Floor-to-Ceiling Pianos

Today, I encountered an expression for the first time:

“Low Floor, High Ceiling."

This phrase refers to a pursuit (typically a skill or knowledge set) that is easy to access (“low floor”), but that can be taken to great heights through increasing mastery (“high ceiling”).

I think playing the piano is a great example of this.

It’s easy to start playing the piano. Just walk up to one and start hitting keys.

But to reach the “ceiling” of piano-playing - to take the craft of playing to the absolute highest level of virtuosity and artistry - requires quite a bit of work.

Many other great pursuits fit into this category: archery, fishing, cooking, and even running.

My intuition says that being “low floor, high ceiling” is a feature of many peoples’ favorite pursuits (of course, due to the low barrier to entry).

It’s just a neat way to think about people and the silly things we do.

Have a beautiful day!