#4 Importance of Isolation

Hello. I hope you're doing well. Because of my background in CS being years ahead of what college could teach me, I've felt "ahead" of peers. Rightly so. I wouldn't fake humility just to please people who haven't worked as much as I have. If you're offended please leave. Okay, so by isolation I mean separating what I'm currently putting effort into in order to achieve something and my surroundings which do not reflect anything about what my goals are and where I am meant to be. I've been the smartest in the room for 2 years and it has been detrimental to the amount of progress I've made. I've let pride, compliments, remarks, basically anything related to my goals told to me externally affect me and it has turned me complacent. What it creates, this praise, is a kind of moral licensing that you can use to rest and enjoy whatever it is you like to do that's not work. It stops you from becoming great at what you're meant to do. Negativity affects in a straightforward way, easy to get over, easy to ignore. Because it's obvious, look at the person who's judging and laugh in their face because soon they won't get to hear you from the top of your penthouse. It's positivity you need to be careful with. Positive things validate your past efforts, it sounds so good. Everything you've wanted, right? OF COURSE NOT. Why would you want some random NPC to praise you when you haven't done shit yet. Yet. All that you've done till now must ALWAYS be considered less than what you will do from now. Positivity affects your progress JUST AS MUCH (if not more, in my case) as negativity. During my Second Year's summer vacations, at home, I realized the real amount of progress I could make if I didn't sleep with the feeling of "I had done a lot" and instead slept feeling "I'm going to do a lot tomorrow". You must cultivate and protect this feeling. "You haven't done enough, yet". Very dearly. From everyone. Isolation doesn't always have to be social, you don't have to withdraw from an environment in order to make room for putting in extraneous effort. What you must do is not display any signs of results from work that does not produce a favorable outcome for you. Make up an identity for people, and people. The latter is the rooms you want to get into. The ones you want to let know what you can comprehend. The ones that would make you feel small (in comparison, not in comments, comments anyone can make, but if by existing they instigate something is what I mean). The former, well, any remarks must fall on deaf ears. Or never let them know shit (easier option). If you protect your work ethic from corrosion by negativity AND positivity, you will be at the top. During my real isolation in vacations, I never had thought that I'm working. Because I would never consider it work. Even THIS comes from external opinions. The moment I termed it work, I would become tired from putting effort. That is how important isolating your efforts is. To the point where no one can understand why you know, understand, solve, whatever. Baffling to think where you get it from. The realization I've had in vacations is now in full force (in college). 5 hour work days (college 6 hours bruh) and 10 hours on weekends. No one gives a shit because no one knows. I don't feel like I'm doing enough, yet the change in understanding computers has been monumental. And I'll keep going. In isolation (not me from people, my work from people, to protect the work ethic and the rewards from it). I'll keep going and it's going to be some of the best months ever. No one to tell me I'm doing "too much". No limits other than what my body allows (which can be altered, like focusing on health increases intelligence, I hope that doesn't sound new to you). So basically, we TEST THE LIMITS. Key Note: Isolate from where you don't wanna be, let them and their opinions fall off a cliff. BUT, socialize where you DO wanna be. Learn, larp, evolve. Choose what influences you in the direction of your goals. Remember: Don't compare if you're ahead. It will poison you. Don't compare if you're behind, it will dishearten you. Isolate, isolate, isolate. And work your ASS off.