When you’re the type of person to ask questions all the time, you may come off as impersonal or deflective. When you’re the type of person to never ask questions, you may come off as unconversational or alternatively the type of person who can’t shut up. The hard part is […]
Category: empathy
For Yourself or For Others
If you’re creating something – whether that’s sales copy, a new video game, art, a book, whatever – it is helpful to know if it’s for you or for other people. If it’s for other people, hopefully you’re taking the time to make sure that these people want what you’re […]
Genetic Similarity
We, as humans, are pretty much the same person from a genetics lens. With over 99% similarity to every other human on the planet, the numbers tell a story about us being incredibly similar. Yet our day to day interaction with people who look, think, and behave vastly differently from […]
Snowflakes
“Snowflake” is commonly used as an insult these days, attacking someone’s fragility when they’re not willing to take criticism. Interesting that most people who use this as an insult end up being fairly fragile themselves, but that’s not my point. My point is that “snowflake” might be the perfect metaphor […]
I love direct feedback” – Part 3
Most people who say “I love direct feedback” confuse being direct with being an asshole. Actual direct feedback addresses the issue, and offers either a solution or a propelling question that could be used to improve it. “This isn’t working because of X, and I suggest doing Y.” Being an […]
“I love direct feedback” – Part 2
You might love direct feedback. Good for you. Others might not. You can decide to impose your preferences upon others and build a culture of toxic tyranny, or you could do the actual work of figuring out how people need to hear feedback so that they’ll actually implement it without […]
Get Some Rest
I can tell when I’m reaching my limits when there’s a shift in my mood. No longer do I think about empathy for the other party – it’s generally annoyance and the low-grade urge to tell others how stupid they are. No longer do I trust the world at large, […]
Awkward
What is social awkwardness? Whether you define it as people who talk too much about a subject no one else is interested in, someone who says inappropriate things, or laughs at things you don’t find funny, awkwardness is something that we all try to avoid because of how uncomfortable it can […]
Questions of Value
“How much value does this have?” is a tricky question to answer, as you first have to answer a few other questions. To whom is evaluating it? Me? You? A person stranded in the desert? A billionaire environmentalist? Value is in the eye of the beholder and just because you […]
Dirty Car Stories
I don’t wash my car as often as I’m told I should. You can use this data to make a lot of assumptions about me. Some of them would be accurate, some of them would be inaccurate. The stories you’re telling yourself about me and my car, regardless of validity, are […]