Agalia Tan

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you... See more

The dictionary is full of recommendations. It’s pretty clear on spelling. But some words — “success,” “worth,” “value” — you get to define for yourself.

the process. The project based structure of much agency work has resulted in the systemic destruction of enthusiasm. Agencies want so mad to be taken seriously, they stop themselves from having the fun that good work requires.

We often keep our connections close to our chests, guarding them like precious resources, believing that by holding onto them, we’re preserving their value. But here’s the irony: by doing that, we’re actually diminishing their value. Networks don’t thrive in isolation; they come alive when the number of connections—the nodes within them—increases.

Find another register of enjoyment

Life is so dull if it’s just “like” or “dislike.” Maybe the movie is riveting but you still hate it. Can you find “begrudging enjoyment?” You simply do not understand the outfit of that kid on the subway. Can you locate “would be compelling to someone who is not me”? How do you feel about the song that represents... See more

Aim to be effective, but unpredictable. That is, you want to act in a way that AIs have trouble modeling or imitating. That makes you irreplaceable.