"I was cracking jokes with American friends, binge-watching shows without subtitles, and even thinking in English half the time. Then I moved to London for my first job at Google, and suddenly, I felt like I'd never truly master the language. Colleagues used phrases I'd never heard. Cultural references flew over my head. I found myself nodding along in meetings, pretending to understand jokes that left me completely lost. It felt terrible."
"The problem starts with how we think about mastery itself. We carry a set of deeply ingrained assumptions about how it works - assumptions that feel obvious and true, but that are actually counterproductive. Here are the most damaging ones: Misconception #1: Mastery is a destination. We imagine crossing a finish line where we'll finally "arrive" as experts. Watch any master craftsperson, though, and you'll see someone still questioning their approach, still discovering new techniques, still experimenting and pushing into uncharted territory."
Apparent competence can conceal deeper gaps; moving to a new context exposes limitations and cultural friction that feel like failure. Mastery is presented as a final destination, but real expertise involves continual questioning, experimentation, and exploration. Progress is not linear: long plateaus and sudden leaps, plus occasional setbacks during integration, are normal. Sustainable improvement depends on consistent, manageable practice rather than intermittent extreme intensity. Cultural narratives and common assumptions about mastery mislead learners and can cause premature quitting just as they are poised to advance into new territory. Recognizing the myths about arrival, linearity, and intensity helps reframe growth as a fluctuating, ongoing process.
Read at Big Think
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