Expert Among the Novices
I am doomed to never be better than pretty good at the things that I do.
Whether it’s yoga, philosophy, bike repair, skiing, flute or accordion playing, stand-up comedy, you name it, I forever rise to a level of better-than-average competence, but then plateau. I’m never able to achieve true mastery; I’m always the person who can impress beginners, but never one who stands out among true practicioners. In fact, I generally don’t even cut it with those who are really good; I may be the expert among the novices, but I’m always the novice among the experts.
I probably shouldn’t complain; it’s way better than being lousy at everything, but I find it confounding. I’ve invested lots of time and effort in lots of things, but I never seem to get over that hump between pretty good and really good.
On beginner slopes, for instance, I can ski like an expert; on expert slopes, though, I’m reduced to skiing like a beginner. As a home bicycle mechanic, I can impress my friends with all that I know about bike repair; when I’m among real mechanics, though, I’m just an idiot with a cone wrench. I know five (well, more like three) easy pieces on the accordion; if you’ve never played, they sound pretty flashy; on the other hand, if you have any professional experience with the squeezebox, you’ll recognize right away that I’m just a poser.
I tend to be a quick study; many things come relatively easy to me, but then I hit a limit. I’m the hare in that famous race; eventually, I’m left behind by those who take it slow and steady.
If I were truly talented, I might be considered a Renaissance man; as it is, I’m just a dilettante, a jerk of some trades, master of none.
My solution is to excel at something no one else does.
Thus, the 327-word essay, of which I am the master. For now, anyway.
Whether it’s yoga, philosophy, bike repair, skiing, flute or accordion playing, stand-up comedy, you name it, I forever rise to a level of better-than-average competence, but then plateau. I’m never able to achieve true mastery; I’m always the person who can impress beginners, but never one who stands out among true practicioners. In fact, I generally don’t even cut it with those who are really good; I may be the expert among the novices, but I’m always the novice among the experts.
I probably shouldn’t complain; it’s way better than being lousy at everything, but I find it confounding. I’ve invested lots of time and effort in lots of things, but I never seem to get over that hump between pretty good and really good.
On beginner slopes, for instance, I can ski like an expert; on expert slopes, though, I’m reduced to skiing like a beginner. As a home bicycle mechanic, I can impress my friends with all that I know about bike repair; when I’m among real mechanics, though, I’m just an idiot with a cone wrench. I know five (well, more like three) easy pieces on the accordion; if you’ve never played, they sound pretty flashy; on the other hand, if you have any professional experience with the squeezebox, you’ll recognize right away that I’m just a poser.
I tend to be a quick study; many things come relatively easy to me, but then I hit a limit. I’m the hare in that famous race; eventually, I’m left behind by those who take it slow and steady.
If I were truly talented, I might be considered a Renaissance man; as it is, I’m just a dilettante, a jerk of some trades, master of none.
My solution is to excel at something no one else does.
Thus, the 327-word essay, of which I am the master. For now, anyway.
posted by Professor Dave at 11:02 AM
1 Comments:
And maybe it's better to be an expert among the novices than an expert at things that it is expected that many people can do well, which seems to be my problem. I am an expert at cooking (and used to be sewing, too) things that, before the days of celeb chefs, every well brought up girl was supposed to be good at. And now in the days of celeb chefs, being a good cook is only the minimum; you have to have a TV show, or a restaurant, preferrably both. Or you have to write a cookbook, or a blog, or be a very good, expert, writer, kind of like, hmm - you (the too-humble, in this case, author of 327words)!
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