I hate the word expert.

People call those who have worked hard in a particular field to reach a certain level “experts.” I am the expert they speak of. In their eyes, I exist solely for that one thing. But besides that, there are many things I like, things I’m good at, and things I want to excel in.

Society forces predetermined molds upon us, and if we step out of those molds, it hammers us down like protruding nails. The greater the gap between what you’re good at and what you want to do, the stronger this tendency becomes. When someone known as an expert ventures into a new field, people criticize them, saying they’re “putting on airs.”

Where did it all go wrong? Is making a new attempt an act of deceiving the expertise of that field? Does it come across as arrogance, thinking, “I’ve achieved something, so let’s try something else”? Or is it a greedy struggle to earn more money?

No. If living as an expert in one field is all there is to life, that would be a sad thing. Being an expert in a field also means being a practitioner who takes on one of the many processes needed to achieve the higher goals of that field.

Athlete Kim Ye-ji is not just a cog in society who exists solely for the act of shooting. She is a human being who moves beyond what she’s good at, embarking on new challenges to find her ultimate goals, pursuing deeper values.

The moment I feel I’ve achieved my life’s goals or celebrate my success will only come when I’m close to death, because the world is still filled with treasures I have yet to discover.

To live not just as a single expert but as the one and only me, I will not stop learning new things today.