The quote suggests that authors often present their work as if it were a result of pure serendipity or random occurrence, rather than the product of calculated effort, planning and intention. This might be due to a desire to maintain an aura of mystery around their creative process, or perhaps to make their achievements seem more impressive by underplaying the hard work involved. It’s as if they are saying: “Look what I managed to create purely by chance!”, when in reality, every word and idea was carefully chosen and crafted.
This ‘strange affectation’ can be seen as a form of false modesty where authors downplay the amount of deliberate thought and effort that goes into creating their work. This could also be interpreted as a way for authors to shield themselves from criticism; if something is presented as unintentional or accidental, it’s harder for others to critique it.
In today’s world, this idea can be applied beyond literature. People often attribute their success in various fields like business or artistry to luck rather than acknowledging the role played by strategic planning and consistent hard work. On social media platforms too, we see people portraying an image that everything in their life just fell into place effortlessly.
In terms of personal development perspective, Johnson’s observation serves as a reminder not to fall into this trap ourselves. It encourages us not only acknowledge but also celebrate our efforts behind our achievements instead of attributing them solely on luck or chance events. Furthermore, understanding that successful people put in significant amounts of unseen labour behind-the-scenes can help us set realistic expectations for our own progress towards goals.
