Josh Allred's Blog

This idea that we must all struggle to get here, that if someone steps out of the system and is not bombarded with the same struggles of debt or a monotonous job, then they are now scrutinized.

The problem with this envy is that we accept the state of things as they are as immovable as gravity. Capitalism and the forces that pull people into poverty aren’t the same.

It’s legal fiction, and we have more control than we realize. Turning on each other doesn’t solve the problem. Turning on the forces that uphold the current system is much more productive.

As children, we were reminded to brush our teeth. As we got older, we realized the importance of good hygiene. But that learning model is useless as we get older.

Posting a sign to remind adults to wash their hands after using the bathroom isn’t because we don’t recognize the importance of good hygiene. It’s because humans tend to get complacent. Perhaps they can get away with no consequences just this once.

This is a byproduct of hurried people. Bathroom breaks may even be monitored.

Putting a PSA on repeat for everyone to hear over and over again will lose its effectiveness. Subtle reminders, however, can remind us to do what is right.

It should be granted by default. There shouldn’t be any justification. And yet…we qualify it all the time.

The psychological hold a job has on us is tied to who we are by what we do from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Humans can’t be humans. They also have to be categorized by what type of human they are, whether it is by race, gender, legal status, or education. We also like to know how much someone is worth by how much money they make, which is only a short walk away from how much value this person brings.

What a slippery road this is.

A legacy isn’t marked by how much wealth is generated in a lifetime. It is a story we tell about someone.

That is an awful way to look at life. I’m afraid it is tied to getting far too comfortable looking through the lens of corporatism and capitalism.

Is to create an emergency.

Yelling there is a fire when there isn’t can get you in trouble. For good reason.

Yet, it doesn’t stop us from posting or sharing the metaphorical fire.

Urgent matters that need to be addressed are not the same as emergencies. Too often, we conflate the two, whether to fulfill some kind of need we have or to gather the attention we think this deserves.

In a vacuum, it could work. But in the digital world, where noise is loud, you won’t get the attention you seek.

Creating the next emergency is a sign of uneasiness.

Feelings are so powerful that they can be misconstrued as facts.

Facts are not enough to tell a story. Citing a number isn’t enough to get us off the couch and moving.

Feelings do. Figuring out how to convey the feeling behind these facts is a good place to start making a change.

Throwing away a bad strawberry out of a bowl of fruit makes it more delightful.

Cutting a dead limb off a tree allows it to thrive.

Trading away a player with a bad attitude allows everyone else to take a breath.

Everyone understands the concept. But it is much more difficult to see it as an option. Because with a fixed mindset, the default setting is to hold on tight to what we have.

Sometimes, “the math ain’t mathing.”

We need AI to replace the tasks humans don’t want to do.

Email. TPS reports.

In hopes of giving us more discretionary time.

To do what?

To make art.

We don’t need AI to replace our art. We need AI to replace the tasks that are the opposite of art.

Truth is hard. That is why we don’t often seek it out. We run and hide from it. We walk away offended. And we accrue intellectual debt with every lie we tell ourselves or those around us. Like any debt, it gains interest. Until one day, the debt becomes so crushing that you can’t repay it.

Some people are better in peacetime, and others are better during war.

When things go wrong, that is the time for the wartime consigliere to step up.

The problem is that there isn’t always a war to fight. And we are trying to stay at peace as long as we can.

The trap is when a wartime consigliere won’t stop looking for the next fight to pick.

Of course, talking about complex topics doesn’t mean you actually want to puke. But the feeling makes it difficult to talk about hot-button topics if we can’t control our natural response when we wholeheartedly disagree with something.

I get it. Even when we are in alignment, it is better to separate our emotions in controversy to better understand what is actually happening. This is not because your emotions don’t matter. It’s because, in this instance, they aren’t productive.

The question is, what do you want to signal every time something is brought up that doesn’t align with how you see the world?

And…

If you can’t stomach the conversation, how can you stay in the room to contribute to a resolution?

We need you. Not when things are easy but precisely when things are hard.