The Irony of Accuracy
The irony of accuracy is fascinating.
When we assume we are accurate, we’re prone to mistakes.
When we assume we could be inaccurate, we double check our work, verify our facts, and get a second opinion. We become more accurate in the process.
The same goes for creating compelling work. If we assume our audiences will automatically care about what we make, our work suffers. But if we assume people won’t care, we’re driven to create work that captivates attention from the start, and keeps it all the way through.
This is why sustained greatness is so difficult to achieve. Great directors, authors, musicians, and even sports teams struggle to string together even just two or three top-tier performances in a row.
Many of us are caught in the never-ending dryer spin of chasing accuracy. We do good work. People like it. Based on the evidence, we assume we will do it again. But then we half-ass it. And we produce bad work. So the next we assume we’ll produce bad work. So we put extra focus into it. And we reduce good work. And we feel like hot stuff again. And the cycle continues.
What if humility wasn’t just a virtue?
What if it was a strategy?
