The man looked at me with eyes desperate for an answer. Something. Anything.
"Tell me what you want.", I said. "Don't tell me what you're 'supposed' to want. Tell me what you really want."
"I want to be great.", he answered.
"Then do what greatness requires. You need me to tell you that?"
"No. I guess," he hesitated, "I mean, what if the people around me don't get it?"
"They won't. But you will."
"What if they criticize me?"
"They will. The harder you try, the better you get, and the more you earn, the more criticism you'll receive."
"That sounds backward."
"That sounds like the price of every greatness that has ever dared to bring itself to life."
He contemplated for a minute. "So you're saying if I choose to do what greatness requires, I will get criticized more, not less?"
"That's correct.", I confirmed. "You can pursue greatness, or you can avoid criticism. You cannot do both."
"I've never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.", he thought out loud. "Now, I need to make a choice."
"Yes, you do. We all do."
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