I came across the following essay through Steph Mui’s weekly email blast and was inspired by it enough to write this reflection. I’m hoping that I’m one of the late bloomers that this article defines but I think the most insightful learning here is to never stop learning. The day I wish to stop yearning to learn something new should be my last day. As always, here’s the source material.

Summary

  • Brooks starts with an example of the artist Paul Cezanne who started off on the failed path of being a lawyer before ultimately being an artist recognized for his work at the ripe age of 56. He goes on to mention how our society today idolizes early bloomers (I mean, just look at all the AI companies founded by 20 some year olds on Twitter) but he points out that it’s because current systems elevate those who are extrinsically motivated. i.e. they’re motivated to please teachers, bosses and other older people earlier on in their career and as young adults.
  • He goes on to talk about how the average age for Nobel Prize discovery is 44 but I have a qualm with that - I feel as if that’s a lagging signal for the work done by the scientists in their 20s/30s. i.e. recognition is always a lagging indicator based on the impact that the work has. However his point that tech founders aged 50 are twice as likely to start a successful company as one who is 30 is interesting and linked here for a future review.

Takeaways

  • Brooks lists that some traits of these “late bloomers” are:
    • Intrinsic motivation: This is the big one that Brooks chooses to focus on through much of the essay. This is the key indicator for anyone who will succeed where the individual is often inspired by answering the question of “why” for themself only and therefore willing to go the extra mile.
    • Self-teaching: This builds up on the fact that late bloomers, because of their intrinsic motivation tend to teach themselves in manners that aren’t consistent with a traditional education. As a consequence, they often go deeper into their depth of knowledge and care about how and why things work in the manner that they do, instead of just studying enough to “pass the test”.
    • Wisdom and Perspective: Because of their rich experience due to early failures, it offers them a perspective of understanding what works and what hasn’t.
    • Enduring Drive: This one stood out because Brooks described that late bloomers are still sprinting during that final lap and they don’t slow down as they get older, which is exactly the opposite of what I’d believe old age brings (i.e. lethargy). I love the words: “They are stringing. They are ini it with all their heart” because I yearn to feel that way about something.

Final Thoughts/Question for Self & Conclusions:

  • Growth Mindset: Much of what Brooks talks about here can be summarized by the growth mindset that I learnt about over and over again through college and other self-help books. Notably, traits such as persistent learning, adaptability and intrinsic drive echo that it’s important to continue to grow for the rest of your life instead of acknowledging that if you’re not successful at an young age, then to settle for your life as it currently is.
  • Resist the pressure of early comparison: It’s easy to compare myself to others in their 20s on twitter raising millions of dollars and to an extent, it’s good because it forces me to continue working hard but we’re all on our own timelines and that’s okay. Not only is it okay but it’s important to recognize that we should focus on traits such as intellectual curiosity which will pay dividends through the course of my life.
  • Failure is just a chapter in your story: This is advice as old as the world but it’s a good reminder that we must continue to see failures in our lives as chapters as part of our life story instead of assuming that it’s how our life ends. Ultimately, your life is only as rich as the lore and so it’s important to maximize lore, which includes handling failures.