For what it’s worth that tracks with me experience in video games.

When I sat with 30 other testers for 6 days per week I achieved mastery I did not believe possible. Eventually I could cakewalk even the most difficult challenges in those games and I was generally recognized as a highly talented tester.

Meanwhile I’ve sunk more cumulative hours alone into Elden Ring and I have accepted I will never reach that same level of mastery.

It’s a humbling realization how much of my prior greatness was actually just my environment at the time.