I discussed this in an earlier blog post, titled "Follow your dream, not". More recently, I came across the words "let us take what the terrain gives", which make the same point more elegantly, more positively.
These words were spoken by Daniel Kahneman back in 1996, at a graveside eulogy for his lifelong research partner Amos Tversky. Apparently, "let us take what the terrain gives" was the maxim Amos Tversky lived by. Kahneman went on to win the Nobel prize in 2002, his partner Tversky tragically missed out because he died so young. "Let us take what the terrain gives" is clearly not a case for embracing mediocrity, but it does recognize that "the other side of freedom is the ability to find joy in what one does".
BTW...I loved these pictures of Tversky on holiday in Switzerland in 1972...
3 comments:
Or "roll with the punches" or very karma yoga ... Basically, a well established coping strategy no? How come you didn't blog on Dravid's Bradman lecture?
BTW...anonymous, I almost did bring Dravid's Bradman oration into my last blog post. My first draft included this quote "the finest of athletes had, along with skill, a few more essential qualities: to conduct their life with dignity, with integrity, with courage and modesty. All this he believed, were totally compatible with pride, ambition, determination and competitiveness". This is closer to what I want to see in sports than Socrates' "Beauty is everything. Victory is secondary". But then, the last think I want to do is argue with Socrates. All I really wanted to do is pay homage to the great Brazilian.
@ Anonymous...karma yoga it is.
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