Success vs. Joy
- XXXIX -
Character Flaws Creep In
Assume you have a perfect grip while playing billiards. Instead of all your fingers touching the butt of the cue, one day you may suddenly discover that one finger is touching the cue a little lighter than it should. You may subsequently reach a stage when you are playing with one particular finger not resting on the cue at all. This is how a fault can slowly creep into a player’s technique. You may start believing your technique is correct when actually it is not; the bad technique became second nature to you because you allowed it to creep in insidiously.
It’s like alcohol dependency. You start with a half a peg and enjoy it. You keep drinking a little bit more over the months and then, after two years, you find yourself reaching the same level of enjoyment only after at least three or four drinks. Before you have realized it, you have become alcohol dependent.
The short point – watch it. Do not let character flaws creep insidiously into your life. You may find that they are there to stay.