Why try to be good at something?

[Deermonger]

Apologies if this is a bit rambling. Last night I was playing a game with my brothers and I just got into this mindset of "why even try if everyone else is better?" Unless I wanna slave away at something for years, I'll never be the best at anything. And that goes for everything. Art? Sorry, there's a laundry list of people who are better than you and will shit on your artwork because it's not the best. Playing a game? Sorry, your ass is gonna get beat every time and you'll never win a single game. Oh you lift weights? Sorry, there's a million other people who are stronger and are making quicker progress than you have for the past 2 and a half years.

This also goes for less tangible things too. Being a good son to your parents or being a good friend to your peers? Try as i might, there's certainly some other person out there who can be better than me. Being good at my job? There's a lot more people who are still better than you and you can be replaced.

I guess I'm just frustrated with not being able to get good at anything and I just feel mid in all regards. I'm not the worst, but by no means am I the best. I would like at least just one thing I can look at and be like "yep. At least I'm good at that!" I'm 24 years old and I feel like everyone around me, younger or older, has some shit that they're great at, but I got nothing.

 

[kakapepe]

This might sound like a cliche, but you don't need to be the best if you simply enjoy doing whatever it might be. :)

 

[Csmith8827]

Exactly. It can make you smile and give you a sense of purpose...like learning to play a song or something...

 

[redbathingduck]

You don't need to be the best at anything. Almost nobody on earth is the 'best' at something. People still try to be good at things and learn skills because it brings them (personal) fulfilment and they enjoy doing it. I don't think it's that deep

 

[Lame-Loser324]

Apologies if this is a bit rambling. Last night I was playing a game with my brothers and I just got into this mindset of "why even try if everyone else is better?" Unless I wanna slave away at something for years, I'll never be the best at anything. And that goes for everything. Art? Sorry, there's a laundry list of people who are better than you and will shit on your artwork because it's not the best. Playing a game? Sorry, your ass is gonna get beat every time and you'll never win a single game. Oh you lift weights? Sorry, there's a million other people who are stronger and are making quicker progress than you have for the past 2 and a half years.

This also goes for less tangible things too. Being a good son to your parents or being a good friend to your peers? Try as i might, there's certainly some other person out there who can be better than me. Being good at my job? There's a lot more people who are still better than you and you can be replaced.

I guess I'm just frustrated with not being able to get good at anything and I just feel mid in all regards. I'm not the worst, but by no means am I the best. I would like at least just one thing I can look at and be like "yep. At least I'm good at that!" I'm 24 years old and I feel like everyone around me, younger or older, has some shit that they're great at, but I got nothing.

Personally I believe being the best at something sucks. Because if you're the best you don't have the strive and want to get better. Plus why be the best? As long as that something makes YOU happy why should there be anyone, even people who are supposedly better than you, try to stop you? Personally I don't believe anyone has a purpose, so that's why we have to make our own. And as long as we have our own purpose, one in which WE created, we can feel accomplished and happy. I hope this helps! And sorry if it's a bit long! Have a lovely day/night!

 

[Coldpizza22]

The answer is the Jack of all trades. I'll post a short video that explains it a lot better, but I'll also try to explain. You'll probably never be best, most people are somewhere in the middle ni matter how hard they try. Thats whybyou don't focus on one thing alone, but on multiple things. For example if you like a game like minecraft. You can be a streamer, but there are thousands of those out there. You can combine your passion for minecraft with some other passion like: music making, mapping, story telling, PvP, making adventure maps, modding the game... And develop your own persona and that what makes you unique. If you take competitive sports or whatever, people dont only watch athletes for their performance, but also bcs of their unique combination of skill and personality. A good atlete can loose, but his loyal fans will stay with him.
Here's the video, it explains it a lot better than i can:

 

[manta]

Artists don't paint every day to become the best artist in the world. Artists paint every day because they enjoy painting and it makes them happy. This goes for anything else too. Find what makes you happy and don't worry about how "good" you are. Simply find joy in what you do.

 

[guayabas]

yes to everything above, and also, I'd argue no one is the best at anything. There's lots of artists for example that just aren't comparable to each other, they all bring something different to the table and that's what makes art so enjoyable, the variety of styles and skill. I even enjoy mediocre art. I appreciate tf out of a misshapen ceramic piece, maybe more than a so-called perfect one

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Being the best at something is stressful too. There is a lot of pressure to maintain that and you have to contend with the knowledge that it is temporary because someone new and younger always inevitably comes and usurps the position of best.

 

[Himalayan]

Everyone who is the best. Still bleeds if you put a knife in their neck.
There's no god, people are powerful because we gave them power, by playing a game in which they are adapted to play.
Now, i am not saying you should murder people. I am saying, don't allow the weight of successful people to bring you down.
There's strength, in a vicious person, who still comes at you even when you cut its neck.
When you're having fun, playing a game it doesn't matter if your opponent is good or not. Don't you set the difficulty to "hard"? Same principle, but for some reason if it's another person, then it hits the mind. You think youre on a fixed state of not being better than that person. You can be though, destroy any influence the person has on you and be vicious. You are too nice against the people you think are better than you, you don't need to respect them, you don't need to fear them.

 

[Mirrory Me]

You don't want to be the best, you just don't wanna be a "loser".

 

[NumbItAll]

I've felt this way about all the hobbies I've ever had. I always feel like I'm trash even if someone says otherwise. It basically goes like this haha:



I don't need to be the best at something but I'd like to be able to do things at a professional or competitive level while still having fun. I've never even come close to achieving that.