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Soubresaut's avatar

"You like what you're good at"... do you agree?

Asked by Soubresaut (13714points) January 28th, 2010
14 responses
“Great Question” (2points)

And that you don’t like what you’re not good at.

…I’ve been told this is true. I grew up with this phrase, and around me but not at me it was used to justify parents forcing kids to do things—they only don’t like it because they’re no good. But when they’re good, they’ll enjoy it and be glad they were forced…
But I don’t agree. I think it’s more, what you like, you work at getting good at, and what you don’t, you don’t… But then, I find a challenge, trying to get better at something, fun.
Like, I was never “good” at dance growing up, but always loved, and still always love, it. And I used to hafta play chess and do minor coding when I was little, and I could do both pretty easy, but never liked them.

So I’m wondering, do you like what you’re good at, or good at what you like?

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Answers

poisonedantidote's avatar

you are good at what you like

bigboss's avatar

i dont agree…i like lots of things im not good at. like karate movies and flying

DominicX's avatar

I agree that you work to get good at what you like. However, I do believe that it is simply more common to like something you are good at and to dislike something you are not good at.

For example, I am good at math. I just am; I got A’s on every calc test, I helped explain it to other people who needed help, my teacher called on me all the time, but I just don’t really like math. I know I’m good at it, but it just doesn’t interest me like the language arts do. I have yet to take a math class here at Stanford; I don’t really intend to. I don’t hate it or anything, but it just doesn’t interest me that much, especially things like calculus. I love prime numbers and all the different classifications of numbers like Mersenne primes, perfect numbers, Sophie Germain primes, etc. but integrating and sums and quadratics? Meh. Just because I’m good at it, doesn’t mean I like it.

That is, however, an exception. For the most part, I do like what I am good at.

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

No, I don’t agree. I don’t like troubleshooting irritable people but I’m good at it. I don’t like kissing ass to stupid people but I’m good at it. I don’t like putting myself 2nd, 3rd, 4th or whatever but I’m good at it.

Nullo's avatar

Not really, no.
For instance, I like math, yet I have always struggled with it.

wundayatta's avatar

As a parent, it is so much easier when my kids do something they like. I don’t have to tell them to do it. Unfortunately, there are things they probably would experience a severe handicap in life if they don’t know.

My son hates reading and writing. It’s hard to imagine a life where you can support yourself these days if you can’t read and write. So we make him do it, and he is good at it. But he isn’t one of those kids who inhales Harry Potter at age 7 or 8. He doesn’t even read “The Lightning Thief” at age 9. I think he could, though.

But drawing? Every free second he has had in the last year or two—he draws. He has found drawing teachers (via video) online. He knows animals and aliens and faces better than any other kid his age, I think. He can shade and make things look real. He has drawing skills I could never have. Because he loves it. I don’t know why he loves it, but he does. It’s probably in his blood since there are artists on both sides of his parents’ families (even though I couldn’t draw my way out of a paper bag).

Well, there I go again. TMI. I don’t think I actually addressed the question, either. I’ll stop now.

Bluefreedom's avatar

No, I’m not in total agreement with this. I like some things that I’m good at and I’m good at certain things I like.

Dr_Dredd's avatar

To a degree. But there were plenty of subjects in school I was good at (languages, literature) that I didn’t really like. I didn’t hate them, I just wasn’t all that interested.

gailcalled's avatar

I love looking at beautiful paintings and sculpture, but can only draw stick figures.

I love listening to classical music and can play the piano only if the music doesn’t fall off the stand.

I love watching Nat’l Geographic specials on wildlife, habitat, etc. Would you catch me on K2 looking for a snow leopard? Probably not.

aprilsimnel's avatar

Eh. I can be a very organized person, files, categories, calendars, schedules, agendas, etc. etc. – for others. I learned it on all the jobs I had, that, no matter what fancy titles I carried, the work was, in essence, secretarial administrative crap.

I hate doing that sort of stuff for myself, and if I could get away with it, I’d live my entire life not giving a shit about planning anything. I’m a “forest” person, and for years, I was working “trees” positions – and I hated it.

onesecondregrets's avatar

You like what you have a passion for. You are good at what you’re mentally and physically equipped for.

dragonacid's avatar

disagree

I am good at: doing dishes… seriously… I can get the burned stain off the 20th time baked on sludge off your pans
but I HATE cleaning with a passion…

I Love: Drawing… playing the piano
though I am Really bad at drawing… and I am really really really bad at the piano (I know the very beginning of one song and the rest is garble)

MissA's avatar

Reminds me of a Taylor guitar commercial.

A gal in a music store picks up a Taylor and plays some really cool riffs . The guy says, “I didn’t know you could play like that.” And, she says, “Neither did I.”

Coloma's avatar

Both.

I love decorating homes and I am good at it.
Because I am good at it I like it even more.

Same with gardening, writing, and a host of other things I enjoy.

I am also good at managing people and playing therapist, but that I do not like. lol

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