The Difference Between Trying and Training

"Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Why would you be realistic? What's the point of being realistic?"

— Will Smith

Context

Smith articulated this perspective in multiple interviews discussing his approach to career choices and personal goals, most notably during conversations about his refusal to accept conventional Hollywood wisdom. The quote emerged from his explanation of why he consistently chose projects others deemed too risky or ambitious—why he believed he could become the biggest movie star in the world when others thought it unrealistic. For Smith, "being realistic" meant accepting someone else's assessment of what's possible based on past data and average outcomes. But extraordinary achievement, by definition, exists outside the realm of the realistic. What sounds realistic is usually just a statistical average of what most people have done—and if you want to do what most people haven't, you have to operate by different rules. This isn't about delusion; it's about refusing to let other people's limitations define your ceiling.

Reflection Question

What goal have you abandoned or scaled back because someone—including yourself—told you to "be realistic"? What would you attempt if you stopped using realism as a excuse for playing small?

Application Tip

Identify one goal you've labeled "unrealistic." Write down every reason why it's supposedly impossible—every realistic objection. Now, next to each objection, write one example of someone who achieved something similar despite that obstacle. The point isn't to prove it's easy; it's to prove that "realistic" is a story, not a law. Then ask: what would I do this week if I stopped being realistic and started being strategic? Take one action this week that a realistic person wouldn't take. Not a reckless action—a bold one. The kind that makes people say, "That's not realistic." That's how you know you're on the right path.