Described here is a logical argument that seeks to uncover what it takes to pursue excellence, written especially for readers like the author, who doubt if they are talented enough for the pursuit to be meaningful to anyone.
What is excellence ? It is about contributions. To take the example of a student, it is about the knowledge he has acquired, the skills he has earned that will eventually enable him to contribute. For a professional, it is about the contributions he has made to his discipline, organisation, nation etc.
It is a truth that a person who is more talented can produce more results and be more excellent compared to one who is less talented. Now consider a less talented individual who says, "There are people more talented than me. I cannot contribute anything more than what they can possibly do." and decides not to pursue excellence. In what follows we examine why his decision is logically flawed.
Firstly, we differentiate between excellence and the pursuit of excellence. While excellence is about the results, the pursuit of it is a divine right. Every individual has the right to pursue excellence is his chosen area of interest. By making the statement, the less talented person has chosen not to claim his right. This is irresponsibility.
Secondly, by making the conclusion that his low talents will result in equivalently lower contributions, the person has failed in his understanding of excellence. Excellence is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Further, as numerous optimistic people who had ventured to excel will testify - beyond a point the results surpassed the equivalent level of talents they thought they had.
Thus to conclude, while the self-assessement of talents is a reality which no one can escape it should have no logical bearing on his will to pursue excellence. If it does, then, there is a gap in the understanding of what the pursuit of excellence means.
Jobin Jacob Kavalam. 18 Aug, 2012
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