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To be great, be good repeatably

blog.stephsmith.io

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Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#21

Post by ksdale »

wysifnwyg wrote: post #14
stephsmithio wrote: post #2

I spent the last few days writing this piece as I was reflecting and frustrated with my short-term progress (or lack there of). This led me to consider what I think greatness even is, which was almost therapeutic to think through. Curious to know what people think about this. Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

I see a couple ways to become great quickly. 1. Put in an extreme amount of effort to maximize the goodness you create and minimize the amount of bad. 2. Have extreme events impact your life (by no fault of your own) in a short period of time. 3. Change how you measure greatness. Ten years ago, I could not see myself in the life that I have now. Everyday I accomplish things which would have been impossible for my pre…

It sounds like you've built yourself a wonderful life. I think people really underestimate the greatness of doing seemingly mundane things consistently. All the things you mentioned seem trivial to an outsider, but over the course of a life, they make your whole existence so much much more pleasant.

Investing time in a marriage, or parenting, or working out seems less important than just about anything at the moment you have the opportunity to do it, but lots of people get divorced and it makes them very unhappy. Lots of people are estranged from their children and it makes them very unhappy. Lots of people suffer from health problems directly related to diet and exercise.

Obviously there are lots of things we can't control and I certainly don't mean to suggest that anyone who gets divorced, etc. brought it on themselves, but for how mundane most people consider these things, becoming a fit, healthy 60 year old who is happily married to a wife of multiple decades with fulfilled adult children is really quite exceptional. I think that would fit most people's idea of a "great" outcome, but in my experience, people don't really strive toward that on a daily basis, because the daily building blocks don't seem important.

From what I've seen as an attorney and tax accountant, greatness in a profession is also more closely related to getting the little things right day after day than any sort of heroic undertaking. There's always a place for heroics, but I think most people would be surprised at how often the little things get messed up, and how easy it is to look quite competent by just doing the seemingly mundane things consistently.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#22

Post by stephsmithio »

zbobet2012 wrote: post #10
stephsmithio wrote: post #2

I spent the last few days writing this piece as I was reflecting and frustrated with my short-term progress (or lack there of). This led me to consider what I think greatness even is, which was almost therapeutic to think through. Curious to know what people think about this. Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

While I agree with much of your article, it's interesting to me that you cite this tweet: Building products, writing, and painting are not mental excercises, they are physical ones. Reading to improve is like watching someone else workout – it does almost nothing for you. To run better, run. To paint better, paint. To write better, write. To build better, build. I certainly agree that practice is the core of all incr…

OP here. This is a good point. While I certainly think there is value in reading _how_ to do things better, IMO there is an upper limit on this. I more often see people reading about X, Y, or Z, never to actually take action, rather than the other way around. I also think you learn iteratively by doing.

However, I do agree that it is necessary to take a step back and learn from others along the way.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#23

Post by jmbi »

viburnum wrote: post #18
stephsmithio wrote: post #2

I spent the last few days writing this piece as I was reflecting and frustrated with my short-term progress (or lack there of). This led me to consider what I think greatness even is, which was almost therapeutic to think through. Curious to know what people think about this. Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

I don’t think it’s worth the effort trying to pin down what greatness is. I mean, what’s the point? Does being “great” make you a better person? Who is giving out gold stars for greatness? Why does it matter?

I'm curious, why do you get out of bed in the morning?

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#24

Post by DoubleCribble »

stephsmithio wrote: post #2

I spent the last few days writing this piece as I was reflecting and frustrated with my short-term progress (or lack there of). This led me to consider what I think greatness even is, which was almost therapeutic to think through. Curious to know what people think about this. Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

Possibly. But the path to greatness is largely dependent upon how you try to get there. "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." - Vince Lombardi Jr.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#25

Post by ohaideredevs »

abc_lisper wrote: post #11
ohaideredevs wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bunch of punks - Caesar cried at Alexander's grave too. Still, to me, Alexander's father was the man who made Alexander, so he was greater. (I don't mean by birth, the army and previous conquests)

Many people don't know that Alexander was tutored by Aristotle! So yeah, he had a great upbringing.

His father spent a lot of effort facilitating that as well, so he really was a pretty cool guy.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#26

Post by bonestamp2 »

stephsmithio wrote: post #2

I spent the last few days writing this piece as I was reflecting and frustrated with my short-term progress (or lack there of). This led me to consider what I think greatness even is, which was almost therapeutic to think through. Curious to know what people think about this. Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

> Can "greatness" really be achieved quickly?

Yes, but rarely. Quick and great can't be expected. Only consistency can be expected to produce greatness, and even then, not always. But like you said, it always comes back to the definition of greatness and that can be defined in different ways, and it should be, depending on what we're talking about.

For example, it's not likely, but it is possible for a new film maker to make a film that wins a prestigious award their first try and in less than a few months. But, I don't think most filmmakers could or should expect the same result. It takes most filmmakers many years and many tries (that "being good repeatedly" that you talk about) to make an award winning film. Event then, there are people who think the most highly awarded films are not great.

On the other hand, something less subjective would be much more difficult to achieve "greatness" in quickly... such as physical fitness competitions. Somebody who takes up even the most normal activity, such as running, isn't going to quickly be able to beat athletes who have been training for years longer at a 100 meter sprint.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#27

Post by douglaswlance »

stephsmithio wrote: post #22
zbobet2012 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with much of your article, it's interesting to me that you cite this tweet: Building products, writing, and painting are not mental excercises, they are physical ones. Reading to improve is like watching someone else workout – it does almost nothing for you. To run better, run. To paint better, paint. To write better, write. To build better, build. I certainly agree that practice is the core of all incr…

OP here. This is a good point. While I certainly think there is value in reading _how_ to do things better, IMO there is an upper limit on this. I more often see people reading about X, Y, or Z, never to actually take action, rather than the other way around. I also think you learn iteratively by doing. However, I do agree that it is necessary to take a step back and learn from others along the way.

Are you suggesting that scientists shouldn't read about the latest developments in their field? They should just start from scratch and try to figure out everything without any prior knowledge or learning from others?

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#28

Post by claudiulodro »

douglaswlance wrote: post #27
stephsmithio wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP here. This is a good point. While I certainly think there is value in reading _how_ to do things better, IMO there is an upper limit on this. I more often see people reading about X, Y, or Z, never to actually take action, rather than the other way around. I also think you learn iteratively by doing. However, I do agree that it is necessary to take a step back and learn from others along the way.

Are you suggesting that scientists shouldn't read about the latest developments in their field? They should just start from scratch and try to figure out everything without any prior knowledge or learning from others?

Clearly she is not suggesting that, as nobody reasonable would ever suggest that.

> Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#29

Post by travisjungroth »

douglaswlance wrote: post #27
stephsmithio wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP here. This is a good point. While I certainly think there is value in reading _how_ to do things better, IMO there is an upper limit on this. I more often see people reading about X, Y, or Z, never to actually take action, rather than the other way around. I also think you learn iteratively by doing. However, I do agree that it is necessary to take a step back and learn from others along the way.

Are you suggesting that scientists shouldn't read about the latest developments in their field? They should just start from scratch and try to figure out everything without any prior knowledge or learning from others?

My take is there is reading as doing and reading as watching. Reading the research of other scientists is reading as doing. Reading about how other people become scientists is reading as watching.

Re: To be great, be good repeatably

#30

Post by am2c »

stephsmithio wrote: post #22
zbobet2012 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with much of your article, it's interesting to me that you cite this tweet: Building products, writing, and painting are not mental excercises, they are physical ones. Reading to improve is like watching someone else workout – it does almost nothing for you. To run better, run. To paint better, paint. To write better, write. To build better, build. I certainly agree that practice is the core of all incr…

OP here. This is a good point. While I certainly think there is value in reading _how_ to do things better, IMO there is an upper limit on this. I more often see people reading about X, Y, or Z, never to actually take action, rather than the other way around. I also think you learn iteratively by doing. However, I do agree that it is necessary to take a step back and learn from others along the way.

I write fiction in my spare time, and at least anecdotally, I think the obsessive readers, the most well-read folks in the workshops/classes I've done have consistently been the best writers. I know writers who have written millions of words, but don't read enough to pick up an intuitive sense of what good looks like.

I'm often astonished, when I read old interviews with great writers in The Paris Review's Writers at Work series, just how well-read the masters are. They've read everything. Soaked it all in. And writers borrow, copy, steal, adapt, all the time.

Of course, I agree with the heart of the matter, that just doing the thing is most important, but I do wonder if it is sufficient.

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