Reasons for this write-up: A friend was asking me to help with a project called LinkyBrains. I felt a connection and agreed to consider it. I did my research, some reading and my friend thinks it's a good idea to write down my opinions. So here it is:
What the LinkyBrains movement means to me?
I felt connected with the idea because I could identified with some of the points mentioned in LinkyBrains manifesto: impostor syndrome (I was very hesitant so write this piece up), feeling isolated and misunderstood, not fitting in with the education and work system, being called lazy, difficult, sometimes even BPD. :D
I still have problem describing to others what LinkyBrains means: is it people who are higher on the autistic spectrum, or is it those who are hypersensitive. Are these guys mad scientist type or just someone with lots of entrepreneurial traits, thinking outside of the box?
My understanding is LinkyBrains generally implies outsiders, not-quite-fitting-in individuals. The different ones.
But these days, as technology advances, the old system doesn't quite work anymore, the playground is changing with lots of opportunities for new types of work, business models, ways of thinking (sometimes with incredibly high rewards for risk-taking). What defines being "different"?
Is there a thing like having a LinkyBrain?
In my opinion, everyone is unique, and different from each other. Some are given the opportunities and environment to flourish, to create, to not give a shit. And some simply aren't. They operate as "the normal people". But because they made different choices.
I believe everyone with a brain has a potential to unleash their uniqueness and be a LinkyBrain.
I like to think this whole movement is about allowing these people who failed to live a life with full potential to get together, get helped from the ones who made it out to the other end of the tunnel (credit: Mike, 2018), work with each other and thrive.
I don't like the term LinkyBrain, it implies having a special brain, the us vs them mentality, that some people are better than others. "The intellectually disenfranchised" would be my preferred term. :) Bringing together the disenfranchised sounds better than establishing a special group with super power.
What is a confession?
Confessions are what people who identified themselves as LinkyBrain wrote up as a response to the movement. Sometimes just points of view, not exactly confessions. However, whereas some of these posts touched my heart by opening up, being vulnerable and thus relatable, some sound like they are just talking about their entrepreneurial traits and how cool and different they are from the so-called "normal" others.
This gives me a sense that the movement is being shaped into an elite gang of successful entrepreneurs and their aspirants and so far is male-dominated.
From my understanding, the vision of those who started the LinkyBrains movement is not that. They want to help these outsiders feel less lonely and connect in many different aspects, emotional, work-related, project-wise and make things happen — living to their full potential.
However, the feeling of exclusiveness that it increasingly brings up could shun off the ones that need much help.
I'd love to see "LinkyBrains" better defined, shaped and developed into something powerful like it could definitely become.
