New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: How to Cope with Pressure to be the best?

Ask HN: How to Cope with Pressure to be the best?
8 by imheretolearn | 5 comments on Hacker News.
Being raised in an Asian household, my siblings and I were always expected to be the best at everything we do. Having lived under the pressure of being the best at everything, I have internalized the behavior. If I’m reading a book, I want to squeeze every last bit of knowledge and apply it so that I can be the best at whatever the book is teaching. If I’m playing chess, I optimize for winning every game. The only acceptable goal I set for myself is being number 1 not number 2 or 3. Because of this, I cannot enjoy any activity. I want to read just for kicks and the joy of understanding a new topic. I want to play chess so that I can understand every strategy even if it means I will lose some games. But I am unable to do so. Has anyone else experienced this? What are some strategies to deal with self set high goals and pressure?

Comments