"I've viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic"
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A deliberate separation is being drawn between innate ability and the part of success that can be controlled. Talent is acknowledged but placed in the background, almost ordinary; effort becomes the defining edge. That framing turns achievement from a mystery into a craft. If natural gifts are only marginally better than average, then the path to exceptional outcomes lies in habits, discipline, and a willingness to endure more repetition, more discomfort, and more focused practice than others can tolerate.
The language is intentionally extreme: “ridiculous, sickening work ethic” signals an intensity that unsettles onlookers. It’s not about occasional bursts of energy, but ruthless consistency, showing up earlier, staying later, iterating more times, absorbing more feedback, and refusing to be outlasted. It suggests ownership of the variables within reach: hours invested, quality of focus, resilience after failure, and the humility to keep learning when novelty fades. Over time, those choices compound. While raw talent may spike quickly and plateau, relentless effort keeps quietly adding small gains that accumulate into mastery.
There’s also a social insight here. By downplaying talent, envy is disarmed and the door opens for others to join. Work ethic is democratic; anyone can adopt it, though few will. The contrast implicitly critiques the myth of effortless genius and replaces it with the grind of deliberate practice. It echoes a growth mindset: identity isn’t tied to fixed traits but to controllable behaviors.
There is a cautionary undertone worth acknowledging. Glorifying extremes can invite burnout if it lacks recovery, purpose, and boundaries. Sustainable excellence pairs intensity with self-care. Still, the strategic calculus holds: in competitive arenas, the reliable differentiator is not a rare spark but a furnace that burns longer. Outwork enough people, long enough, and what looked like ordinary talent becomes extraordinary performance.
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