On the cost of higher standards

Learning makes us more aware.

More aware of problems. More sensitive to errors. More critical of bad design and bad strategy and bad technique.

More liable to frustration and disappointments.

Because knowledge raises the bar. It elevates our expectations. And it fine-tunes our tastes.

It makes us acknowledge we can always be better.

One choice is to avoid letdown altogether by setting the bar as low as it gets from the start. To always play on easy mode. To avoid the more challenging course. To never seek out new modes of enlightenment.

The other choice, as you might have guessed, is to never settle.

To stretch ourselves. To convert our grievances into fuel to make the next iteration better. To get creative about problem-solving and understanding new concepts. To, at the expense of our own vexation, never be content with the status quo.

Dissatisfaction is the price we pay for leveling up.