Q10: Do you set high standards for yourself?

I am my own worst critic and I tend to be very hard on myself. I’m absolutely terrified of being mediocre in any aspect of my life. In fact, I've prayed a very sincere prayer before that if I’m stuck on a path that will lead me to a mediocre existence, God please be merciful and let me die – I can’t accept being mediocre. I’m very fervent in my desire to positively impact the lives of those around me. It is important that I leave the people around me enriched, happier, and better than they were before they knew me. I feel an intense desire to add value to their lives and to leave my fingerprints on their hearts and minds. A short discussion of my personal high standards for relationships, career, and general knowledge “knowing” is to follow.

Relationships:

One of the most important character traits to me is loyalty. I constantly seek to demonstrate loyalty in my relationships. Sometimes I fail, at least by my own tough standards, but I wish to be known and remembered as “fiercely loyal”. At the time of this writing, I’m reading a wonderful book by Erich Fromm called “The Art of Loving”. This book discusses the basic need for completeness in humanity and the turmoil found in our default state of separateness. The book discusses the fact that love is a decision and something that requires hard work and dedication. To quote, “Giving is more joyous than receiving, not because it’s a deprivation, but because in the act of giving lies the expression of my aliveness.” “The essence of love is to ‘labor’ for something and to ‘make something grow’. True love requires care, responsibility, and knowledge.” Care means to be concerned about the welfare of the loved one. Responsibility does not take the modern definition of “duty”, but rather a “responsiveness” to the person’s needs. This type of responsibility can be overwhelming or dominant if it weren’t for respect. This respect accepts the person as they are and not as I would like them to be. It sees the beauty in things the way they are and demonstrates patience. Without respect, it is impossible to adequately glean knowledge. This [knowledge] is the continuing unfolding of the person that helps you to understand them and appreciate them. Without these things; care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge, true love cannot blossom. This sums up the high standard that I hold myself to and epitomizes my relationships with those I care about.

Also related to my propensity to set high standards for myself in regards to relationships is in social media. For some reason, people seem to engage regularly with me using social media platforms. I assume that it’s because I always try to post content that is funny, educational, or interesting in some manner. I feel a very strong sense of responsibility to reciprocate that interaction. If it’s by responding to a comment or exchanging “Likes”, I feel that this drives further engagement by creating a comfortable environment in which to interact.

Career:

Sometimes, if I get bored with the repetition and drudgery of my job, I find myself turning in sloppy work. Most of the time, the work is adequate to get the job completed with no problems, but this is a constant struggle with me. It is very unfulfilling to do sloppy work, even if no one else notices it – I do. I’m always looking for new challenges in my career, and something new to learn that enhances knowledge of my art.

General Knowledge:

If someone asks me a question about a general subject, it is important to me to at least be able to conduct an intelligent conversation on the topic. If I’m unable to follow or contribute to the discussion, at my earliest convenience, I nearly always do extensive research to inform myself. This drive helps force me to try to know a little bit about everything. While I’m certainly not a “know-it-all”, I at least like to be able to think about it and to offer an informed opinion.