August 5, 2025
If you’ve ever felt like you’re faking your way through life, welcome to the club we meet Tuesdays, and no one brings snacks because no one remembered. Today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day takes a closer look at competence, confidence, and whether we’re aiming for greatness or just juggling flaming mediocrity. Let’s dig into what George Carlin had to say and why being “good at not knowing” might actually be a skill in itself.
🧠 Thought of the Day:
“Some people have no idea what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” — George Carlin
This quote hit me like a passive-aggressive Post-it note on the fridge. You know the type: bright yellow, suspiciously cheerful handwriting, but somehow it feels like it’s judging you for how you load the dishwasher.
George Carlin, master of pulling truth from absurdity, isn’t just being sarcastic here, he’s calling out a real-life paradox. Some of the most confident people I’ve met had absolutely no clue what they were doing… and yet, they were doing it well. Or at least doing it loudly enough that people assumed they were doing it well.
Confidence is a hell of a costume. You don’t even need to be good, you just need to look like you belong in the room. Meanwhile, some of the smartest people I know spend their lives second-guessing themselves because they’ve been cursed with actual awareness.
I’ve felt this myself: whether it was trying to be a decent parent on three hours of sleep or running this blog while questioning if it’s making a difference. (I hope it really is. Just maybe not to the algorithm gods.) But every so often, I remember that faking it is a strategy too—especially if you’re faking it with heart, humility, and a half-decent sense of humor.
❓Question of the Day:
Is it better to do one thing great or a lot of things mediocre?
Ah, the eternal dilemma: Specialist or Swiss Army Knife? Da Vinci or the guy from your neighborhood Facebook group who does “power washing, pet sitting, wedding officiating, and bounce house repair.”
I used to think greatness came from mastering one thing. But life rarely gives us the luxury to pick just one lane. Especially if you’re a parent, a creator, and a full-time realist with a side hustle in emotional resilience.
Doing one thing really well is admirable, but it can also be paralyzing. If you wait until you can be great, you might never start. On the other hand, doing a bunch of things at a C+ level? It’s chaotic, sometimes frustrating… but weirdly fulfilling. Because progress—even messy, incomplete, unimpressive progress—is still progress.
Sometimes I write a blog post that flows. Sometimes I sweep the kitchen while listening to a podcast and trying not to step on a Lego. Neither is particularly “great,” but both matter. So maybe the trick is knowing what needs greatness… and what just needs getting done.
💬 Your Turn
So what about you? Are you striving to be great at one thing—or managing the beautiful chaos of mediocrity in many? Ever meet someone who had no idea what they were doing… and yet somehow inspired you anyway?
Leave a comment below and let’s talk about it. And if you want a daily nudge to think deeper (or at least laugh at the absurdity of it all),
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