There’s a comforting myth we like to tell about talent: that if you’re truly gifted, you’ll be discovered, celebrated, and lifted up by a chorus of approval. We imagine success as a straight line, paved with likes and attaboys.
But the internet reveals a different, far more powerful truth. The real sign that you’re onto something, that your talent has sharp edges and real potential, is not a stream of empty praise. It’s when you attract the attention of people who are so brilliant, so insightful, and so deeply invested in the same craft as you, that they feel compelled to point out where you’re wrong.
If you are truly talented, you will eventually meet your mentors and rivals online—and very often, they are the same person.These aren’t the trolls. Trolls are noise. They spray generic insults and move on, seeking to destroy, not to engage. The people who change you are different. They are the stranger who leaves a paragraph-long comment that deconstructs your central argument with surgical precision, citing sources you’ve never heard of. They are the fellow creator whose work is so breathtakingly good it doesn’t make you jealous; it makes you rethink your entire approach. They are the voice that replies, “Interesting point, but have you considered this blind spot?” and in doing so, opens a door you didn’t know was there.This is the ultimate gift of a connected world. In the past, a lone genius in a small town might never have encountered a true intellectual equal. Their talent would plateau, reflected only in the admiring, but less-informed, faces around them. Today, your talent is a beacon. It sends out a signal that other sharp minds can detect. They are drawn not to your perfection, but to your potential. They see a scaffolding they can help you build upon, or a foundation they can help you strengthen.
When this happens, your ego will flinch. The instinct is to defend, to dismiss, to explain away the flaw in your thinking. This is the critical juncture. The talented individual learns to quiet that defensive voice and lean in. They ask questions. They sit with the discomfort of being wrong. They realize that this person isn’t attacking them; they are offering a key to a higher level of understanding.
This process is the forge where real skill is tempered. Praise makes you feel good, but it rarely makes you better. A thoughtful critique, a superior example, a flaw exposed—these are the tools that force growth. They shatter your complacency and demand that you evolve. They reveal the gaps in your knowledge not as failures, but as the next items on your curriculum.
So, if you are putting your work out into the digital world, don’t measure your success by the applause. Measure it by the quality of the criticism you receive. Seek not just an audience, but a circle of sharp-minded peers who are unafraid to tell you the truth. The highest compliment you can receive online is not “You’re amazing.” It’s “You’re wrong, and here’s why,” from someone you deeply respect.That is the sound of your talent being taken seriously. That is the sound of you getting better.