Last night, I was trying to figure out who is the richest person in the world when I was a kid. For some reason that didn’t seem like common knowledge, and I asked a couple of friends, and they all struggled to name the richest person when they were a kid too. These days I feel like everybody knows that answer. What has changed?
Replying to @kitcat7373 Let’s talk about values, voting and criticism because I’ve been biting my tongue on this one for longer than I would like. In a world of digital interactions and scrolling comments, we’re often told to "stay in our lane"—keep our thoughts to ourselves on topics that might feel divisive or “too political.” But isn’t that idea a bit constraining, even for our own sense of identity? At its heart, I believe that speaking up on issues we feel strongly about—even if they sit outside our usual topics—isn’t just an act of self-expression; it’s an assertion of our values. One of the criticisms I frequently encounter, and perhaps you do too, is the idea that some things “shouldn’t be political.” But that perspective tends to overlook the reality that most issues, especially the ones that impact real lives and decisions, do have political undertones. Politics shapes so much about who we are, our freedoms, and how we relate to one another. Remaining silent, or believing something "isn't political," can sometimes mean letting things happen without question, even if those things don’t sit well with us. My videos, my words—each of them reflects my values, just like your comments and your own feedback do for you. When I choose to engage critically with something, it’s not just because I feel like stirring up a reaction but because I believe it matters. This act of engaging, of addressing what I see as contradictions or injustices, is something I value. And if that means stepping “outside my lane,” then I’d rather take the risk than remain passive. In the same vein, I wholeheartedly believe you should share your views if you disagree with what I post. However, we both need to understand that by sharing these perspectives openly, we’re each putting our thoughts up for critique. Just as you can comment on my videos, others can—and likely will—respond to your words too. Critique isn’t always comfortable, but it’s part of what makes free expression meaningful. In that way, none of us are entirely “immune” to criticism, and maybe that’s exactly as it should be. So, what I encourage you to do—and what I commit to doing myself—is to look beyond the lanes we’ve been assigned, whether by society, by followers, or even by our own sense of what’s "safe." Maybe by venturing outside our comfort zones, we’ll discover new perspectives or reinforce our beliefs. And if not? Well, at least we’ll have spoken our truth.
Somebody shared this message with me a few years back and it made a massive difference in my perspective and I wanted to pass it along to you this year.