Check Yourself

Many pursuits have built in checks. The most obvious are pursuits that have certificate or degree programs with tests that you have to pass. These credentials function to identify who has gained a certain amount of knowledge and expertise. The institutions that give the tests set the standards. Can’t meet the standard? You can’t play. End of story.

Other pursuits don’t have these formalities. Cultural/Traditional arts, and more social endeavors, don’t have certificates to earn or tests to pass. Instead, trust is earned inside the community the work is being done through relationship. The people set the standard.

But here’s the thing. Sometimes we don’t have access to the people. Or, more maliciously, we avoid them. Either way the result is that we unwittingly end up undermining the standard set by a particular community. That’s not good for anyone.

The solution? Check yourself. Put yourself to the test. Find examples, dig up historical figures, read interviews, and from these sources and your imagination build an image of the kind of execution you need to be able to achieve. Then put yourself to the test. It’s okay if you don’t pass your test. You can give yourself another chance whenever you want. But you have to check yourself.