The difference between someone who changes the world and someone who happily lives in a world that’s shaped by others is illustrated by their reaction to the status quo.
The former might say something like, “I wonder if…” and follow that curiosity (or frustration/rage, if that’s their baseline temperament) all the way down the rabbit hole, whereas the latter says, “That’s just the way things are, I guess.”
I’m trying to surround myself with the former.
There is a notable difference between my ability to complete an engineering task when properly focused as opposed to when I’m in a rush. If my focus is on clearing out my inbox and responding to as many messages as possible in a short period of time, the attention devoted to the tasks that I touch will inevitably be compromised.
And the simple posture shift that’s exhibited by saying, “Okay, let’s really dig in here and see what’s going on” instead of, “Okay, I’ve got a million other things to do today so let’s figure this out quickly” is significant. The amusing bit is that I don’t necessarily need to work at a slower pace, just a more deliberate one.
The work is the work, not getting through the work.
“When I get a question,” he said, “I go right to the logical.” You ask me a question about health care. There’s a problem, and there’s a response. Here’s what my opponent might say about it, so I’m going to counteract that. Okay, we’re gonna talk about immigration. Here’s what I’d like to say—but I can’t say that. Think about what that means. I know what I want to say, I know where my mind takes me, but I have to tell myself, No, no, don’t do that—do this other thing.
It’s against my instincts just to perform. It’s easy for me to slip back into what I know, which is basically to dissect arguments. I think when I talk. It can be halting. I start slow. It’s hard for me to just go into my answer. I’m having to teach my brain to function differently. I’m left-handed; this is like you’re asking me to start writing right-handed.”
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