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sprezzatura | |
October 18th, 2018 | |
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Castiglione wrote The Book of the Courtier between 1508 and 1528. | |
It's a fantastic read, if you've never tried it before. In the | |
book he introduces a newly created word: sprezzatura, defined as - | |
"I have found quite a universal rule which in this matter seems | |
to me valid above all other, and in all human affairs whether in | |
word or deed: and that is to avoid affectation in every way | |
possible as though it were some rough and dangerous reef; and | |
(to pronounce a new word perhaps) to practice in all things | |
a certain sprezzatura [nonchalance], so as to conceal all art | |
and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort | |
and almost without any thought about it." | |
It defined the ultimate goal of the courtiers at the court of | |
Urbino. Look amazing at everything without trying. | |
Ever since reading the book in high school that has been my | |
personal motto. Even mentioning it "out loud" here in gopher | |
undermines the effort somewhat. Talking about trying to be awesome | |
at everything and seem effortless ... you get where I'm going with | |
this. | |
Anyway, I wanted to mention it for two reasons: | |
1) When I was thinking of a show for anonradio, my first idea | |
centered around sprezzatura, but I couldn't come up with a way | |
to make it a thing without also completely destroying that | |
thing. It's tricky! Try it in your head. | |
2) Some people these days are all too eager to "own" their | |
failings. There's a pride in being bad at stuff. It's probably | |
a generational thing. Showing vulnerability is cool as shit, or | |
something. I'm drunk and an old man when it comes to this | |
stuff. I'm of the opinion that if you can be a total badass at | |
every fucking thing, then you should be a badass at every | |
fucking thing. If you're a badass at 90% of the things, then | |
focus and fix that last 10% in the quiet of your bedroom until | |
you can be a rockstar there too. | |
That's it. The whole point of this was to tell you all to go be | |
badass at everything. Not good at something? Don't tell me about | |
it. Go fix it. No.. don't fix it, master it. Master the heck out | |
of that thing and then do it routinely as if it's no big deal. |