
My twenty-something self would be saddened but not deterred by this glitch. I would have thought it was romantic to try despite the odds. We would visit each other. I would dare him to find someone he liked as much as me as we lived our lives at our own pace, spontaneous trips threading us together. But my 35-year-old self understands that, while the connection really is special, chances are it will end in disaster. And it’s probably not worth the time.
In my liberal arts college, conversations varied dramatically, from British literature to public policy, from moral philosophy to socioeconomic inequality. Compare this to my product management program of new grads, where even “social conversations” revolve around tech — whether it’s spilling the hottest gossip on the new VP, plotting how to get “double promoted” from a Level 3 to a Level 5 PM in exactly 22 months, or debriefing where the top angel investors get drinks on Thursday nights. (And yes, Silicon Valley has an alcohol and drug problem too). Attempts to hold discussions about s…