Effort Trumps Talent, Satisfaction Trumps Effort: Korean Steemit Wisdom

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Developing Dogma

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When it comes to new experiences, it’s helpful to apply general wisdom and cultural cliches. For instance, for a new daily resolution some will often proclaim “the only real failure is giving up” or during hards times, “laughter is the best medicine.” Using transferrable lessons is usually an effective way to keep one’s ‘chin up’ during

And crypto is certainly new for everyone. There are just some things that are very onerous for anyone to get used to and in particular, “mining” through Steemit is a grind - posts, comments, updates, mechanics, acceptable voting norms, usable DApps, new resources, making relationships, coming up with projects, preparing for SMTs and Hivemind, and so on and so on. For many of us, Steemit is actually the first foray into anything remotely entrepreneurial or freelance.

And for anyone new to the platform, it should be plainly stated that (at least IMHO) Steemit is career choice. For anyone to expect substantial gains, it should be treated as such. If you pick out and dig into any notable Steemian, you’ll likely find a deep level of activity and engagement in a range of things. Or you’re likely to find someone that only relies on voting bots…. But that’s a different (more unsustainable) story for another day.

The point is is that Steemit shouldn’t be treated like Facebook and Instagram. These apps are meant to indulge shallow impulses at their core and gratify mere observance as activity. Consider how much time you spend on these platforms and ask yourself, do you have any ‘goals’ while using them? Are you trying to establish a larger audience or community around a certain topic? Are you systematically using the tools of posting, comments, sharing, etc. to meet a certain end either daily or in the long-run? I’m go to take a guess, no to all of the posed questions.

On Steemit you have some level of ambition. Maybe you’re trying to simply push out compelling content that gets rewarded with upvotes. That’s just the first step in a whole spectrum of possibilities. It quickly escalates into building relationships, being a fundamental part of a community or communities, and of course many more, all of which help sustain your rewards and standing in an ecosystem that is constantly creating and changing.

That’s why today I offer this little humble saying.

잘하는 사람은 좋아하는 사람 못하고, 좋아하는 사람은 즐기는 사람 못한다

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If you haven’t learned fluent Korean by reading my or @bree1042’s account by now (shame on you! lol), you’ll need a translation - “Someone talented cannot beat someone who likes what they do, and someone who likes what they do cannot beat someone who enjoys what they do.” This is an oft used phrase in South Korea to generalize successful figure in their country. In english, people often exclaim “do what you love” but the Korean version is a bit more nuanced.

The first part is straight forward - grit beats talent. This is why we don’t see many savants as CEOs or filling concert halls. Everyone starts off at a different point when it comes to mathematical ability or musical affinity or concentration, but a career is a marathon. In end, whoever grinds it our further will beat the guitar genius from high school that gave it up in college.

The second part creates a large difference between liking something and enjoying something. The Korean word for enjoy, “즐긴다,” encompasses all aspects of doing something, even the nasty and grueling parts. Someone who likes their job will come in happily Monday through Friday. Someone who enjoys their job will come in on the weekends, stay late, and push through every opportunity they can get. It’s the type of satisfaction that allows anyone to take on crippling responsibility and emerge still breathing on the other side.

Enjoy over like.

I often lean on this phrase when it comes to how I approach Steemit, @sndbox, and everything that comes with all of this. I think many people reading this have already taken on this mantra as most of us appreciate the future to come with this technology.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Do you “enjoy” what you’re doing on Steemit?

Steem on!