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The Great Filter of Ambition

I recently saw this brilliant video explaining the implications of the presence or absence of alien life. To me it was just a good thought experiment to undertake - what the implications of being alone or not alone could be. There was, however, one concept that caught my attention - that of an evolutionary barrier called ‘The Great Filter’ which most civilisations would be unable to cross and hence perish. I felt maybe the idea of a ‘Great Filter’ expounded here wasn’t limited to just our evolution as a civilisation.

I believe most of us have dreams and ambitions, and early on, we chart a course we intend to pursue the same. Just like in the video, I propose that even for individuals who pursue a dream or an ambition, there exists a ‘Great Filter’ (hereon called the GF). This GF is a roadblock that each of us faces, on the way to our goals. For some, it may already be behind - something they have conquered long back and will never encounter again. For some, it is yet to come - looming in the future, waiting to take down their dreams and smash them to pieces. The GF could be anything - mental roadblocks, timing, skills and abilities, or connections, i.e. anything that could possibly spell the doom of your dream. It is key to understand that the GF won’t be a setback - it will be the end of the dream.

Consider the case that this GF is already behind you - you’re well on the path to your dream and, apart from setbacks, nothing can stop you from achieving your goals. You’re possibly one of the lucky few who’ve crossed the toughest barrier and will make something of yourself. The world is open for play. Doesn’t that sound rosy? The question arises - how do you determine if the GF is behind you? How do you know that the next setback is exactly that, and not an ambition threatening, dream killing monster? You simply don’t. You just can’t get complacent and must hope for the best.

Now assume that the GF is looming ahead of us, waiting to pounce upon us at any second. Scary prospect isn’t it? At any point we might face something that will render all our work until now useless. Is it just hopeless to have dreams? Maybe we should abandon our ambitions and settle for what we get out of the flow of things. But here’s what we don’t know - we don’t know if we will be able to overcome the barrier. This gives me a glimmer of hope. This means that we can still anticipate the barrier, prepare for it, and give our best to overcoming it.

So as I see it, in front of us lie three choices of belief:

1. The GF is behind us and we can work away without a worry.
2. The GF is bound to come some time soon, so why try? Just go with the flow.
3. The GF is bound to come some time soon, so let me get ready to face it. I must be one of the few to overcome it.

Which one do you choose to believe in?

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