Decent skills come from God. Exceptional skills come from the Devil
When you’re particularly good at something there is the claim, “You have a God-given talent.” When that talent is honed to perfection, it then turns into the accusation, “You sold your soul to the devil!” Athletes, musicians, successful business execs get this smear all the time. You have the classic story of Robert Johnson, legendary blues artist, who is said to have traded his soul at a crossroad to become a great musician. According to this belief, people don’t succeed through hard work or luck, but by a pact with Satan himself. Screw the thousands of hours of practice and training it takes to be exceptionally good at something. People don’t see the 5000 practice shots or acknowledge the 10,000 hours of practice that goes into achieving success. When someone works hard to hone their skills, it’s a reward and blessing from God. However, when someone becomes too good or too successful, out comes the accusation of being in league […]