Opinion | The life secret Jerry Seinfeld learned from Esquire - The Washington Post
6. Practitioners of mastery share four traits
The Esquire issue concludes with four commonalities among people who pursue mastery:
Enthusiasm: “It works both ways,” says Leonard. “Having a great deal of experience at something worthwhile makes you enjoy working at it. Enjoying what you work at results in your wanting to get more experience.”
Generosity: Noting that the word “generous” comes from the same root as “genius,” Leonard says. “Some of those known as geniuses might be selfish, vulgar, cruel, and generally obnoxious in other aspects of their life (witness the lives of some of our musical geniuses), but insofar as their own particular calling is concerned, they have a remarkable ability to give everything and hold nothing back.”
Zonshin: This is a Japanese word meaning “unbroken concentration.” Leonard cites an example from the world of golf: “It was said of the legendary Ben Hogan that other golf pros learned a lot about the game just by studying the way he moved down the fairway between shots.”
Playfulness: People in pursuit of mastery, Leonard says, “are willing to take chances and to play the fool.”
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