House M.D and Whiplash

I binged House M.D about a year ago and there was one particular episode that stuck with me. In season two, episode nine, “DNR”, House treats a jazz drummer who is a legendary musician. The main conflict in this episode revolves around the drummer’s refusal to undergo a life-saving surgery due to his DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order. This part isn’t what stuck with me. It was seeing two characters in completely different areas both obsessed with their craft. Both House and the drummer were willing to sacrifice everything for their “art”.

It’s one of the reasons why Whiplash is one of my favorite movies. The story of a young jazz drummer who is willing to go to extreme lengths to become one of the greats. In Whiplash, we similarly see a character who is obsessed with his craft, willing to push himself to the brink of exhaustion and beyond to achieve greatness.

There’s something about the idea of obsession that resonates with me. I think primarily because greatness in any field requires a level of dedication and sacrifice that most people aren’t willing to make. Even in the real world, we see examples of people like John Carmack who tirelessly pursued their craft, pushing the boundaries of what was possible in their respective fields.

I’m not going to paint myself as someone who did anything remotely close to these examples. I don’t feel like I’ve achieved anything close to the level of obsession that these characters and real-life figures have. It makes me wonder what if I did? What if for instance, I really sat down and pushed myself in Dota 2. Or what if I really dedicated myself to mastering an area of software development? I have had interviews previously where I would have received an offer if I had just pushed myself more in certain areas.

I think my level of risk tolerance is lower than what is needed. I took the straight and narrow path of getting good grades, going to college, and getting a stable job. But, maybe my time just hasn’t come yet. You have examples of incredible musicians such as Ryo Fukui who didn’t start their obsession until their early 20s. Maybe I’m just waiting for my time and place to begin.