Social media has flattened all nuance. It's either right or wrong, good or bad, smart or stupid. But that binary doesn't work for humans - we are inherently messy, complex and multi-faceted.
I don’t mind pushback when I post. I actually encourage it. Friction is how my ideas and arguments get refined and stronger. What I do find concerning as you allude to in our society is the erosion of nuance, the dichotomy of ideologies and the growing inability to update opinions when presented with data and facts. Debate used to be about refinement, now I find it’s often about defence and encouraging applause from the echo chamber. When opinions can’t adapt to evidence, data or fact that’s when it’s not real thought leaderships, it’s just a performance.
The effort put into a malicious poem could have been put into having an original idea, but that might be asking too much. I've been thinking about the different classes of people who don't like what's happening right now. Of course, no one does, but these two really don't. One group who had legions of workers and assistants and never really needed to do the real work, they just showed up iand got paid handsomely for it. Then there's a group who got crushed because they never got the chance to reach that position before it vanished entirely. They resent what happened. Makes me wonder- are these the sources of malicious poetry?
Indeed, Zoe. Gerhard Richter wrote, “Picturing things, taking a view, is what makes us human; art is making sense and giving shape to that sense.” Second thought: Context is the key, and the tech novelties that drive hype and investment cycles are often pre-proper context. QR Codes, for example.
I’m a simple person, and I don’t always find it easy to see through every layer of intricate sophistry, especially when it comes to technology moving at such rapid, evolutionary speed. I found this poem petty, and more like frustration aimed at the wrong target.
As I see it, we all try, fail, and try again. That’s how we grow richer minds and bigger hearts. Pushback can be valuable when it’s well-intended, because it means we’re engaged and care. But it isn’t productive when it’s only creatively packaged while the underlying idea stays flat.
I feel for you who pour so much passion and commitment into your craft, and I genuinely love that you stand tall anyway, regardless of the thieves of joy.
I get that it's hard not to take it personally. But I found the poem amusing and reflective, even if lacking creative flair. And it likely hurt because there is some truth in it.
But I wouldn't call it punishment. Nor malicious. Those of us who stick our necks out and say stuff all the time are often wrong. But that doesn't mean we should be immune from being called out on it. Look at Elon Musk and self-driving. In his case, people are literally dead because of his framing lie.
This is not that. But if we no longer have others to call us out on our own b.s., we end up in a kind of audience capture where we are always believing our own b.s. without pushback. There is "human" in humiliation, but also in humility. Being brought back to earth once in a while is a gift of grounding.
I completely agree - pushback is valuable, and I said as much in the piece. Challenge the ideas, point out the blind spots, call out the bullshit. That's the whole point of doing this in public. My issue isn't with criticism - it's with the gotcha that flattens everything into a simple story and traps people at their wrongest moment. There's a difference between 'here's where your thinking falls down' and 'here's a screenshot from 2021, you're a grifter.' One makes you sharper. The other just makes everyone quieter.
Good grief, well, at least you're doing something AI can't actually do, which is think critically and join those dots rather than just regurgitating sentences! Keep going!
Keep being someone who won’t be quiet when people keep demanding it. I wish I had as many original thoughts as you do. I wish I toyed with things the way you do. I’m cynical as anything and the work you put out can be terrifying but it’d also inspiring and pushes boundaries. I read everything you write and don’t always agree but at least and reading your words often helps me to form an opinion. A thoughtful one. You’re generous with your time and the effort you put into putting insight into the world. I know you won’t let these people shit on that, but it doesn’t hurt to remind you that the strategy world would be way worse off if we couldn’t read your contributions.
Social media has flattened all nuance. It's either right or wrong, good or bad, smart or stupid. But that binary doesn't work for humans - we are inherently messy, complex and multi-faceted.
I don’t mind pushback when I post. I actually encourage it. Friction is how my ideas and arguments get refined and stronger. What I do find concerning as you allude to in our society is the erosion of nuance, the dichotomy of ideologies and the growing inability to update opinions when presented with data and facts. Debate used to be about refinement, now I find it’s often about defence and encouraging applause from the echo chamber. When opinions can’t adapt to evidence, data or fact that’s when it’s not real thought leaderships, it’s just a performance.
The effort put into a malicious poem could have been put into having an original idea, but that might be asking too much. I've been thinking about the different classes of people who don't like what's happening right now. Of course, no one does, but these two really don't. One group who had legions of workers and assistants and never really needed to do the real work, they just showed up iand got paid handsomely for it. Then there's a group who got crushed because they never got the chance to reach that position before it vanished entirely. They resent what happened. Makes me wonder- are these the sources of malicious poetry?
Indeed, Zoe. Gerhard Richter wrote, “Picturing things, taking a view, is what makes us human; art is making sense and giving shape to that sense.” Second thought: Context is the key, and the tech novelties that drive hype and investment cycles are often pre-proper context. QR Codes, for example.
I’m a simple person, and I don’t always find it easy to see through every layer of intricate sophistry, especially when it comes to technology moving at such rapid, evolutionary speed. I found this poem petty, and more like frustration aimed at the wrong target.
As I see it, we all try, fail, and try again. That’s how we grow richer minds and bigger hearts. Pushback can be valuable when it’s well-intended, because it means we’re engaged and care. But it isn’t productive when it’s only creatively packaged while the underlying idea stays flat.
I feel for you who pour so much passion and commitment into your craft, and I genuinely love that you stand tall anyway, regardless of the thieves of joy.
Hindsight is never wrong eh…
it’s funny the poem mentions pink to beige. Yet the irony is them who are never wrong are beige, average and often safe.
Often lacking any form of speculative thinking, I’ve never read your posts thinking you was “right” I read then and apply my own thinking to it.
Sounds like the person who wrote the poem lacks any of the creatively they actually claim
Ps there was some great one liners though
I get that it's hard not to take it personally. But I found the poem amusing and reflective, even if lacking creative flair. And it likely hurt because there is some truth in it.
But I wouldn't call it punishment. Nor malicious. Those of us who stick our necks out and say stuff all the time are often wrong. But that doesn't mean we should be immune from being called out on it. Look at Elon Musk and self-driving. In his case, people are literally dead because of his framing lie.
This is not that. But if we no longer have others to call us out on our own b.s., we end up in a kind of audience capture where we are always believing our own b.s. without pushback. There is "human" in humiliation, but also in humility. Being brought back to earth once in a while is a gift of grounding.
I completely agree - pushback is valuable, and I said as much in the piece. Challenge the ideas, point out the blind spots, call out the bullshit. That's the whole point of doing this in public. My issue isn't with criticism - it's with the gotcha that flattens everything into a simple story and traps people at their wrongest moment. There's a difference between 'here's where your thinking falls down' and 'here's a screenshot from 2021, you're a grifter.' One makes you sharper. The other just makes everyone quieter.
Really enjoyed the read. Thx Zoë. Keep pushing.
Good grief, well, at least you're doing something AI can't actually do, which is think critically and join those dots rather than just regurgitating sentences! Keep going!
Keep being someone who won’t be quiet when people keep demanding it. I wish I had as many original thoughts as you do. I wish I toyed with things the way you do. I’m cynical as anything and the work you put out can be terrifying but it’d also inspiring and pushes boundaries. I read everything you write and don’t always agree but at least and reading your words often helps me to form an opinion. A thoughtful one. You’re generous with your time and the effort you put into putting insight into the world. I know you won’t let these people shit on that, but it doesn’t hurt to remind you that the strategy world would be way worse off if we couldn’t read your contributions.