“Do you think it’s ready?” I [Silenus, The Poet] asked.
“It’s perfect… a masterpiece.”
“Do you think it’ll sell?” I asked.
“No f*cking way.”

― Dan Simmons, Hyperion

Another quote I really appreciate for the dual roles it plays. To give some context, the character asking the question in this quote is Martin Silenus, an acerbic and jaded poet, who turned out to be one of the most famous writers of his time. Obviously on the surface, this exchange is meant to elicit a laugh from the reader, playing on misdirection and the age-old trope of writers never making any money.

But there’s more here beneath the surface. There’s certainly something to be said for finding a mentor or two and learning all you can from them. But at some point, there’s also great benefit in valuing yourself, having confidence in your work, rather than needing the validation of others. 

It can be difficult to persevere when it feels as if no one believes in you. We’ve all been there. But the fact is, very few people can actually predict with any reliability whether a certain story or artwork or career choice will be successful. No one has perfect information–everyone’s decisions are based on incomplete pictures, biased by our own lifetime of experiences. Having the self-awareness to recognize this about yourself will get you far, but nearly as important is the realization that everyone else also suffers from this paucity of prescience.

When someone tells you an idea is dumb, or boring, or a sure loser, all they’re really saying is, “I don’t have any experience suggesting that will work.” When you realize this, you see how little value there is in such a statement. Few people have sufficient experience to definitively state whether you’ll be successful. And even those choice few who do have overwhelming knowledge of your field only know how they became successful. But the paths to success are nearly infinite, and you may just be on a different one.

So listen to others and evaluate, but also have the courage to hold your head high, believe in yourself, and push onward. At the end of the day, there’s really only one thing the successful have in common: perseverance. 

Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.