yopp@alex@feed.yopp.me
This thread hurts. Like I feel very real pain reading it.
There is a “seen and done enough shit” point somewhere along the way. When you don’t even need to smell it, you just feel it eons away.
At first, it’s a tool. Helpful. And when people actually listen to you, it’s… immensely rewarding. You help people not to step into the shit! What can beat saving someone’s ass?
“Risk-averse” becomes part of your identity. Cynicism on top as a bonus.
But it’s a definition of confirmation bias. Risk is not certainty: shit could or could not happen. If shit didn’t happen? Good! If it does happen? You were right, high five.
Then it’s addiction. It’s virtually impossible not think of risks in your line of work. Then it leaks to your everyday life.
Worst part: it’s an addiction that can earn you good money! It’s called consulting. That’s the value of a good consultant: they’ve seen all the shit and you’ve seen just yours.
And once you start selling this, and if you are mildly successful, you see even more shit. More shit, better prediction rates, better prediction rates, more work, more work, more shit.
At some point, you just don’t take chances anymore. Like, what’s the point of taking a chance if things can go south? Calculate, hedge, learn on mistakes. Rinse and repeat.
Fuck. I don’t know. I want to believe that if used right, it helps you to find that safe and easy path against all odds.
But now I think it’s a lie I’m telling myself. To beat the odds you have to at least try. As Homer Simpson’s said “Trying is a first step to failure”.
Am I trying? Am I failing?
https://mastodon.social/@Daojoan/115004206142354987