Seeking Fiercely Competent People
Within the past few years I realized that I’m involved in a constant search for fiercely competent people.
For a long time as an adolescent and young adult I felt compelled to seek more information, better ideas and novel facts. In school I rarely felt kindred with any of my friends or classmates, though. There were certainly people much more intelligent than myself, but they always seemed to have different aims and different passions. It took me many years to understand in more depth the type of person and type of thought which I was seeking.
I admire and feel most kindred with those people who are fiercely competent at a craft—sometimes physical, sometimes digital or intellectual. They have worked arduously to hone their skills and accept nothing less than excellence as their products. Their state of mind is one of deep resonance with their mission of quality and comprehensiveness. They produce excellent things as an internal imperative: it could not be any other way.
Talking with and learning from these people is usually a deeply rewarding experience. I feel that I can learn and grow more in a hour with such a person than ten with a mere “expert” or “professional” in a given discipline. It’s delightful and humbling to find such a person who is willing to share their work and their passion.
I anxiously embrace any chance to have those experiences and treasure them greatly.
