I don’t have the first clue what I’m doing. Almost none of us do, really.
Oh, we (myself included) like to posture as though this isn’t true, but we all know it is. About ourselves and others.
With that said, I think it would be prudent to do the following:
- Assume that this is true of every single person you meet in every conceivable context (because it almost certainly is).
- Give them a healthy measure of grace commensurate with this assumption.
This is certainly how I’m going to try to operate going forward. Not that I won’t screw up, of course (see the first paragraph of this post), but I’ll try.
We’re all stupid, confused and insecure in our own ways and to varying degrees. And nobody is immune, if you ask me.
This kind of stupidity, confusion and insecurity will, at first blush, smell a lot like the opposite: smartness, clarity and confidence. That’s sorta how we roll because, well, we hate how inept we are and we try like hell to keep others from finding out what-frankly-they already know.
Secret: it’s the same thing that ails them.
So maybe we all just admit it. I can’t help but imagine that things would be better with less fakery and more empathy.
Great post — I needed this. Love your writing and thoughts (as always).
Every. Damn. Time.
Well said. There is a lot of room for this in the world. I am trying to add humility to every aspect of my life. Even when accidentaly step on my dogs paw. It is the reactionary instinct that usualy causes the failure. Sometimes slowing down and adding thought of the reciver of your actions is the key. // PAUSE //