They praised me, but maybe I just got lucky

Full dialogue

1. A finished piece of work lies on the table. On the phone, a message reads: “This turned out really well.”

2. Red puppet

   I’ve read this message three times now. At first it felt good. Then a thought appeared: maybe they just wanted to be supportive.

3. Blue puppet

   What if they genuinely liked it?

4. Red puppet

   Maybe. But there were so many things that went right. Help, good timing. Another time it might not have worked out at all.

5. Blue puppet

   All of that was there. And there were also evenings spent reworking it. Are they part of the result too?

6. Red puppet

   They are. I just see what could have been done better. Here’s an inaccuracy. And this part is weaker than I wanted.

7. Blue puppet

   When you look that closely, the whole piece of work turns into a few flaws.

8. Red puppet

   Because I know where they are. Other people haven’t noticed them yet.

9. Blue puppet

   So their good impression is less reliable than your bad one?

10. A short pause.

11. Red puppet

    Not exactly bad. I just don’t want to get full of myself.

12. Blue puppet

    Is there any space between “I’m better than everyone” and “None of this is to my credit”?

13. Red puppet

    Intellectually, I know there is. But the moment I acknowledge “Yes, it worked,” there’s an expectation that it now has to be like that every time.

14. Blue puppet

    So praise sounds like a new obligation?

15. Red puppet

    Yes. Today they praise me. Tomorrow they’ll see an ordinary result and ask where it all went.

16. Blue puppet

    And to avoid facing that, it’s better to decide in advance that today’s success was a fluke.

17. Red puppet

    Then at least it won’t hurt so much if the next attempt doesn’t go well.

18. Blue puppet

    I understand. But along with the possible disappointment, the good thing that’s already happened disappears too.

19. Red puppet

    If I stop looking for flaws, what if I stop moving forward? Maybe this dissatisfaction is what keeps me going.

20. Blue puppet

    It really has pushed us to do a lot. But sometimes the work is already finished, and the checking still goes on.

21. Pause. The red puppet looks at the message again.

22. Red puppet

    I want to enjoy it, at least a little. And at the same time it feels as if I still have to earn that joy with something more convincing.

23. Blue puppet

    What would be convincing enough?

24. Red puppet

    That’s the problem. Every time, the bar moves a little further away.

25. Blue puppet

    So the result is there. But the moment when we can acknowledge it never comes.

26. Red puppet

    Maybe it’s no longer about the quality of this work. Maybe I’m just not used to looking at myself without checking.

27. Blue puppet

    Then is it possible to see the inaccuracies without cancelling out everything else?

28. Red puppet

    I don’t know yet. But I’d like to read “This turned out well” just once without immediately starting an argument inside.

29. The phone stays on the table beside the work. Both puppets look at it in silence.