Sometimes it's hard to see

Perception is funny.
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There is a neat trick that bicycle racers play on themselves to improve their performance. When starting up a hill they focus their eyes a few inches in front of their front wheel. This way they can't see that they are on a hill so they feel at least a little better about struggling on.

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If you look at the hood of an old hoopty car, it takes on different characteristics at different distances. From a distance it looks smooth but as you get closer it looks bumpy. Focus closer still and the bumps smoothe out. Look thru a microscope and it looks bumpy again.
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Standing at the bottom of a valley you can only see a few yards but as you walk up the hill you can see progressively more and more until you can see for miles. At a height without obstructions you can even see the curve of the earth.
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Often it is hard to judge our own progress in the martial arts. John recently wrote that he didn't feel worthy of his yellow, green, or brown belt promotions at the time that he got them. Andy recently expressed frustration with his sporadic attendance and progress as well as "6 out of 10" satisfaction with his progress. Guess what guys, that cognitive dissonance doesn't really get better. Uchideshi wrote a while back about his panic when he was told he was ready for shodan test, which he subsequently excelled at.
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A few weeks ago the head of our organization called me up and informed me that I was under-ranked. Just when I was getting used to being one rank, it's time for the next. Do I feel like I deserve it? I don't know. Do I think I'm as good as most folks that rank? Probably not. Do I get to tell the head man that he's wrong in his evaluation of my rank? Nope.
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Anyway, my point is, individuals tend to become so absorbed in the daily logistics of practicing their lives (and their arts) that they not only don't have perspective but they don't realize that they don't have perspective.
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Martial arts rank is a funny thing because on average it takes progressively longer to get each successive rank. So, when you get shodan all of a sudden you start comparing yourself to all shodans, many of whom have been shodan for a while. When you get godan you are forced to compare yourself with other godans, many of whom have been godan for YEARS. This is made worse by the colored belt scheme. When you get shodan you get a new black belt and all of a sudden you have to compare yourself to everyone who wears a black belt. In some systems that is everyone up through 5th dan and in other systems that's all yudansha!
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So it is bogus to compare yourself to the "average" person of your new rank (or belt color). That's a recipe for failure and depression. What you have to do is compare yourself to some objective minimal standard that has been set by someone or some group that has enough distance and height to have perspective.
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For some more interesting reading and perspective on the subject, check out:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rank
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_rank
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_rank