A conversation that cannot surprise you is not a conversation, it is a script. The more structure you add, the less room there is for anything unexpected.
Three times structure got in the way instead of opening things up:
I saw a poster for a philosophy meetup about a philosopher I liked, so I went. I expected people comparing interpretations, recommending books, following ideas wherever they went.
[this is still a draft]
Alternative titles:
The messenger should be invulnerable.
Protect the messenger.
We’ve all heard the quote “don’t shoot the messenger”, or some variation of it. If you haven’t, the short story is that you shouldn’t kill down the bearer of bad news.
Easy to understand and see why it’s important, but not so easy to internalize.
Example w/ “hey I don’t think this works”
Ties up with Those who do.
[this is still a draft]
Marx: Practice is the only measurement by which […]
Because of this you should always show what you do. [Post about do, then talk, instead of talk, then do]
“That sounds pretty cool. Have you done that?”