The secret of joy in work is contained in one word: excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
--Pearl S. Buck
American writer Pearl S. Buck, probably best known for her 1931 novel about China titled The Good Earth (click HERE for my review of it from 2015), made the above quote about excellence in work. I understand the truth contained within it...but like Melissa, who noted it on TV yesterday morning while we were eating lunch together, I don't completely agree with it either. Sure, it sounds reasonable that if you're really good at something then that fact should contribute to your enjoying it...after all, it's a self-esteem experience. But there are a lot of jobs out there that people perform with the utmost excellence...I can offhand think of teaching, nursing, air traffic control and law enforcement...but by their nature and the demands and stress put on these workers, they often burn out quickly and suffer greatly in spite of their excellence. Conversely, to identify oneself with a field of work does not automatically imply that they are highly skilled in it, but the process of getting to that stage...even at the start...can definitely be joyous. And besides, it's probably a good idea not to get hung up on the word "excellence" anyway, although I frequently use it to compliment others on this blog. I can be an excellent math student in one high school class...that is, until I get transferred to another class that is on a much more advanced level and then my skill level may suddenly seem to be seriously lacking. Be careful about basing your enjoyment of something largely on how excellent or not you think you are in it...you're liable to be susceptible to others' criticisms, right or wrong...
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