be good. worry less

they'll hate you regardless

There’s nothing I can say so perfectly that it’s impossible to be misunderstood. That’s the age-old problem of communication. I mean one thing, say it, and someone else interprets it differently.

I think this is especially important to pay attention to in today’s world of “cancel culture”, short-clips and mass media. The most ethical person in the world could give a beautiful hour long speech with a 30 second example of being unethical. That example can be clipped, broadcast with no context and lead to his reputation being ruined.

So what should we do?

Firstly, we should be good. We should avoid spreading information with no context. If you see a clip of someone speaking and you’re in disbelief, believe you may have been tricked. Believe that the ugly words might be their true intention. But they might also be entirely wrong. Be slow to pass judgement and even slower to share it.

Secondly, we should worry less. If it’s impossible to not be misunderstood, why be so worried about being misunderstood. Listening to speeches nowadays is like watching someone dancing on eggshells. It’s a grand art of avoiding any combination of words, gestures or facial expressions that could be clipped to ruin someone’s career. But the truth is, it’s the wrong goal. Focusing on how we sound comes at the expense of focusing on the quality of our ideas we express.

Those people who want to take your words out of context and make it a big deal are a minority. They are also “unwinnable”. So lets’ stop trying to win them over.

Be good. Worry less.

Question of the Day

What would you say if you didn’t worry about your words leaving the room?

Your Friend,

Noah BigNerd Sochaczevski