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
I had a formula “sorry for my bad [...], because I […]” that I am so used to it that I barely notice it. I thought it was meant to be humble and I didn't realize that it might not be the case until I scrutinize it a bit more.
For example, the formula can be expanded as
- sorry for my bad writing, because I was drafting out something
- 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, it's likely to have bugs and we all live with it, just fine. And we know that
- Good artist starts from bad art
- Good writer starts from bad articles
- Good startup starts from bad product
nocode
kelseyhightower • Updated Jun 6, 2023
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 写掉自己的 ego 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.
I think the real difference comes at if there's an intent to make it better though. Does good writer always write bad stuff, good speaker always give lame speeches, good company always ship junk product? Obviously not. So why not bash with a smile and say “My writing is bad, but I'm working on it”?