You've got a point apathy being a mechanism to avoid, or even rationalize failure.
I realized something else: that winning gives you ownership and confidence.
To use my previous example, If I had diregarded "interest" in algorithms and gotten stellar grades in algorithms classes just for the sake of "winning", I would come to be proud of how good I am at algorithms. I would become empowered, I would like the feeling, and I would like algorithms.
You've got a point apathy being a mechanism to avoid, or even rationalize failure.
I realized something else: that winning gives you ownership and confidence.
To use my previous example, If I had diregarded "interest" in algorithms and gotten stellar grades in algorithms classes just for the sake of "winning", I would come to be proud of how good I am at algorithms. I would become empowered, I would like the feeling, and I would like algorithms.