Month: June 2025

The insidious part of stories we tell is this:

That dogma can become a moral justification for violence.

And once you see it, it is difficult to unsee it.

When a problem becomes apparent, it can be challenging to solve. It is also really difficult to make predictions about what could happen. Often, we don’t imagine the in-between; we only think about the highs and the lows.

Doesn’t happen on our timeline. It belongs to the system. And when we are surrounded by convenience and everything instant, it can put a real strain on our patience. It took decades to put in fossil fuel systems in place to where it is ubiquitous. It’ll take decades to replace it again.

Interviews are a crapshoot. The interviewers are chasing false proxies. Whatever signal they are chasing, and which ones they believe will lead to bad outcomes. The interviewee may be able to put on a performance for 60 minutes and blow everyone away, but maybe they are just good at giving a presentation of themselves and can’t do the actual job. Resumes in a stack of hundreds after a while can be benign. We have a difficult time being impressed by anything in this culture anymore. Interviewers can also believe too much in their judgment while bringing in their biases and prejudices. Interviewees are at the mercy of the interviewer’s mood (did they get enough sleep the night before?). Ultimately, the pick ends: Who will make me look good in front of my boss? So, you go in being yourself to interview because if you’re qualified, why make up another version? But rejection can turn into, “What’s wrong with me?” Interviews are one of the symbols of what is wrong with our culture today. What’s way more important than what is said is what is done. Could you show us your work? And if you don’t have a portfolio, that is a red flag.

We could map out our lives like The Rehearsal, making a decision tree and playing out scenarios (often, we live in this metaphysical space of what if). The thing is, we might get exactly what we want. And when we do, we leave no room for surprise. Sometimes, the thing you deserve isn’t the thing you think you deserve.

The bar to be impressed has never been higher. With quick access to your phone and everyone carrying a camera, everything can be captured. A cool skateboarding trick might get a wow but someone will be able to pull up something bigger. The same can be said about athletes in any major sport and the same can be said about being in a stack of job applications. Greatness isn’t hard to find anymore. Appreciating greatness is scarce.

Open ears and a closed mouth are an underrated quality for any student.

Too often, in our dialogue, we want to express our point of view quickly.

Understanding the kind of conversation we are having is essential.

One thing that is clear in negotiations is that we tend to overvalue what it is we have. At the same time, we fall in love with the mystery of the unknown. Market value is really what is what someone would pay for, not always what makes sense.

In the words of Peter Griffin, “A boat’s a boat, but a mystery box could be anything. It could even be a boat.”

School has taught us really well to stay hidden. We don’t raise our hands when asked a question when we know the answer. We don’t take on tougher assignments that might fail (even if we believe we can do them) because we don’t want to be fired.

What we are not good at is being seen.

If we worry what everyone is going to think about what we say, over time, you can become handcuff to give us your opinion. We can continuously operate with respect. That shouldn’t be in question. But if we fear our status in the community because speaking our mind can be canceled or shunned, we need to recalibrate the goal. Nothing gets better without having the courage first to speak up.