Dangerously Competent

Reflections on a quote by David West

There’s a moment at every Quest for the Flame where the torch is passed from one man to the next. Stories come out. Some heavy. Some raw. Some so honest they make the fire flicker. Every man takes his turn, then passes the flame.

When David West speaks, he offers something of himself. Not always long. Not always deep. But always intentional. And more than once now, he’s ended his moment in the firelight with this line:

“I seek only to become dangerously competent and not allow my circumstance, inhibit my humorous disposition.”

Just a closing note. No explanation. No sermon. A quiet offering. And somehow, it stays with you.

"Dangerously Competent."

It’s the kind of phrase that doesn’t need embellishment. It says everything in two words. Not loud. Not flashy. Just good at what they do. Capable in the way that actually matters when stuff breaks. When things go sideways. When people freeze up and look around for someone who knows what the hell to do.

That’s the kind of man we should all be working to become. Not just handy. Not just skilled. Dangerously competent. The guy who doesn’t panic when the pressure hits. Who doesn’t need to prove anything because he already has, to himself.

It’s not being elite. It’s not some puffed-up version of masculinity. It’s practical. It’s earned. The kind of competence that comes from screwing things up enough times to know what not to do again. The kind that’s more valuable when it’s quiet, when no one’s watching, when something needs fixing and you're the one who just quietly steps in and handles it.

There’s an old phrase that gets tossed around a lot:

“Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”

Dangerous competence lives in that space. The man who knows enough to get through a dozen situations without folding. The man who can improvise when the perfect plan falls apart. The man who can stretch just far enough beyond his comfort zone to be useful in a crisis.

And then comes the second half.

“Not allow my circumstance, inhibit my humorous disposition.”

That’s the part that makes the quote stick. The part that digs deeper.

Anyone can be capable on a sunny day with a full stomach. But when your plans go sideways? When the tire’s flat, your knee’s busted, and you’re three hours from help?

That’s where this line earns its weight.

What David does, and what this quote captures, is carry humor through hardship. Not the jokey kind. Not deflection. It’s a kind of resilience. A dry, grounded wit that keeps people steady. And sure, sometimes humor is a defense. I think David would admit that. But even when it’s a shield, it still serves.

A man who can hold pain in one hand and perspective in the other is someone people trust.

That second part, holding onto your humor, is not easy. It takes strength. It takes self-awareness. It takes knowing that even when everything around you is outside your control, you still get to choose how you show up in it. And sometimes, showing up with a bit of wit, a raised eyebrow, a grin in the dirt, is the most powerful move you can make.

Keeping your sense of humor when things go wrong doesn’t mean you’re ignoring the weight of the moment. It means you're refusing to let it define you. It means you're not surrendering the last piece of yourself to the chaos.

The first half of David’s quote earns respect. The second half earns trust.

I don’t know exactly what David meant when he first said it. He never explains it. And that’s kind of the point. He lets you wrestle with it. Make it yours.

So here’s my take.

Dangerous competence isn’t ego. It’s service. It’s knowing your craft, your tools, your limits, and pushing past them anyway.

Keeping your humor is grace. It’s remembering who you are even when everything else is out of your hands.

That’s the man I want to be.

That’s the kind of man I want in this Guild.

So ask yourself:

What skill do you need to sharpen?

What mindset do you need to reinforce?

And when life throws its worst at you…

Can you still crack a smile and pass the torch?