When I was younger, I used to get teased as my ears seemed to stick out of my head much more than they do now. I’m not sure how my ear shape has changed, but my ears haven’t been remarked upon for decades now. Regardless, I’m now thankful for my […]
Category: empathy
Autopilot
Autopilot, cruise control, automated scripts – these are all technological solutions to having to do things that don’t really require much nuance or thought. If you commit to driving 65 mph and you have open road in front of you, why think about how much pressure you need to put […]
Frank’s Gonna Frank
I have a dove that lands in my backyard occasionally, and just walks around pecking at my brick patio. I think it’s pecking seeds, or bits of flower, or ants maybe? I’m not a dove expert, but I have named this dove Frank. Frank sometimes comes in the afternoon. Sometimes, […]
Bad Romance
Looking back on failed relationships in the past, it’s tempting to blame the other person. We probably remember all the ways that they were incompatible with us, screwed up, or did that one thing that was really annoying. But how often do we consider how we might have been incompatible […]
Wearing Other People’s Underwear
When talking about empathizing with people, we often talk about wearing someone else’s shoes. For such a key skill like empathy, which unlocks understanding the worldview of whomever you need to enroll to make change happen, I feel this is insufficient. We need to step into their shirts and pants, […]
Bad Comebacks
I was on an evening walk the other day, walking south on our fairly busy street, when someone heading north on a motorcycle turned onto the perpendicular side street we would soon be crossing. They made a quick U turn on the side street, and headed back towards the main […]
Frankenstein – Part I
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is about an ambitious and talented doctor that manages to reanimate a corpse into a living, thinking, feeling creature. What happens is that this poor creature is so hideous that he terrifies his creator, himself, and everyone he meets. Cast out into the wilderness alone, he’s constantly […]
Witch’s Brew
The formula for a witch’s potion often contains things like “eye of newt” and frogs, and other amphibious or reptilian creatures, alongside insects and various parts of mammalian organs. I assume this is an attempt to cause a disgust reaction. However, have you ever eaten the eye of a newt? I […]
Plant Face Monster
Sitting on my desk is a painting by my friend Monstark – it’s sort of hard to describe but it’s a portrait of a humanoid head that’s sort of made up of plant-like structures that are interspersed with teeth and exposed viscera. It’s really quite comforting to me every time […]
Lucky Number 13
Whether you think 13 is a cursed or auspicious number you are right. Whether you think politics are great or stupid, you’re right. If you think yellow is better than green, you’re right. Generally, your own opinions create your own truth. This doesn’t work, however, if your opinion contradicts facts. […]