You remember the teacher who was strict and fair longer than the one who was just easy.
CREATIVITY
WHAT THIS MEANS
Being held to a standard is a form of being taken seriously. Easy is pleasant and leaves nothing behind, because nobody remembers the person who never asked anything of them. The ones who stay with you are the ones who expected something and applied the same rule to everybody, including themselves. That combination is rarer than it sounds, and it is usually mistaken for harshness at the time.
Consider the coach or teacher who is on your case right now. Then try being that for somebody else and tell a friend one true thing, kindly, this week.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Which teacher held you to a standard you remember?
MORE IN PARADOX, METAPHOR & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- Canoeists learn to steer from the back. Sometimes the person with the quietest seat is choosing the direction.
- “Fix” can mean to repair something or to be stuck in place. Trying to fix people often does the second.
- Elevators post an inspection certificate because trust needs proof. So does leadership.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.