Does Being Good at Something Actually Matter?

I had this moment where I felt really proud about my progress in bouldering. I was crushing hard problems, feeling strong. But then a thought crept in: if someone else put in the same hours, they'd probably be just as good. Maybe even better.

So is it even an achievement? Is being good at something just about finding where your talent lies and putting in the time? And if everyone can theoretically do that... does it matter?

I talked about this with my wife and went down a bit of a rabbit hole — talent vs. effort, comparing yourself to others vs. your past self, and why feeling good about what you've done should be enough.