing. I was not born with that instinct and my brain doesn't reward me the same way theirs does. I'm fine with this.

Roritharr 8y ago
I love the way how meta your last sentence works. Kudos, you must've got a talent for this.
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  History teacher claimed that the Ancient Greeks thought being happy and contented was a gift from the gods, not something you could achieve. I'm inclined to agree. Personally show me one highly successful driven person that became that way by gambling everything and I'll show you five easy that broke.
MaxBarraclough 8y ago
Why jump to the conclusion that it's all nature? Perhaps upbringing and life-experience also shape motivation and work-ethic.
- whamlastxmas 8y ago
  My comment is less focused on the cause and more about accepting the result. I have no strong opinion on nature vs nurture but regardless my genes and upbringing have led me to accept I'm not that type of person
phkahler 8y ago
I agree completely as I come to terms with my self. With much humility, I have enormous potential but it is tempered by a lack of that drive to fullfil it. My path has been largely driven by chance and yet I am in some ways way beyond average. I'd rather work on my percieved shortcomings than make use of my advantages. I should probably change my priorities. \drunkpost
dwaltrip 8y ago
You could also be "fated" to begin achieving the things you want tomorrow. The universe being deterministic doesn't mean that you personally know your own future. Our predictions for ourselves are likely to be wrong in many ways. We can't know until we try. It's a balance to both accept reality as it is while also striving to achieve things that we didn't know for sure were possible (or that we hadn't even conceived of yet!). It seems that we must carefully straddle the boundary between the known and the unknown. Of course, this will look different for everyone.
- whamlastxmas 8y ago
  I focus on gaining meaning and happiness in life from things other than achievement. The things I do mean less to me than the experiences and relationships I have in life. I don't need a $100 million yacht and a Wikipedia page to love the people around me and feel loved in return. I think what I have is a lot more valuable.
  - dwaltrip 8y ago
    That is awesome. Nothing wrong with that at all. I was mainly responding to the fatalist side of your comment.

Roritharr 8y ago

I love the way how meta your last sentence works. Kudos, you must've got a talent for this.

Gibbon1 8y ago
History teacher claimed that the Ancient Greeks thought being happy and contented was a gift from the gods, not something you could achieve. I'm inclined to agree. Personally show me one highly successful driven person that became that way by gambling everything and I'll show you five easy that broke.

MaxBarraclough 8y ago

Why jump to the conclusion that it's all nature? Perhaps upbringing and life-experience also shape motivation and work-ethic.

whamlastxmas 8y ago
My comment is less focused on the cause and more about accepting the result. I have no strong opinion on nature vs nurture but regardless my genes and upbringing have led me to accept I'm not that type of person

phkahler 8y ago

I agree completely as I come to terms with my self. With much humility, I have enormous potential but it is tempered by a lack of that drive to fullfil it. My path has been largely driven by chance and yet I am in some ways way beyond average. I'd rather work on my percieved shortcomings than make use of my advantages. I should probably change my priorities. \drunkpost

dwaltrip 8y ago

You could also be "fated" to begin achieving the things you want tomorrow. The universe being deterministic doesn't mean that you personally know your own future. Our predictions for ourselves are likely to be wrong in many ways. We can't know until we try. It's a balance to both accept reality as it is while also striving to achieve things that we didn't know for sure were possible (or that we hadn't even conceived of yet!). It seems that we must carefully straddle the boundary between the known and the unknown. Of course, this will look different for everyone.

whamlastxmas 8y ago
I focus on gaining meaning and happiness in life from things other than achievement. The things I do mean less to me than the experiences and relationships I have in life. I don't need a $100 million yacht and a Wikipedia page to love the people around me and feel loved in return. I think what I have is a lot more valuable.
- dwaltrip 8y ago
  That is awesome. Nothing wrong with that at all. I was mainly responding to the fatalist side of your comment.