An observation

[ArtsyDrawer]

I recall a line in a cartoon: "sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something".
I feel this applies to a lot of users here, if from different backgrounds. There's a discord-friend of mine to whom MATH IS LIFE!
To be fair, India's and Ukraine's schools are insane. I did first grade in Ukraine, and it's like 6th grade here.
For this guy to suck at math means the end of the world.
I feel were not baby-steps-ing the world enough.
In my case, I suck at drawing. I need drawing to take commissions and get paid, but the path to "sucking at something" to "being kinda good at something" is a long and treaturous one. From 0% to 25% without any acknowdgement.
Sometimes we, humans, do need that lack of acknowledgement, true.
Sometimes, though, we need acknowledgement for each 1%. 0.5%, even.

 

[motel rooms]

I recall a line in a cartoon: "sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something".

Yes, mastering sucking is extremely important.

 

[Nanako]

I agree. Being motivated and optimistic can take you very far, and I do think that a lot of of the people who disregard those traits and put a huge emphasis on natural talent instead are just being needlessly cynical. On the other hand, the ones who believe that anything can be fixed/achieved through sheer will and determination are just as ignorant and significantly more annoying.

 

[ArtsyDrawer]

the people who disregard those traits and put a huge emphasis on natural talent instead are just being needlessly cynical

Right, here I am slaving on a piece of paper trying to draw a basic head, while some asshole somewhere accidentally picked up a pencil and just doodled the fucking Mona Lisa in ten minutes. I hate the word "talented".

On the other hand, the ones who believe that anything can be fixed/achieved through sheer will and determination

Eeeeh... I think I'll disagree with you there...
I think there's an important variable you're forgetting: practice.
My father once bet a friend of his that he could lift a fridge filled with bricks in under a year. He lost the bet, but he became SO pissed off with that fridge that after 5ish years he welded two together and trained himself to eventually carry them with one hand.
I have no idea how his hand didn't break either.
The question, imo, is whether you practice to do the thing or just wishing really hard.

Yes, mastering sucking is extremely important.