Empowering Your Judge
October 28, 2020
Only you know how truly lazy you are.
I think it was one of my art school professors who casually floated that idea into the classroom one day and Iāve regularly thought about it ever since. The point was to assuage any trepidation or feelings of imposter syndrome that might hamper our creativity, productivity, and any other pertinent āivitiesā. Iām fairly certain is was also to combat the introverted art studentsā penchant for pointing out everything wrong with their work every time they opened their mouths (š¤š» guilty). The byline went something like, āPeople probably think your work is pretty decent, no need to persuade them that you actually suck.ā Bob Ross used to say donāt āspoil the magicā for those who enjoy your work. I think that statement is quite useful to hear, especially for creative people who have a critical eye.
Having said all that, thereās another side to this coin that contradicts the āyouāre doing fineā mantra. While itās healthy to refrain from undermining your abilities to others, that same instinct is a powerful spotlight to shine on your actual inadequacies.
The other day, I came across this vignette from one of Dr. Jordan Peterssonās lectures. Initially, he recounts the events of the trial of Socrates but rides that train of thought into the utility of setting difficult but attainable goals for yourself.
Iāve often heard him talk about āburning your personal deadwoodā, leaving behind only the things about you that are good. I think this is a really powerful concept and imminently useful for anyone serious about self-improvement. People today seem so opposed to judgment of any kind - and who can blame them - but I think to completely ignore the judge inside your head is a missed opportunity to add substantial meaning to your life. And while I donāt think itās realistic to expect anyone to scrutinize their every move, taking stock every few months or once a year, or whenever the mood strikes and seeing if you can āhireā an updated judge for yourself is something worth doing every time.
Only you know how truly lazy you areā¦(So while youāre busy keeping quiet about it, hire yourself a personal judge and work on it š)