Why It Is Good to Be Bad at What You Like, According to Kurt Vonnegut
There is a cryptic quote, the origin of which is largely unknown, but is often attributed to the late literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. So, a largely unverified legend has it that when Vonnegut was a teenager, he realized something important. He was 15 years old and was working on an archaeological site when one of the archaeologists asked what he liked to do other than digging for fossils.
Vonnegut responded with a variety of extracurricular activities – violin, choir, theater, but not sports – that impressed the archaeologist. The trouble with everything, as the teenager noticed, was that he could not handle any of them. The archaeologist then made several sentences that changed Vonnegut’s approach to life.
This is how this meeting developed, according to the author’s recollections years later:
Then he said something that I will never forget and that completely amazed me, because no one had ever said anything like this to me: “I don’t think being good at things is doing it. I think you have all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and they all teach you something and make you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.
Whether or not this story is ultimately a myth, it still has a distinctly Vonnegut flavor, as the author later expressed a similar opinion in his life . And that should apply to anyone doing anything that goes beyond personal comfort. The idea that not being successful at something is good – and perhaps even good – can help destroy the notion that any pursuit should be a means of achievement.
Why do we constantly feel the need to achieve?
This is a simple question worthy of some careful scrutiny, but one simple answer is that achievements, whether personal, career-related, athletic, or otherwise, are honored and celebrated in the media. LinkedIn is jam-packed with users trying to make a splash with their career milestones ; athletes are lauded alongside rock star executives ; The magazine tributes to the lightning-fast success stories of future corporate leaders.
This admiration for high achievement may have to do with the way ordinary people view hobbies. The United States is experiencing something of an epidemic of perfectionism , which means that the average golfer doesn’t just take a leisurely course – he learns, trains, and strives to perfect his technique to become the best of them. be.
Writer Tim Wu delved into this issue in 2018, noting that many people are afraid to pursue a hobby, mainly because they see stumbling blocks in learning as a failure. He wrote for the New York Times :
But I came to the conclusion that there is a deeper reason that many people do not have hobbies: we are afraid that they will turn out badly. Or rather, we are intimidated by the expectation – which is itself a hallmark of our highly public performative age – that we really have to be able to do what we do in our free time.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can summon Vonnegut, or at least cite his adolescent epiphany when you become frustrated that you can’t be absolutely brilliant in a given hobby.
Why is it good to be bad
There is definitely merit in striving; It’s nice to feel like you’ve accomplished something, and the hard work you’ve put in pays off in skill or even skill.
However, shedding hope of mastery can be incredibly free , Vonnegut said. Creation for creation, writing for writing, and trying for trying are all priceless matter for the spiritual mill.
For heaven’s sake, doing art, good or bad, is a way to make your soul grow. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even if it’s a lousy one. Do it as best you can. You will receive a huge reward. You have created something.
For those who are hesitant to start something new or throw up their hands in frustration because they have not mastered drawing, knitting or playing the guitar in the pentatonic scale, it is important to understand that it is good to be mediocre in what you care about. O. Why? Because it shows your desire for pleasure and an understanding that you deserve the flexibility to be more comfortable with yourself.
So instead of despairing at your inability to master a craft, think about why you were looking for it at all. The motivation behind any pursuit of a new hobby is curiosity and the opportunity to have fun. And if you really enjoy something, then good craftsmanship is by no means important.