Blake's wisdom isn't about modest ambition—it's a defense against self-betrayal disguised as encouragement. The "own wings" matter not because they're smaller, but because they're *yours*, meaning the heights you reach through your authentic effort remain yours to keep, while borrowed wings (someone else's method, ideology, or borrowed confidence) will eventually fail you mid-flight. A surgeon who builds her practice on genuine skill and her own clinical judgment will weather career crises that would destroy someone climbing on a mentor's reputation alone. Blake isn't warning you away from the clouds; he's warning you that the view means nothing if you're not the one flying.