Gatekeeping is childish and it's a sign that people are insecure about their interests.
What is this counter-gatekeeping about then?
It's that kid in high-school skipping through the grades and graduating early. Like what is the rush?
Still not clear? Yeah, my bad - let’s give an example.
Say if you develop a new hobby in home coffee brewing it might look something like this:
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Informer - someone who learned there is a whole world beyond drip coffee
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Dabbler - someone who is starting to know the difference between pour-over and immersion brew and probably owns a home setup to brew their daily cups of coffee
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Gatekeeper (optional) - someone who looks down on those that drink venti cold brew with half a cup of oat milk and a few packets of stevia
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Lifer - someone who appreciates the intricacies of coffee making but doesn’t try to convert everyone from their dog to their grandma into becoming a home barista
I started to notice that I like to rush through this progression whenever I find a new hobby or a lane of interest.
Why?
Is it because I am scared of being labeled as a gatekeeper and I want to immediately jump past it?
It is because I think informer and dabbler are not worthwhile?
I think I should take more time to enjoy each step of the process and be okay with enjoying the "lesser" versions of that thing.