

The Tunnel Vision Fallacy - dtawfik1
http://dantawfik.com/the-tunnel-vision-trap

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toothbrush
Grad school is a bit like that, i think. Especially the bit where your whole
identity is constructed around the success of your project resonates with me.
That's a trap that can make it very hard to not get depressed when the going
is tough — and of course it's going to be. Bottom line, i think the second to
last paragraph offers some very common sense, down-to-earth, and actionable
advice.

« _When we gather our identity from many sources we create a more diversified
sense of esteem. We can fail or stumble at one thing and still derive esteem
from something else. I can face a challenge in building a new startup, but
still redeem esteem from my identity as a writer, musician, hiker, family
member._ »

~~~
dtawfik1
This is a real common theme I find in driven people. Throughout my life I have
built glass castles, as I like to call them, that I derived my sense of
identity from. I was always prone to get into singular focus mode, whether it
was school or my business.

Over the course of talking to other founders I saw how common and destructive
it is; hinging on a subtle form of narcissism. I was inspired to write the
article by a vacation I took working at the Special Olympic games. The event
was about taking a step outside of your own shoes and deriving esteem from the
athletes that were competing. Giving, participating in the lives of others was
an antidote to being rapt in yourself and all the liabilities that come with
that. It was a powerful way of diversifying our happiness.

