abhi's blog

I believe that there is no such thing as objective truth. My truth is merely my version of whatever objective reality is (as always, Farnam Street tells it better).

Once you start believing that your view of reality is reality, it becomes much harder to identify the assumptions that your view is built upon.

When we attribute labels to people (for whatever reason), those tend to be our maps of the territory that is their personality.

He is lazy.
She is very rude.
They are all assholes.

Over time, we begin to believe these stories we tell ourselves, and the maps become the territory. This is dangerous ground, specially if one is responsible for managing other people in a workplace, because we treat other people based on who we think they are, and they never disappoint.

A better way to lead is to treat people according the potential we see in them, and trust them enough to live up those ideals.

And whenever we find ourselves judging others, or applying labels to them, to question ourselves and the assumptions we're making, that are leading us to those labels. Because the map isn't the territory.