Everyone has something they are pretty good at doing.

Amongst groups of people, there’s usually the one that does this-or-that especially good, or at least better than others in the group.

Drawing, for instance, in my case.

When I was growing up, I was always considered a very good illustrator. In elementary school, it was barn none, hands down: I was the best in my entire class; and I don’t mean class room, I mean in my grade.

But when middle school came around, I noticed that there were many other very good illustrators my age, and my class had several people that rivaled me in skill.

In high school, it was clear that there were a few people who were better than me.

By the time I got into an art class at my local community college, I was probably in the lower third of skill compared to the other students in the room!

It’s funny how we can be humbled in that way, because it seems there is always someone better in the wider world, no matter how we are perceived in our local groups.

But then, art is something in which there is much competition. There are many great artists in the world and throughout history, so to become the best in the world at art leaves you in a grouping so extremely exclusive that it is practically impossible to join the ranks of it.

I mean, imagine yourself being remembered by history as someone on part with Salvador Dali or Leonardo da Vinci -- it simply isn’t going to happen!

And you can’t really take credit for being the best in the world at something like pooping or breathing.

But what would it be like to be the best in the world at something that is niche enough that there are still precedence to be set and records to break, but where there is a very lively competitive culture so you know your skills are truly being tested?

Well, enter the world of the Tetris World Championships, and a man named Jonas.

Alex Kerr vs. Jonas Neubauer - Classic Tetris World Championship 2015

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It might seem like a funny thing to do at first, but go ahead and take a few minutes to watch this match:

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At first it just looks like two guys playing Tetris…

But then…

It keeps going.

These guys handle levels that I have never even seen like it’s nothing. And the longer you watch it, the more dramatic it gets!

This is the craft of world-class competitors. It’s comparable to any one-on-one sport like boxing, MMA, or tennis in terms of the level of skill, strategy, and reflexes it takes to be this good.

After watching matches from a few of these events, I started to become interested in this guy, Jonas. In many ways, he simply doesn’t seem like “the type”, if there is such a thing. I know I’m generalizing and assuming based on my own preconceived notions about what a competitive Tetris play “looks like”, but I’m guessing you are, too, and Jonas simply doesn’t look the part.

No offense to Alex (the guy on the left in that video), but he is exactly what I would expect to see. And amongst other competitors, the tropes hold. The picture below is what I would expect to see -- these guys look like competitive Tetris players:

But Jonas stands out. He’s well dressed, often wearing stylish leather jackets, but it’s clearly not a gimmick -- he really is a well kempt, cool guy.

I mean, just look at the hair!

Challenging the perception

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I shared that video with some of my friends on our Slack group, and the response was pretty typical.

So, I went out to discover a bit more about this guy to see if he really was some womanless loser.

I found his facebook page, in where he has this as his profile pic:

See the ring? That’s his wife.

The guy simply seems normal as hell.

In an interview from last year, he says

“I am a Taproom Manager at Strand Brewing Co., a microbrewery based out of Torrance, CA.”

Here’s their site

Looks like some pretty dope microbrews if you ask me.

This guy completely breaks the stereotype in a culture where things like this have an overwhelming preconception of geekiness.

The best in the world

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Jonas is the sort of person you would see on the streets and never suspect a thing.

He’s a cool looking guy with a good job and a nice family. He looks like the sort of person that would find a way to fit in at just about any normal place. But the reality is just below the surface.

He’s a world-class competitor.

He is so good at Tetris that there is no way that anyone reading this can even hold a candle to him (unless you’re actually one of those guys, in which case -- hi there! It’s a pleasure to have you).

He’s found a way to be the BEST IN THE WORLD at something, which is more than I can say for myself. I feel lucky every day that I manage to simply stay employed or pay a bill on time or make a few bucks here on Steemit.

Jonas, however, is the best:

An unassuming God of Tetris.

What do you think?

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Did you know about the world of competitive Tetris or Jonas Neubauer before this post?

What do you think about it?

Also, share your thoughts with me about the notion of being the best in the world at something. It’s an idea with which I’ve always been fascinated.

Of course, it’s impossible to know for an absolute fact that any one person is the ever the best in the world at anything, because there’s always the possibility that there’s someone better out there who’s simply undiscovered. But I don’t know how you could get any closer to that status in any way other than a world championship competition.

Tell me what you think!

Follow me @shayne