Imposter Syndrome Vs. I’m The Poster Boy Syndrome

On one hand, sometimes you feel like you’re an imposter and have no right to even attempt what you’re doing (or scared to start doing).  On the other, you feel like “I’ve soooo got this. I’m the champ - look at my crown, everybody gather round and listen up.”  It’s useful to know the term … Continue reading Imposter Syndrome Vs. I’m The Poster Boy Syndrome

The Benefits Of Being A Short-Term Optimist And A Long-Term Pessimist

Morgan Housel calls it managing a “barbell life.” We have the things we are optimistic and pessimistic about. We have the things we want to do and the things we have to do. They all require a balance. While the natural tendency might be to find a balance between good and bad in time, Housel … Continue reading The Benefits Of Being A Short-Term Optimist And A Long-Term Pessimist

From Skin In The Game To Soul In The Game

What’s the difference between having an opinion, making a living, and dedicating one’s life to something? What about saying one baseball team is better than another at the water cooler, betting on a game with a disagreeing friend, and elaborately cataloging every match in a rivalry over the years? The difference is having no skin … Continue reading From Skin In The Game To Soul In The Game

More Transitional, Less Transactional

One way to look at our modern service jobs is to think about being more transitional and less transactional. An example:   The mortgage broker is transactional. They enter when there’s a need, broker the deal, and then go off and search of the next one. The mortgage broker needs a big base of prospects to constantly draw new … Continue reading More Transitional, Less Transactional

Podcast of the Week: “Thirty-Six Strategems” with Jocko

My favorite Jocko podcasts are when he reads military books / stories / history and curates them along the way. Warriors and bureaucrats are two very different types (maybe that's a continuum?). Jocko's a warrior who interprets the philosophy exceptionally well of where warriors and bureaucrats meet in the real world. He can speak the … Continue reading Podcast of the Week: “Thirty-Six Strategems” with Jocko

You Can’t Derive an “Is” from an “Ought”

David Hume famously taught that you can’t derive an “is” from an “ought.” For example, we can use science to describe how nature “is,” but we can’t use science to tell nature how it “ought” to act. You might want a flying unicorn puppy for all sorts of cute reasons, but nature says no. While … Continue reading You Can’t Derive an “Is” from an “Ought”