It’s laser-etched on the back of my iPod Nano that I received as a gift for Christmas 2010. “Be a Jackass”. Specifically speaking to the passion of life and willingness to do apparently crazy things in respect to the deeper structures of order in life. I get criticized quite often in my work life and my private life for being outspoken and dangerous. It’s shocking to me that something so fundamental should be so remarkable. What is the point of life if you aren’t outspoken? Why hide the truth, hide your feelings? If you bottle them all up and shove them under the carpet of your life eventually they’ll start to wear their shapes into the carpet and eventually the carpet will break apart for their presence. It’s far better to share what you feel when you feel it, to say what you think, to speak from the heart and to respect your instincts. If something is wrong, take a stand, even if it leads figuratively down the drain. Living this way is the only authentic way to live, any other way is self-deception and self-defeat.
