If you think about it, so much of today depends on how we choose to sell ourselves. From things as menial as what we choose to post on Facebook, to what we choose to write on our college applications, we have the ability to sell ourselves a certain way through the power of a simple click, post, sentence, a simple choice.
But does the simplicity of doing so make it right?
Warren Buffet—world’s largest investor of the twentieth century—believed that there are two types of people, those of us with an inner scorecard - we judge ourselves relative to our own goals - and those of us with an outer scorecard – we judge ourselves relative to others.
Those of us who resemble best with the latter, are the ones who would have the tendency to post things that don’t necessarily represent who we are, but more so, who we want others to think we are.
I mention this because on Thursday of last week we watched a documentary in class called Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the story of an 85-year-old sushi guru, Jiro Ono, and the first person I associated Buffet’s quote to.
Jiros restaurant has 10 seats, serves once a day, has no bathroom inside, and is located in the basement of an office building off a subway station. The Michelin Guide, however, awarded his restaurant three stars, which off their criteria means: "Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage", exceptional cuisine, worth a special trip. Reservations must be made a month ahead of time.
As his restaurant grew more popular along Japan, more popular amongst the world, Jiro could have easily rethought its location, opened up more than once a day, and in general, made the necessary changes to have his restaurant resemble our built-in conception of a great restaurant. But he didn’t. And I think that’s largely because he lives through an inner scorecard.
Jiros goal was never to be a Michelin Guide recipient, it was to perfect sushi and to do the best he can at what he does; the awards, the fame, the recognition, are simply by-products of his success in doing so.
But something I can say, or better said, something this documentary made me think about, is that regardless of the tests results, I should be content with knowing that I busted my a*** off studying and that I really do know and understand the content.
At the end, that’s what a test should really be about, and if the score doesn’t reflect that, that’s where the certain sense of value and purpose of having an inner scorecard comes in. It let’s you see past the grade, past what other people may think of the grade, and allows you to humbly settle with the feeling of having given your best.