This is really interesting to me. Back when I was a kid, I did a lot of programming for fun. I made small computer games, cracking and all sort of fun things.

Nowadays that I do it as my main job, it is nut as fun. Once you have to learn yet another framework or technology, it becomes "a chore" (that I am paid to do.)

I also play chess as a very light hobby. I am only ~1750 at Lichess and would be happy to be better, but apparently I am at the point that to improve I would have to dedicate a lot of time to read books and memorize openings/middle games etc. I decided not to do it because I would not enjoy it at that point.

This reminds me of when I got front row tickets to see Michael Moschen, a world-class juggler, perform. I knew just enough to understand how much he outclassed ... everyone. And then I stopped trying for any of the harder tricks.

It's strange to me that so many of you seem to stop when you realize you're so far away from being at the top of the top of the top.

I know the chances of me being on the PGA tour or being an Olympic level skier are basically 0%, but that doesn't stop me from improving myself and even competing in golf tournaments sometimes (I'm not a good enough freestyle skier yet to compete, but that doesn't mean I think it's impossible).

It's not about winning the tournaments, it's about constantly improving myself and testing myself at the highest level I can qualify for.

It's so confusing to me when I see people completely write themselves off. "Oh I'm 30, there's no way I'll be [a scratch golfer, able to do a backflip on skis, etc]". Maybe it won't happen, but why completely write yourself off before you even try?

It depends why you're doing it. I have no illusions that I'll ever be anything close to an Olympic level skier, but I still find skiing fun, thus I do it. Similarly, I find Chess fun enough to the point that I will occasionally play a quick recreational game in situations where a Chess board is present.

But if improving oneself involves doing lots of practice that itself isn't fun, then that's exceeded the limit of what I'm willing to do recreationally. I'm only putting that level of effort in something I don't find fun into one thing in my life: work.

Sure, if you find the required work unfun, then so be it. I get it.

I was more talking about the attitude of the person I responded to. They saw someone world class perform and then "stopped trying for any of the harder tricks." I don't understand that attitude. It's basically "I don't think I'll ever be world class, so why try anything at all?"

Ah, you have not understood. It wasn't even "world class" I was trying for. I never set my sights that high, on anything, as I believe that statistically one is likely not to be rewarded. I just realized how vast the gap is between where I was and even "middling decent" and, based on my current status and effort expended, realized that I had not been spending my time wisely.

Sometimes, you can try hard and just be not very good at something, and it was witnessing his performance which made me understand that "middling decent" might need to be a lifetime pre-occupation to attain, for me.