Talent Is Highly Overrated

This past week the story of the Tortoise and the Hare has been particularly on my mind. I think because there are plenty of parallels in day to day life. And there's something in there that I can't quite touch, yet. Something I need to learn or experience.

Slow and steady wins the race. Yeah, I know that was Aesop's moral. Frankly, he's wrong. The difference is in their motivations. See, the Tortoise and the Hare were running two different races with two different goals. The Hare's goal, and hence the race he ran, was only to beat the Tortoise. That is why once he was far enough ahead, he slacked off (depending on the version of the tale you read, he did different things). The Tortoise, on the other hand, was running the race to win. That was his goal. Not, "beat the Hare," but "win the race." The difference is subtle, but crucial. no matter what happened, the Tortoise was going to finish the race.

You may remember me talking about how I was dismayed that when I found out how low the bar was for me to get an A in my last class, that my brain went into sloth mode. See, I suffer from having been the mental Hare for too long in my life. It's easy for me to learn new things, to retain that knowledge, and to make it applicable. It wasn't until my third year in college that I turned that around. It had become comfortable to just do what was necessary and not pushing myself harder. Once the Hare, it's hard to change your perception.

I've also been thinking about it in terms of advertising. Many companies, well many companies that are doomed to fail, misunderstand who their competition is and what race their running. Many look out at their competitors and say, "I've gotta beat that guy/gal/company." And they're doomed to fail. They might win their goal of beating the other person, but they'll lose the race, which is what they're in to begin with. What your competition can do is set the pace and make you fight harder. However, if all you're doing is "beating that person," you'll soon find some excuse to slack off. What the real competition is about is getting orders/sales/moving product, whatever. Do that well and to the best of your abilities and you'll win. Do it especially well and you'll see that other goal accomplished in addition to winning.

And then there's the discussion about "Talent" and "Work," especially when it comes to "artistic endeavors" like writing. See, "talent" is "god given" and can't be adjusted. We should all use our gifts as we've all been told since childhood. There's the mythic projection that those who rise to "celebrity" have "talent", which some people have and some people don't. It's an immutable property. Which is bull crap. Sure, you may have an affinity for something. Someone who is "tone-deaf" (which is an actual medical condition) probably shouldn't try to make money singing or playing music. Someone who has no concept of grammar or how to string words together probably shouldn't be writing. However, I do know of several authors who struggle with dyslexia and are still published and well liked.

Now, the Hare has a talent for running fast. You really can't deny that. The Hare has never had to work hard at that, which is part of his problem. In his mind there is no chance of him losing. So when it happens, it shakes him to the core. You can take a poll of people you knew in high school, the ones who got the appellation "Most Likely to…" in the year book. How many of them have done what they were supposed to do? Not many, at least not in real life (unlike TV shows and soap operas). High School is a place were "talent" still will get you far.

And that was my problem. My talent for learning let me coast along in high school and still get good grades (Bs and Cs). It crippled me when it came to actually having to work for a grade. And I think I've stated before in all endeavors there comes a point where everything becomes work. It's that point that separates the people who will excel and those who will relive the glory days. With the help of Bette, a desire to be better than I was, and a professor throwing down the gauntlet, I passed that barrier (which is why I was so upset those old habits still were there).

This is like writing and art. I never did take art classes in high school. I wasn't all that good at it (there was some natural ability, but not refined). However, with hard work (and it still is hard work), I've made a living at it for almost 20 years now. With writing I also had a little ability. About ten years ago now I left behind that modicum of talent and in the realm of hard work. I'm relearning things other people knew by heart (because that had to work at it sooner than I did). That leaves me crippled, but I'm determined to get past those hangups. You may have seen many of them here (homophones, grammar, constancy, etc, are all my bugaboos).

By switching to the mindset of the Tortoise I'm determined to win in these endeavors. I've seen enough Hares sleeping by the roadside, or get lost partying with friends. I don't' want that path. I'm here to win. It doesn't mean other people can't win also (and in fact, I hope they do, and I've watched many of them go zooming by me on their way to their goals). But I will win also. It may take me longer, but I'll cross that line myself.

And that last paragraph was the secret kernel that didn't want to reveal itself until I wrote this post out. Like I said, I've been thinking about this for almost a week now an dI couldn't figure out why. There it is.

So the more complex moral of the story is know what you're doing, set your goals appropriately, and get moving towards them.

Ah, the spam flies again like shit into a fan

Dear Anonymous Spammer (of whose posts were deleted permanently),

Please roll over and die. Oh, and really piss me off and you'll see what old style hacking was all about. I don't roll my own blog because I don't have the time to devote to its maintenance, nor do I wish to spend the money (yet). Don't give me a reason to devote more time and money to you.

Love and kisses,
The Administrator of this blog

This morning's epiphany

Thanks to Laura Mixon, if you reward yourself before the action, you are actually rewarding the procrastination.

ie. If you say, because I'm about to write, I'll just check my emails or read this blog, you're not rewarding the writing, you're rewarding the procrastination. There are actual brain and behavioral studies to prove this.

As a writer who writes in a highly distracted state, I think I'll need to adjust that behavior.

Ding ding ding. Thanks Laura.

Flu Shocker!

Shocked we are to discover that many of the flue strains making the rounds this year are resistant to Tamiflu. Here's an NPR piece about it.

This is a Bad Thing(tm) because we've stockpiled Tamiflu around the world just in case Bird Flu (insert dramatic music cue here) makes the jump to an easily transferable human strain. Now there is the possibility that it'll also be resistant to the drug.

As I said to my wife last night, "Shocked, shocked I am to hear that evolution has occurred in nature."

So, Mr Lame Duck President, how's that whole "teach the controversy" and "don't believe in evolution" thing working out for you?

If It's On TV, It Must Be True

So, nothing is really on TV. We spent most of the day at the Cleveland Museum of Art looking at the the amory of the last days of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a really excellent show. It focused a little too much on the armor side (I like the sharp pointy things myself). The armor was fabulous, and in the last gallery they had formations of armor with pikes. "Treguna Mekoides and Tracorum Satis Dee" is you know what I mean. We also had friends along which made it fun, it's good to catch up with friends while seeing new things.

We took our time coming back home, so there wasn't all that time to do anything productive, so we ended up the evening watching TV. Of which there is nothing on anyway (why I'm blogging and surfing).

That's when we chanced upon the SciFi Channel's "The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls."

What a piece of crap. It's so bad you have to watch to see what other incredibly, outrageously stupid they're going to say next. It's the same entertainment value you can get from crazy street people (as in the ones who talk to the air and wear two heavy winter coats in the middle of summer and actually have a tin-foil hat), but without the possibility of having a shiv pulled on you. I'm sure SciFi has a website for this, but I don't want to pollute your minds with it.

What's worse is this is being presented as an actual documentary. For that, the producers have no shame and should be horsewhipped. Yes, I know it's all a part of the media ramp-up to the latest Indiana Jones movie, "The Geritol Years." But seriously. "Face on Mars" being brought up? Haven't we debunked that enough.

This "documentary" leads off with the great non sequitur from the genuine nutjob "expert" saying that the skulls are made of the same thing out high tech computer chips are made of. "Just think of how much information could be stored there?" he asks rhetorically. Because, you know, they're alien artifacts (insert standard, "once humans are evolved enough we'll be given the keys to the knowledge inside" - yeah, everybody has one of those). Except for the fact that silicon is used as insulator, not actual memory storage. Bizzzt. Thanks for playing, but no parting gifts.

And then completely forget that they're mixing Mayan and Aztec mythologies in their "ancient history is all mysterious" brand cuisinart. Oh, and Bette wants me to make sure I mentioned that they squeezed in Atlantis.

But wait, there's more. If you watch now you get the gratuitous Native Spiritual Guides who hold all the secrets (living like his ancient Mayan ancestors in a hut in the jungle with mud floors and with the repurposed Pepsi machine made into a fridge.

Really, truly, terribly bad. It makes Ghost Hunters look positively intellectual.

Edit 10:47pm Okay, Edgar Cayce showed up around 1:26 into the show, and now the main "expedition" (no, really, "idiots running around with cameras following them" is more the case) just entered "the cave" which is guarded (you know, like dragons guard treasure) by a "giant tarantula." OMG. When the horror/slasher movies "based on a real story" look more non-fiction than a supposed "documentary," something is very, very wrong. heck, the trailers to the new Hulk movie look more non-fictional.

Edit 11:06pm Saved by the Family Guy take on Star War on Adult Swim. It's the rescue scene. Love the elevator music. Ah, sanity.

Pirates goes down that maelstrom, drainy-whirlpool thing

Last night I spent my last day of vacation watching Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End, which my awesome wife got me for Xmas. My over all impression? Disney, you owe me three hours of my life. I want it back.

The movie, which could have been good, suffered from becoming a vehicle for CGI and Disney wanting to sanitize everything. Characters searched for their (cajones, shhh, don't say that) motivation all throughout the movie and seemed to be searching for a clue (as in "Pat, I'd like to buy a clue, please"). There were scenes that had no other purpose than to show Neat Things(tm). Some shots went on way too long. The actors mostly existed only to yell "Fire" or some other deck command and wear the costumes well. Seriously, this movie gets a WTF Was That For award. Things were unnecessarily complex. Off the top of my head, I can think of three or four whole scenes that could have been cut and not altered the movie. And worse, motivations changed, objects changed their histories, the two pirates (and you know who there are) wander through the movie like brain dead R2D2 and C3PO, the two british guards (and who know who they are) change sides so we can root with them at the end (totally worthless), characters actions were unbelievable, I could go on, but I think you get the point. This goes beyond me yelling "Just shoot the SOB already" at the TV, which I do a lot these days when I'm watching.

Disney, you killed a perfectly good movie franchise. I hope you're proud. And I'm serious, you owe me.

There is only one reason to watch this movie. As a writer, it's like reading slush. You learn the reasons why you need to edit and why you need to kill your darlings. Really, the only reason is to see why you should do what they didn't.

And we have a tie for the Friday "Duh!" Awards

So, this morning, we have a tie for saying the most, "Well, duhuhuhuh! Ya think?" at the radio.

First up, "Overstretched British Troops Suffer High Stress" and so they drink and have domestic issues. But now that we have an expensive government study, we can now all discuss this more than the "I know a guy, who talked to a guy, who overheard..." level. You know, like having a week long NPR report on Fort Campbell wasn't enough.

Next up was Kid Nation, a new reality show from CBS that "features children left to manage life all on their own in an unpopulated New Mexico town." And there are ethical issues and people who have a problem with it. Yeah, like they couldn't see this coming down the pike. (Official Show website). Hello! (doink doink) Bad publicity, not controversial "oo we gotta watch it" material. And the kicker, New Mexico now has laws that would make this show illegal (child labor). The producers are looking for a site for Season 2. How much do you want to bet they won't find a place for Season 3? (Okay, well, maybe Pakistan, India, China, or Indonesia).