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https://www.askell.blog/the-optimal-rate-of-failure/
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In her essay The Optimal Rate of Failure, Amanda Askell argues that meaningful growth requires taking risks where failure is possible—but not catastrophic. For young adults seeking fulfilling work, this means embracing smart, low-cost experimentation, learning from missteps, and aiming for a pace of failure that signals you’re stretching, not stagnating.
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In “Face It: You’re a Crazy Person,” Adam Mastroianni argues that truly engaging work aligns with your “crazy”—the specific obsessions or quirks that most people don’t share. By fully unpacking both your own idiosyncrasies and the gritty reality of jobs, you’re more likely to find roles that deeply resonate and sustain long-term motivation
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https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2011/09/30/even-artichokes-have-doubts/
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Marina Keegan’s “Even Artichokes Have Doubts” critiques the trend of recent graduates—around 25 % at Yale—settling into well-paid but unfulfilling finance and consulting roles. She argues many abandon their true passions for security, even if only temporarily, risking the loss of meaningful purpose and talent in seeking stability.
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https://ckarchive.com/b/d0ueh0ho7966vbk4xx64otzpvrq44clhn540k
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In this edition of The Imperfectionist, Oliver Burkeman explores a paradox: the most meaningful work often arises when we stop believing we have to achieve. Letting go of anxious overachievement creates space for joyful, self-directed ambition—where action flows not from fear, but from wholeness and genuine engagement with life.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/opinion/ambition-self-improvement.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
In this New York Times essay, David Brooks examines the dual nature of ambition—its power to drive meaningful achievement and its danger of hollowing us out. He urges readers to align ambition with deeper aspiration: to seek excellence over superiority, craft over reward, and inner transformation over public acclaim. True fulfillment, Brooks argues, comes from ambition rooted in purpose, not ego.