"My best" is an empty statement
I was reading an article where this was said: "We're all in this game of life. We're all doing the best that we can."
I agree that we're in this game of life. However, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to know if everyone is doing "the best they can." "Our best" is too subjective and self-serving. The only thing others can objectively judge are the preparation and the actual results.
Here's an example: You and I decide to climb Mt. Everest next year. We talk about it all the time. However, I don't train, I don't buy any mountain climbing equipment, and I sit on the couch everyday watching TV. When the day comes to climb Mt. Everest, I show up with a smile. As I begin, I can truthfully say that "I'm doing the best I can." I collapse twenty minutes later, pass out from exhaustion, and roll off into an icy abyss. It becomes immediately obvious that the words "my best" are an empty statement. The only thing you can really judge are my preparation (none) and my results (horrible).
"My best" is like the soft sciences of psychology, sociology, and anthropology where subjective opinions can sway results. "Preparation" and "results" are like the hard sciences of chemistry, biology, and physics where subjective opinions mean nothing next to hard facts.
I'm finding that saying "my best" fills us with warm, fuzzy feelings of accomplishment. We may use "our best" as rationalization to convince others of our efforts even though there's no way to back this up without actually looking at the preparation and results.
I'm attempting to consistently answer the question "So, how did you do?" or "How do you think you'll do?" not with "I did my best" or "I'll do my best" but with details of how I prepared and what the actual results were. Thank goodness for ongoing improvement.
Your thoughts are welcome
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