On the Nature of Epiphanies (from "Turning Pro")

From Steven Pressfield's Turning Pro, on the nature of epiphanies:

"We usually think of breakthroughs as ecstatic moments that elevate us from a lower level to a higher. And they do. But there's a paradox. In the moment , an epiphany feels like hell. . . . [A]n epiphany trashes us. It exposes us and leaves us naked. We see ourselves plain, and it's not a pretty picture.

The essence of epiphanies is the stripping away of self-delusion. We thought we were X. Now suddenly we see we're minus-X. We're X divided by infinity.

There is great power in this moment. We've lost something, yes. A cherished self-delusion must be abandoned, and this hurts.

But what we have gained is the truth. Our bullshit falls away. The scales drop from our eyes. In that moment we have two options:

We can reconstitute our bullshit.

Or we can turn pro."



Pressfield, Steven (2012-05-30). Turning Pro (p. 85). Black Irish Books. Kindle Edition.