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This article is quite shallow. It's essentially saying, in order to excel at something it needs to become a part of you. There's some truth there, but Charles

This article is quite shallow. It's essentially saying, in order to excel at something it needs to become a part of you. There's some truth there, but Charles Bukowski said it much better and more succinctly with, "Don't try." [1] 1: https://poets.org/poem/so-you-want-be-writer https://poets.org/poem/so-you-want-be-writer

raincole 1y ago
I couldn't disagree this poem more. > if it's hard work just thinking about doing it, > don't do it If it's hard work just thinking about doing it, it's a very good sign that it's something worth doing. (I know I shouldn't take motivating quotes literally)
- adamhartenz 1y ago
  I never understood why people want to work so hard on things they are not good at. On the surface it seems obvious that you should do that. But I would rather put that time into getting even better at the stuff I am already good at.
  - skeeter2020 1y ago
    I think this tends to happen naturally because the feedback loop works better, but there are some things that just hook you and if you can get through the grind they pay-off is just so, so much sweeter.
- lithocarpus 1y ago
  I have a rule that for any profound statement there exists an equally profound contradictory statement.
  - aklemm 1y ago
    No there isn't.
  - TeMPOraL 1y ago
    It's not necessarily a problem - both resonate with different people in different situations. Well, except that Bukowski/Yoda quote. It's literally too short to be meaningful.
cm2012 1y ago
Telling people to ignore things they dont like thinking about is completely terrible advice. Its almost the worst possible advice.
- gridspy 1y ago
  Either that or specialization
- bitbasher 1y ago
  I don't think he meant to not try. I think he meant you shouldn't have to try. Trying implies some resistance or conformity. To him, art and creation was something that was there and natural. You just did it. You were mad with it [1]. It reminds me of nights when I was a teen hacking away at some computer games or writing my first emulator. There was no class, no jira tickets, no books. Just a teen struck with a madness. 1: https://bookshavepores.tumblr.com/post/9013559249/charles-bukowskis-letter-to-william-packard-in https://bookshavepores.tumblr.com/post/9013559249/charles-bu...
  - Swizec 1y ago
    As the saying goes: don’t write unless you can’t not write. There are so many better ways to spend your time. Pushing a boulder uphill is hard. If it never gets over the hump and starts pulling, find a different boulder!
    - PandaRider 1y ago
      I think the problem statement is: How do you know when to Let Go of the current boulder? The poem suggested many many many possible when. Here's one: "unless it comes out of / your soul like a rocket,". Unfortunately (or fortunately), in life, there is no methodology to prove that a given search problem is futile (e.g. NP-complete)... so we have to take our chances and choose. I believe that's the beauty of life: choice.

raincole 1y ago

I couldn't disagree this poem more. > if it's hard work just thinking about doing it, > don't do it If it's hard work just thinking about doing it, it's a very good sign that it's something worth doing. (I know I shouldn't take motivating quotes literally)

adamhartenz 1y ago
I never understood why people want to work so hard on things they are not good at. On the surface it seems obvious that you should do that. But I would rather put that time into getting even better at the stuff I am already good at.
- skeeter2020 1y ago
  I think this tends to happen naturally because the feedback loop works better, but there are some things that just hook you and if you can get through the grind they pay-off is just so, so much sweeter.
lithocarpus 1y ago
I have a rule that for any profound statement there exists an equally profound contradictory statement.
- aklemm 1y ago
  No there isn't.
- TeMPOraL 1y ago
  It's not necessarily a problem - both resonate with different people in different situations. Well, except that Bukowski/Yoda quote. It's literally too short to be meaningful.

cm2012 1y ago

Telling people to ignore things they dont like thinking about is completely terrible advice. Its almost the worst possible advice.

gridspy 1y ago
Either that or specialization
bitbasher 1y ago
I don't think he meant to not try. I think he meant you shouldn't have to try. Trying implies some resistance or conformity. To him, art and creation was something that was there and natural. You just did it. You were mad with it [1]. It reminds me of nights when I was a teen hacking away at some computer games or writing my first emulator. There was no class, no jira tickets, no books. Just a teen struck with a madness. 1: https://bookshavepores.tumblr.com/post/9013559249/charles-bukowskis-letter-to-william-packard-in https://bookshavepores.tumblr.com/post/9013559249/charles-bu...
- Swizec 1y ago
  As the saying goes: don’t write unless you can’t not write. There are so many better ways to spend your time. Pushing a boulder uphill is hard. If it never gets over the hump and starts pulling, find a different boulder!
  - PandaRider 1y ago
    I think the problem statement is: How do you know when to Let Go of the current boulder? The poem suggested many many many possible when. Here's one: "unless it comes out of / your soul like a rocket,". Unfortunately (or fortunately), in life, there is no methodology to prove that a given search problem is futile (e.g. NP-complete)... so we have to take our chances and choose. I believe that's the beauty of life: choice.