Semi-developed Thoughts
I'm really bad at fully developing ideas. These are a bunch of snippets of things that I've written down lately. They've rattled in my head, but never really got to that satisfying point we call insight, but maybe they'll be a good starting point for someone else to figure out.
Identity Diversification
It's funny how you hear a lot about diversification of your assets to minimize risk, but you never hear about diversifying your passions for the same reasons. If you tie your identity to one project, social group, girlfriend, or boyfriend, you risk becoming lost when that thing changes or falls apart. If you're involved and passionate about a number of different things, you're much more secure in your life and happiness. This relates well to work-life balance.
Clouds on planes look like fantastic icebergs
They're really beautiful - more than almost anything I've seen in nature - yet we rarely care enough to look. Maybe we're jaded because flying 600 mph in a metal tube is normal now, but those vistas are incredible and I wish I could see those views more.
Facebook Friends
I have over 900 Facebook friends, but I don't feel a bit more understood. My mom once told me that you will be able to count the true friends you have in your life on one hand. That depressed the hell out of me, and I don't think it's true. But I think it's really close.
Make Life like a Great Game
People love clear indications of progress and failure. The most addicting part of a game is working toward a clear and measurable goal. Games are competitive with defined measures for success. Why aren't work and real life designed like this? Why don't we explore introducing more competition and feedback into education?
Hedging Conversation
I've noticed we hedge our conversations to avoid insulting people. We use qualifiers and shift attribution to avoid blame. I wish we had a higher tolerance for blunt criticism. Things like "your work is bad" and "why did you do it like that?" shouldn't result in insult or defensiveness. Why not just look into the work and trying to improve it? I noticed this kind of blunt criticism a lot in Silicon Valley, and I loved it because it made me much better.
Thinking and Time
To think and be present all the time is impossible, but avoiding routine is so rewarding. Think back to summer camp, and how it felt like it was as long as the school year because you were always so involved. Think about that office job you had, and how little of it you really remember. Think about dates you've gone on with a person you fell in love with, and how all the details come alive even years later.
People Who Write Journals
She talked about life in analogies to lightning storms and 4-leaf clovers. The most interesting people I've ever met have all kept some kind of a journal.
