People sometimes seem a little confused when talking to me in person.
Not uncomfortable. Just… like they’re trying to figure out where I fit. I hear some version of the same two things fairly often:
“You’re an old soul.”
Or:
“I can’t quite put my finger on you.”
Maybe everybody hears things like that. I don’t know. But I’ve wondered if part of it is that people are used to finding a lane for someone pretty quickly. Politics, religion, career, personality, worldview. Once they know the category, they feel like they have a rough idea of the person.
I’ve never felt particularly attached to categories.
I often find myself agreeing with people I’m supposed to disagree with and disagreeing with people I’m supposed to agree with. I’ve always been more interested in understanding why someone believes something than deciding whether they’re on my side.
The older I get, the less interested I am in teams and the more interested I am in the experiences, incentives, losses, victories, and stories that shaped them.nMaybe that’s what people are picking up on. Or maybe I’m overthinking it.
I’ve just noticed that a lot of people seem to be looking for a category. I’ve spent most of my life looking for context.