Life is complicated. This is why we have evolved to prioritize what we perceive. The average human cannot access all the sensations and impressions of reality. This means that we have an easier time processing things that seem important to the current situation and overall life. Similar to what I described in my article on instant karma, our perception is influenced by what we occupy ourselves with. This video has really opened my eyes and shown me how we can display selective blindness.
Being an expert at something allows one to see the world through a particular lens. Historians can see the world in relation to history; mathematicians can see the world through a mathematical lens, and so on.
Curiosity
The first step to becoming an expert on something is often curiosity. Curiosity will allow one to work harder and produce better results while using less willpower. This means one will have to find something to be passionate about to achieve the best results.
In my life, curiosity has driven many of my pursuits, and I am a curious person by nature. It has helped me find things to do and set goals for my life simply because I could not let certain things rest until I knew more about them. This often helped me find purpose when I had a hard time in life. Hence the name: meaning in curiosity.
When I am curious and passionate about things, this feeling will spread to other parts of my life. Similarly to the planting of seeds in my article on daily habits. Nothing is isolated, and every field of knowledge intersects with other fields. My love for math has influenced every aspect of my life and helps me see the world through a particular lens channel my love for mathematics into everyday life.
Coping with and embracing Ambivalence
Striving to become an expert starts with acknowledging that one does not know everything about the field at hand. Even worse than that: One may believe things to be true that are not. “It Ain’t What You Don’t Know That Gets You Into Trouble.” (Commonly attributed to Mark Twain – could not find a source, only this).
To avoid succumbing to the Dunning-Kruger effect (original paper, Wikipedia), one has to get into the habit of questioning one’s preconceived notions and to accept that people (oneself included) make mistakes. This means getting more comfortable with being wrong (see my article) and being open or even excited about finding one’s own mistakes and misunderstandings.
Concentration and Diligence
These need to be practiced. Striving for excellence in any field requires these and train them, especially in these times that are full of distractions and activities that provide instant positive feedback (social media, video games…). The ability to concentrate over extended periods of time is invaluable and has been instrumental in most of the achievements I am proud of today.
While one needs to embrace ambivalence and understand that everyone makes mistakes, it is important to remain diligent and careful with whatever one learns about. One should never be content with the easiest answer unless one is sure that it is the right one. To become an expert is to constantly strive for improvement and not be satisfied with what is average.
Diligence is important to success, but it is also necessary not to get crippled by perfectionism. Finding the balance between being diligent and careful in one’s work while actually being able to finish on time is tricky but very rewarding.
High Tolerance for Frustration
The more one knows, or the better one gets at something, the harder it is to improve. Often, improvements will take many hours, and the plateaus in skill can be extremely frustrating. Even the most engaged, disciplined, and curious individuals can be frustrated by this at some point.
Everybody has to deal with setbacks and failures. Learning to be an expert at something will be frustrating at times. This is an opportunity to learn how to deal with frustration and prepare for other situations when the stakes are much higher.
Conclusion
I strongly believe that if one can masters the above abilities in one part of life, they will influence other parts of one’s life for the better, and I am convinced this happened in my life. Striving for excellence in one part of life can also provide one with something to be proud of and give one the experience of success.
so great! Thank you!