Although I don’t follow philosophical pessimism, I do think it has some good points. The one that stands out the most to me has to do with removing the negative. Looking back over my life, I realized that I’ve gotten much more out of that than I have from increasing the positive. Here are some of my thoughts on this.
Suppose you’re enjoying a delicious meal while listening to nice music in a room with a fairly comfortable temperature. Sounds lovely, and it would be purely pleasurable if not for the additional fact that your hair is on fire. You can’t improve that situation by getting better food, listening to nicer music, or making the room temperature more comfortable. None of that will make a difference until you put out the fire and tend to any injuries you’ve received. There’s only so much to gain from adding more positivity while ignoring the growing negativity. Once a certain level has been attained, further improvement only comes by addressing what’s hurting you and holding you back.
This is similar to David Goggins’s point about tripling down on weaknesses rather than focusing purely on strengths. That’s how I’ve progressed at each of my hobbies. Whenever I’ve learned a brand new skill, there’s nothing but weaknesses to address at the outset. Once I’ve gotten a feel for it, my greatest improvement has come from working on some key weaknesses. A few examples include making my throws more consistent in juggling, taking smaller steps in swing dancing, and leaning more forward in unicycling. Practicing poor technique is a great way to stay limited in any skill so it often pays more to take several steps back when necessary to focus on refining fundamentals rather than plowing ahead with a lot of well-developed bad habits. What are some ways you’ve benefited from removing the negative and focusing on improving weaknesses? Let me know and I will see you in the next post.
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