Jeffrey’s Comments (group member since May 08, 2012)

Jeffrey’s comments from the Q&A with James Kunen group.

I feel myself being changed by your observation!

In your book, you note something like (my paraphrase) "how nice it would be to work closely with true-believing teammates" - I think you may have had a bit of a sardonic spin on that.

In the early Neolithic era, I worked at Microsoft on several technical teams. There was no doubt that work was important. Most people felt that they were a part of something large and cool that had the potential to materially affect the world. It was a nice feeling.

Today, it's said people "drink the Kool Aid" to indicate - using an oddly affable reference to Jonestown - that said person has entirely bought into some large, overarching corporate vision.

That never happened to me. I never did drink the Kool Aid. But I sure did like working with the folks I worked with. Some of them - to this day, a quarter century later! - are still among my closest friends.

Jim, there are people who now walk around with full body recorders - sight, sound, the whole megillah - maybe scent is next! I have to wonder how that works - do they perhaps unconsciously try to have a more interesting day because their entire day is being recorded?

Folks note that Facebook posts about "my fabulous life" leave them cold - then they go ahead and write 'em themselves. We tend - I think - to put on a company face for people, at least, people we don't know well. So you'd think one might enjoy a similar effect knowing they *would* be putting it all down on paper and sending it out into the wild.

That's hard to know, Jim, since I've never published *any* memoirs. But, I do know in my heart that it's pointless to worry about what other people might or might not think, as you have very little say in thematter. . .

Personally - I'm with Bernard Baruch (I only recently learned that this is his quote, not Dr. Seuss'), who penned the immortal lines:

Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

Taking it just a step further, I'd argue that the people whose opinions matter most to me are the ones who don't mind that I. Am. Me. :)

Cheers

-Jeff