inspired by a synopsis of resonance

things i think of when it's late and i should be studying for a midterm.

which is the better to have: passion or competence?
choose one.

(what a horrible curse to have too much of one and not enough of the other.)

the passion i unarguably have. it must have its limits, i just haven't found them yet. okay, so the world is choking with raw genius unrealized, unchanneled by drive. i won't be one of those, for sure.

the ability...i don't know. above average? sure. beyond that? untested.
and who wants to be just above average. especially when you love a thing.

how does one measure excellence, anyway? in money or macarthurs or...?

most people are not excellent.
most are not remarkably competent.
even the really smart ones.
even the professors.

what if all that's ahead of me is years of pretending to excellence?
it sounds like a kind of death.