Are you the modern age Vincent van Gogh?
Vincent van Gogh, the lonesome Dutch painter who was on a relentless journey to become the greatest painter of his time suffered a tragic end on 29th July, 1890 — he shot himself in the chest. Many believe that his quest to greatness had turned him socially aloof and eventually led him to a point of madness.
I spot the Gen Z equivalent of Vincent van Gogh in so many of us. Are some of us not tirelessly chasing greatness? Maybe you want to be the best actor, the best software developer, the best writer, the best singer. And maybe you’re okay with leaving a few things behind on your quest — friends & family, hobbies & leisure. But have you really worked up the downsides? Do you not feel sucked up in a bubble of loneliness as you spend late nights working to be great, ever so in this digital world of 2020s where people spend more time glaring at their phone screens than a human face.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all in for being great at what you do. But the path to greatness doesn’t have to be maddening because times for us are even more difficult now than they were for Vincent van Gogh.
