The Strength of Being Misunderstood

The examined life

What if our worst qualities are actually our best? Recently I listened to an interview with Irish theologist and poet John O’Donohue from 2006 in which he asked what would happen if the things we hate about ourselves, the qualities we despise and can’t stand, are actually the best things about who we are. It was a powerful reframe... See more

Being constantly misunderstood is mentally challenging, but it’s where the most growth happens.  Train yourself to be uncomfortable – “If I’m doing something that feels well understood for too long, then I feel like I’m being complacent…At this point, if people fully understand what we are as a company, we’re not pushing it hard enough.” – Mar... See more

“So many advantages come from being willing to look like an idiot in the short term.

You stay silent in an important meeting, afraid to voice critical thoughts and watch the project fail. You don’t write the novel because you’re afraid people might not read it. You don’t admit you were wrong and repeatedly make the same mistake. You don’t ask the pe... See more

There’s so much advantage in life that comes from being willing to look like an idiot in the short-term