The Lost Art of Trying
There’s a lot of hate online.
I saw a video of someone trying something new, and the comment section was brutal.
People laughing, mocking, tearing them down. Then I saw a comment that really stuck with me:
"When did it become lame to try?"
We live in a world where attention is currency.
You can make a living doing simple things—as long as you package them right for social media.
That makes trying something new, something you’re not immediately good at, feel risky.
Instagram even released a feature where you can test content on a sample audience before showing your real followers.
A few days ago, I went snowboarding for the first time in 15 years.
While it wasn’t as bad as my first time, it was still rough. My body is feeling it today.
The first several times down the mountain, I relied on the heel of my board a lot.
That night, the algorithm, knowing I had been watching snowboarding videos, served me up some content. One video showed a guy riding exactly how I had been—heelside, stiff, cautious. Then I saw at least two separate videos mocking this exact beginner technique.
"New ick unlocked", one of them said.
I think they called hit "heal side warrior" or something like that.
The comment section had his back though.
It’s like making fun of an overweight person at the gym. Or a beginner photographer for not taking a banger photo on day one.
When did it become lame to try?
The person you’re mocking today might pass you in a year or two. Then what?
I’ve written before about not comparing your Day 1 to someone else’s Day 5,840. The opposite applies here—don’t be a dick.
I love seeing people try new things. Put themselves out there. Chase dreams. Sure, some things might feel cringey, but most people just want to live life without regret.
I used to coach long snappers in football (the guy who "hikes" the ball for punts and field goals).
One kid came to me wanting to snap for his varsity team in his senior year. He was terrible. Couldn’t even get the ball to me. And he knew it. But he wanted to try.
So we set small, realistic goals:
- Don’t get eliminated from consideration in spring football. That would give him all summer to practice.
- Make the team.
- Earn some playing time.
The next season, I watched him snap in the Texas state championship in front of 40,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium.
He even went on to play at a small college!
He had the courage to try, to fail, and to work hard. He knew he was bad, but also knew he had time and a work ethic. I was all about it.
A little encouragement goes a long way for beginners. Be patient with them. Be the person who roots for others, not the one who tears them down.
As for me and snowboarding? I figured it out on day two. Got back to carving down the mountain. Still crashed a few times.
I'm no longer a heal side warrior - because I tried.
