According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10000 hours to be a master at something. Do you agree?
When they were handing out the schedule for topics at bible school, guess what topic was first for me to teach?
Doctrine of sin, mmmmmmm I thought, what are they trying to say.
I reasoned they must of chosen me for that topic, since I am a professional at that. Given the 10000 hour rule, I should be a master 3 times over.
Anyway, a while ago I read an article on the saying ‘Practice makes perfect’. It was written by Glenn Fisher (The Shortcut Bulletin) I cannot seem to find it, or I would given the link here. But basically he was saying that this saying is impossible to achieve and we should really rethink how we approach learning new things.
Firstly we know that perfection here on earth is an impossibility, so why on earth would we practice with the aim of achieving a place we know cannot be reached.
I am not saying that we should not strive to get things right, we should. But our pursuit of perfection has always alluded humanity (ask Hitler). Ask any communistic idealist (thats what they all are ha ha ha). It seems wonderful in your head, until you try and put it into reality.
I think we should say practice will make you better, more and more practice will get you into the category of best. Its in that process you realise that you know very little and your character is built to withstand the trouble that all face later. This is the reason why one hit wonders almost never last. They never have the character built over time and fade very quickly.
Therefore don’t treat your life like that, never focus on any one thing sorting out everything. Never make the perfection the goal, because it is not doable. Do the best you can and practice, practice, practice at the thing you want to do well at (except in the case of sin hey).
If you want to try new things, please do, but set small bite size goals. Ones that can be done. There is enough time to deal with the impossible tasks, much later.
The reason why we have less masters at things these days is that they simply give up to soon. Thats why in the beginning, never set yourself an unreachable goal like perfection…….
THO
I don’t know broer? Matthew 5:48 exhorts us to be perfect as God is perfect. What does perfect in this passage mean? This would obviously be the next part of this discourse and I am sure you would be seeking an answer soon soon. But my understanding is that we are to be without defect and holy without contradiction as our Father is. We are to be perfect and if the Bible says we are to be then that should be a goal of ours. I cannot agree with your opinion of not pursuing perfection.
On another point, the whole aspect of practice makes perfect, I also cannot agree. If a guy practices playing guitar does that mean he will perfect it or that he may become better at playing it? If this guy practices sloppy guitar lessons then he will become sloppy and not perfect or better. But if he practices the guitar with perfection and proper guidance then he can achieve perfection in his art and become even better. What is my point? Sloppy practice makes sloppiness but perfect practice makes perfect. people should know that because we do something all the time does not mean we will become any better or perfect, we need to do things in a proper way. Practice breeds habits, good or bad.
Sorry for the long response 🙂 but I know you will enjoy coming back with a good point 🙂
Perfection in the post is not in the same context that you refer to. But for the sake of a long comment I will bite and respond.
We know that perfection is not attainable here on earth given where we find ourselves (that being in a world of sin and the fact that sin itself lives in us). Yes in Christ perfection is possible theoretically, but we still live in our fleshly bodies and that will always distort it. If you say perfection is a reality, show me someone who is walking in that now???
As for what I meant in the post, its not good to start a new thing with ridiculous goals. Break it down into smaller doable goals and you will eventually be able to aim for perfection.
But while here on earth and in reality we have glimpses of perfection, but not the continuous flow that emanates from God Himself. We long for that and desire for it, but lets be realistic. We will not see overflowing perfection, but it does not mean we should not work towards it.
mmmmmm. . . . . I dont agree with the 10 000hrs thing. It will make you better at what you doing yes, but not perfect. I think perfection is reachable in some areas, if you work really hard. . . . .but that’s just my 5c worth. . . . .
Well Malcolm Gladwell does not say 10000 hours will make you perfect hey, he says it requires that to master something.
The perfection bit is what I was comparing it to…