People say they’re not doing the work because it’s hard. But it’s hard because they’re not doing the work. - How to live, Derek Sivers
When it comes to self-expression, I used to have a default formula: “Sorry for my bad [...], because I […].” It had become so ingrained in my communication style that I hardly notice it. I believed it was meant to be humble, but it didn’t really hold up after closer examination.
Let's delve deeper into this formula with some examples:
- “Sorry for my bad writing, because I was drafting.”
- “Sorry for my bad communication, because I was thinking out loud.”
It may sounds fine. But bad is bad, it probably doesn't need a reason. The most resilient program is no code at all. Otherwise, programs are likely to have bugs, and we all live with it, just fine.
nocode
kelseyhightower • Updated Sep 27, 2023
And we all recognize that
- A good artist started from bad art
- A good writer started from mediocre articles
- A good startup started from imperfect product
But why do I choose to give it a reason? That's probably because of my ego. No one cares about why it's bad, just the same as no one cares about how you look besides yourself. As an article from Weichen recommends:
If it’s our soul that we’re talking about (rather than just What We Write), then our passage through the varying disciplines of this life, if we’re truly paying attention, is an education in editing out the ego, in stepping away from our fear and self-concern and aspirations for recognition, for material rewards, and for earthly payoffs, until we move into the realm of the gift, where what we offer is for the reader’s good and not our own.
Ultimately, I think the key difference lies at if there's an intent to make it better though.
- Does a good writer always write bad stuff?
- Does a good speaker always give tedious speeches?
- Does a good company always ship junk product?
Obviously not.
So why not bash with a smile and simply say “My writing is bad, but I'm working on it”?