Deep inner suffering inevitably arises when the human person is reduced to performance, consumption, or a statistical datum. Many young people today live under the yoke of expectations to perform, immersed in an exasperated competitiveness that generates anxiety, fear of not measuring up, and disorientation.
Alysa Liu’s joy got her a gold because it coexists alongside her love of struggle, her demand for creative control, and deep knowledge of herself
Joy alone isn’t enough for excellence; struggle doesn’t have to be cruel