“Man looks into the abyss. There’s nothing staring back at him. At that moment man finds his character, and that’s what keeps him out of the abyss.” What a great line from “Wall Street.” It’s worth repeating and elaborating, since it reflects a key idea in the struggle to achieve a peak performance mindset.
The literature on reaching peak performance has been influenced by Abraham Maslow’s studies of self-actualization. Originally studied by Carl Jung, self-actualization is a tendency for self-fulfillment and a desire to reach one’s potential. But people tend to get stuck psychologically. Rather than look inward, they look outward for definition. They care what others think. They try to please their parents, spouses, bosses, and friends. This often leads to a state of denial and stagnation. People try to seek out glory, money, status or fame. Self-actualizing people, in contrast, accept themselves, and go their own way. That’s why the quotation from “Wall Street” is so powerful. It reflects a basic human motive to look inward and find oneself.
Going your own way is difficult. Most people are not used to going their own way. Indeed, many institutions encourage people to conform and label people who go their own way as “rebels,” “selfish,” and even as “sinners.” From an existential point of view, however, there’s nothing wrong with going your own way or living your life according to your own values as long as you don’t hurt anyone else, so don't be afraid to go your own way. In the end, it's the only way you will find your winning mental edge.
