Why Being “Not That Good” Is Actually Your Superpower

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Mar 24, 2026 · 9m

One of the hardest lessons in life — and in academia — is that nobody is going to do the work for you.

You’ll want someone to rescue you. To guide you. To make the process easier.

But the truth is, most of the time… they won’t.

I learned this growing up. My parents loved me, but they didn’t hover. They didn’t push me to do homework. They didn’t drive me to every activity. I had to figure things out on my own. At the time, it felt unfair. But now I see — it was training for a life where ambiguity is the norm.

That’s what personal responsibility really means:

• Accepting reality, even when it…