The First Twenty
March 24th, 2024
On January 18th, 2023, I wrote a blog post about how a CEO evaluates people. This CEO evaluates character by asking about their first first twenty years of life.
At the time, I thought it was unfair since many people are dealt different hands. It felt like asking someone to show their hand at the poker table without any bluffing and to just hand over the money if they loss.
But, as I get older, as I think more about how we are as acting entities, I realize the question isn't about the first twenty years of your life..
Perception
The question rather, is uncovering how you perceive the first twenty years of your life. Whatever actually happened in the first twenty years of your life matters little. It's the words you choose to reflect yourself that is more revealing than anything.
It is a question to probe the ego, not to gain any reality-related insight into your past. And it is a good question. To poke at the ego where it might be really hurt is a fantastic way for someone to show their colors. To prod in adolescence: where inflammation and hormones are at their highest and they scar our conscious with numb lashes.
But it's a bit cruel, no?
Fascination
I always found it fascinating how you could understand the relationship between two people without understanding a word they're saying. You can watch their bodies move in space, and hear the color of the voices. That alone would be enough of a dead-giveaway.
Perhaps the content of any language is not meaningful at all, rather the emotional bonds they allow us to form.
