One of the biggest dilemmas of human lives is never being content with what we have. We spend most of our time worrying about things we don’t have or thinking of ways to acquire them. While doing so, we often forget just how much we already have. We never wonder what our lives would be like if we didn’t have the things we take for granted. If for even a small moment, we close our eyes and imagine living without a healthy body, a roof over our head, warm food at the table, etc., we will realize that our lives are so much better than what we often perceive.
Other than constantly worrying about material wealth, we also get anxious about our limited knowledge or expertise in certain areas. We consider ourselves less valuable or sometimes incompetent if we have not attained perfection in our field of work or education. Our minds play tricks on us, by reminding us, that we are not the master of our art yet; hence, we often think of ourselves as being incompetent or good for nothing. However, we overlook that having limited experience, knowledge, or skills about something is better than having none at all. Our limited abilities still put us one step ahead compared to those who have none. Hence the quote:
In The Land Of The Blind, The One-Eyed Man Is King.
Where Does The Quote Originate From?
The quote is attributed to William Playfair, a Scottish engineer and political economist. He invented graphical methods, i.e., bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, and circle graphs. Playfair has also written more than 20 books on varying subjects of politics, economics, finance, commerce, etc. The aforementioned quote is found in his book’ Political Portraits, in this New Æra(Era) Volume 1, Chapter Mr Joel Barlow, Page 138.
Who Was William Playfair
William Playfair was the 4th son of Reverend James Playfair and brother of James Playfair, who was a renowned architect, and John Playfair, an enthusiastic mathematician. He lost his father at the age of 13 and was brought up by his elder brothers.
Playfair had tried his hand at multiple careers, including engineering, accountancy, silversmith, merchant, economist, statistician, investment broker, writer, and editor to name a few. However, he is remembered for his invention of graphical data representation. Playfair was adamant that graphs and charts better displayed data than tables. He invented line graphs, bar graphs and pie charts. Moreover, Playfair’s books also earned him considerable recognition and reflected his greater knowledge and expertise in multitude of subjects.
No study is less alluring or more dry and tedious than statistics, unless the mind and imagination are set to work, or that the person studying is particularly interested in the subject; which last can seldom be the case with young men in any rank of life. In The Statistical Breviary: Shewing, on a Principle Entirely New, the Resources of Every State and Kingdom in Europe (1801) by William Playfair, page 16.
What Is The Meaning Of The Quote
The aforementioned quote conveys a thoughtful message of never underestimating how much you have, i.e. your skills, abilities, and strengths, even if its not perfect. It presents the example of a blind man whose world is dark and who cannot enjoy the world’s beauty. Whereas a person with just one eye is far better off than the blind one. Simply because he can at least see the world, even if it is just one eye.
As human beings, we always crave perfection in every chapter of our life, be it personal or professional. We want to be the best at school, college, job, etc. There is no harm in striving for perfection and polishing your skills and talents. But, when we observe someone better than us, we start feeling insecure and unsure of our own achievements. We often forget how far we have come and how much wealth of knowledge we have already accumulated.
“I’m humble enough to know I’m not better than anybody and wise enough to know I’m different from the rest. Anonymous
Instead of undervaluing your knowledge and expertise solely because there’s someone better than you, you should always feel confident about yourself and be open to learning and upgrading your skills. This will help you in continuing to hone your skills and, eventually, become a master at your craft.
As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward. Vincent Van Gogh
Conversely, if you sulk because you are not the best or not “good enough”, you will close the door to your opportunity for growth. Instead of learning and mastering the skills required, you can easily trap yourself in the never-ending cycle of unhealthy competition and jealousy. If you see someone better than you, try to make that person your mentor and learn from them. There is no shame in learning at any stage of your life. Being open to learning will help you master your craft or combine many different skills to achieve something unique.
Imposter Syndrome –Your Worst Enemy
People suffering from imposter syndrome often believe that they do not deserve appreciation or rewards for their achievements unless they have become “experts”. Moreover, this syndrome can make one feel like a fraud when people believe they are not good at their job or profession. Their mind constantly reminds them that they are far from other coworkers; thus, they are not yet eligible for compensation increases or promotions. Unfortunately too many times, managers and bosses use that against their employees.
One of the lethal effects of imposter syndrome is a heightened fear of failure, which leads to hesitation in participating and sharing ideas in a group. The constant reminders of not being an expert or not always understanding the technical jargon others use can further terrify someone and restraint them from sharing ideas or their opinions.
Hence, you must crush this syndrome to fully unleash your potential and do your best. Always ask questions, it does not matter how silly you think they are. Snap out of the feeling of self-doubt, acknowledge that you don`t have to know everything, and never think that you are not good enough if you aren’t perfect.
3 Effective Ways To Cope With Imposter Syndrome
- 1. Don’t be a Perfectionist
- 2. Celebrate Your Achievements
- 3. Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes
Imposter syndrome will haunt you with the constant reminders of not attaining perfection. If you fall for the idea of perfection, you have prepared yourself for long-term misery. That’s because, no matter how hard you work on yourself, you will always believe that you haven’t attained excellence. Simply because perfection is a beautiful illusion, and it is impossible to achieve it.
The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.” George Orwell
Cheer yourself up when you accomplish something, and do not let your mind trick you into thinking that your accomplishments are not worthy of celebration. Remind yourself that your achievements are not a product of luck. On the contract, it was your persistent effort and dedication.
People dealing with imposter syndrome are anxious about making mistakes. They believe that the world will learn about how incompetent they are if they commit blunders. These thoughts will always prevent you from experimenting, trying something new, asking questions and learning from it.
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.” Henry Ford
Think about famous scientists and their failures before they invented something. Had they shied away from making mistakes, great discoveries and inventions would have never occurred.