Out of a human population on earth of four and a half billion, perhaps twenty people can write a book in a year. Some people lift cars, too. Some people enter week-long sled-dog races, go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, fly planes through the Arc de Triomphe. Some people feel no pain in childbirth. Some people eat cars. There is no call to take human extremes as norms.
In "The Writing Life," Annie Dillard highlights the rarity of exceptional talents within the vast human population, suggesting that only a small number can produce a book in a year, emphasizing the unique nature of literary creation. She contrasts this with other remarkable human abilities and feats, illustrating that extraordinary skills vary widely among individuals and should not be considered typical.
Dillard encourages readers to appreciate these extremes without setting them as societal norms. Whether it's writing a book or other feats of strength and endurance, she emphasizes that human potential is diverse, and not everyone needs to excel in extraordinary ways to find value in their lives.
