Phase Change
March 29th, 2009“I’m a firm believer in luck. The harder I work the luckier I get.” -Dick Motta
Generally speaking, phase change from mediocrity to excellence requires extraordinary inputs, which we often describe as inspiration, commitment, focus, perseverance, talent, etc.. Money per se, without intrinsic value to our life or sense of calling, cannot create such brilliant and consistent energy, except for desire of shortcuts planted into our mind by external influences.
There are two general human drives that can create such commitment and perseverance. First, you are very poor physically or psychologically, and your survival instinct drives you to extraordinary height, often with some luck elements as in the surviver bias. Second, you have a comfortable life with no distractions, and you found the passion of your life, which makes you unstoppable. In success or failure, you charge on, completely obsorbed.
Let us call the first kind of drive the drive of survival, the second the drive of calling. An ideal society should eliminate its average citizens the drive of survival and provide an environment for the drive of calling. However, the path to the drive of calling remains squarely in the hands of each individual.
