“Prestige Distorts Even Your Idea of What You Like.”
Getting outside approval is validation, especially in your career. But it also means you get directions to where other people want you to go, not where you want to go.
Y Combinator founder Paul Graham and Maria Popova of Brain Pickings put it well:
Don’t do anything just for prestige, status, money, or approval. As Paul Graham observed , “prestige is like a powerful magnet that distorts even your idea of what you like. It forces you to work not on what you like, but on what you like. ” These external motivators are good and can be life-affirming in the moment, but ultimately they don’t make it exciting to get up in the morning or enjoy falling asleep at night – and, in fact, they can often distract and distract from what actually offers deeper rewards.
It’s good to be recognized for your efforts, but don’t use that as an excuse to let other people tell you where you should go. Only you know what will make you happy and fulfilled.
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