Real World Success Requires an Endless Training Montage

And my most controversial opinion

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This piece on “The Psychology of Fantasy” from Scott Alexander sparked a few thoughts.

A key quote: “Every part of the fantasy universe is optimized to justify why a person with no special ability or agency can save the world.”

I’ve never been a big fan of fantasy, and Scott’s point is one reason why. The point that specialness comes not from effort, work, intellect, emotion, perseverance, or concentration, but from just being you. It strikes me as silly and childish.

One response is to say that real life works this way, at least to some extent. Certain traits that predictably lead to success are largely heritable (i.e., unearned).