What If Being the Best Isn’t Enough Anymore?
The Best or The Only?
A few weeks ago, I posted a small poll on LinkedIn.
The question was simple:
“Which one matters more, being the best at what you do, or the only one who can do it?”
And, not gonna lie, I kinda expected the result.
Most people picked the best.
A smaller group (including me) went with the only hahaha.
At first, I thought it showed two different kinds of people:
- those who chase mastery,
- and those who chase originality.
Things popped into my mind, but I thought a lot of people don’t pick ‘the only’ because it sounds arrogant. What do you think?
“The Only” Sounds Like You Think You’re Better
And honestly… yeah, I get that.
When you say “the only one who can do it,” it does sound a bit too confident.
Like, who are you to claim that, right?
- We’re raised to stay humble.
- To be team players.
- To not stand out too much.
So even when people are doing something unique, they rarely say it. It’s easier (and safer) to say, “I just want to be the best at what I do”. It sounds responsible. Grounded. Acceptable.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
Being “the only” isn’t about ego. It’s about honesty.
It’s not saying “no one else can do this.”
It’s saying “this is my way of doing it.”
And that’s a quiet kind of confidence, not loud, not arrogant, just real.
“The Best” Is Where We All Start
We all begin by trying to be the best. Learning the rules, doing our job right, building trust. It’s about skill, effort, and consistency, all good things.
But if you stay there too long, sometimes you end up just repeating what already works. You stop asking why and just focus on how. That’s when it starts to feel… safe, maybe even too safe.
“The Only” Happens When You Find Your Voice
When you realize, you don’t want to just be the best version of everyone else. You want to be your own version.
You start mixing things up, your background, your hobbies, the way you see the world, and suddenly, your work feels more you.
You’re not trying to compete anymore. You’re trying to create.
“The best” gets you noticed.
“The only” makes you remembered.
And if you’re lucky (or brave), you get to be both.
Just Something I’ve Been Thinking About
- In the end, being “the best” teaches you how to deliver.
- Being “the only” teaches you why it matters.
So maybe the real question isn’t which one matters more, but which one feels more you right now?
