{"id":13317,"date":"2021-06-07T07:52:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T15:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?p=13317"},"modified":"2021-07-09T03:25:44","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T11:25:44","slug":"digging-the-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/07\/digging-the-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Digging the Well"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently came across an essay by Tanner Greer about the rise and decline of public intellectuals<\/a>. Many appear as geniuses for a time, before later becoming a punch line. Why does this happen?<\/p>\n

Greer starts with an obvious explanation\u2014genius peaks. As we age, our raw talents decline and we can no longer sustain brilliance. I\u2019d add to this regression to the mean. Chance will allow some the right idea at the right time to make them seem prophetic. But luck fades.<\/p>\n

However, toward the end of the essay, Greer offers another explanation. Using Thomas Friedman, the veteran New York Times<\/em> reporter and author of The World is Flat<\/em>, as an example, Greer writes:<\/p>\n

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And this bring my second, sociological explanation into play. There are things that a mind past its optimum can do to optimize what analytic and creative power it still has. But once a great writer has reached the top of their world, they face few incentives to do any of these things.<\/p>\n

Consider: Thomas Friedman’s career began as a beat reporter in a war-zone. He spent his time on Lebanese streets talking to real people in the thick of civil war. He was thrown into the deep and forced to swim. The experiences and insights he gained doing so led directly to many of the ideas that would make him famous a decade later.<\/p>\n

In what deeps does Friedman now swim?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This suggests an altogether different explanation than simply declining abilities or luck. Creative success is akin to digging a well. There\u2019s much sweat and strain before you can drink a drop. But after, it\u2019s hard to start digging again once the comforts of success start flowing.<\/p>\n

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Work and Well-Digging<\/h2>\n
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