Mitch,
Your blog post Nestling really caught my attention this week. First off, I hope you get the job. Secondly, kudos to you for not only applying for a work that catalyzes innovation, but putting innovation into practice with your letter. It seems so often that people feel confined to a professional box that they limit the expression of themselves. In your cover letter, I can hear your voice. It is out of the ordinary and catches people’s attention. The line “I will help Nest be smarter, faster, and just a little more crazy” really resonated with me. I think pushing everyone to be “a little more crazy” is just another way to encourage people to think outside the box. I feel that people need to stop fearing being weird or different and when that happens, innovation will ensue.
In the spirit of innovation,
Jennifer Dobson
Emily,
I’m first and foremost jealous that I couldn’t attend Shawn Johnson speech. However, you summarized and analyzed it so well in your post that I got a chance to feel like I was there. Your emphasis on Shawn Johnson’s humility I particularly appreciated. When encountering people who have so much to be proud of, it is refreshing to find out they are just trying to remain true to oneself. Also, I agree with your analysis of finding confidence and self-worth from within rather than society approval. If we eliminate the pressure of societal norms and fitting it, we can not only be happier people but better leaders. If we stop striving to be the best by other’s standards and start deeply reflecting on our own standards we may find something unexpected.
Thanks for making me think and reflect,
Jennifer Dobson
11
Nov 13
Commenting once again
Mitch,
We are creaturea of logic but we are also creatures of emotions. Where does that come into play and how do we overcome our innate emotional side in this mental game? Will people always have this gravitational pull to “belong”, even when it is on the most superficial level?
As someone who frequently challenges and questions social norms and struggles with that same pull, a lot of what you wrote about resonated with me. I thought the example of a diet is particularly unique when challenging social norms, because it is one of the only categories where you may be given clear instructions on how to go against the majority. For example, if you wanted to go against the “norm” of higher education and instead not attend college, generally speaking there is not a detailed day by day outline of what you should do instead.
In a lot of other way though, as you pointed out, an unconventional diet is representative of the entire mental game one must play in order to go against the majority. It definitely initially feels uncomfortable to going against the majority, and I think it takes a lot of confidence and internal questioning to step up and lead those movements. It seems to me from this blog post that I should expect some sparking social movements from you in the future and I am looking forward to it.
Also Aiden,
I really appreciated your blog post, “The Haters Matter” not only for the catchy title, but for the depth of your reflection. I think it is critical that we consider the “outside opinion” when moving forward next semester with our proposals and policy papers. To me, part of being a leader is being able to connect with a larger audience and make a positive impact on the largest number of people. After reading your blog post, I do not think it would be in our best interest to isolate PLA and march on against opposition. Especially when we will be trying to help the Penn State community, I think we should take the time to listen to our community members. Even if we disagree with what their oppositions and still believe our efforts will better the community at large, at least listening to them will ensure that we are progressing with knowledge instead of ignorance. Overall, your presented a lot big questions that we should all make sure we revisit next semester.