A startling reminder again during a webinar I joined today: what seems crystal clear in my mind doesn’t translate well into words that other people understand in the way I do. We write to clarify things for ourselves. An added benefit of that clarity is that other people too may see it. Over a 100 people were on the call; a fraction did the work required to help themselves – and were brave enough to share it with strangers.
Throughout the day, I’ve also been reminded of Paul Graham’s astute observation that “people can never have a fruitful argument about something that’s part of their identity.” I found myself thinking about how the way I think about myself (an accountant by training) altered the way I approached a particular conversation, and how it went nowhere quickly.
Beyond that, framing a problem well, and then tackling it within that frame was another learning. Having multiple issues in a single conversation is truly hard, unless there is a great deal of trust and safety with the other person.
Another day to be grateful for learning, time, heartfelt conversations, the opportunity to help a few people, and a break in the rain so we could head out for a walk in the dark.