Nov 17, 2022
Big Ups: Obscurity
“If I could I would always work in silence and obscurity, and let my efforts be known by their results.” — Charlotte Bronte
Through my work in the field of public relations, not only do I often have to write and talk about people in ways intended to interest and engage others, I also have to write and talk to them about why courting the interest and engagement of others is even necessary.
It would be much easier to make the case for what I admit to be a strong personal preference … which is to solely do what one wants without regard to anyone else, when that can be done without harming others. Compared to the communicator’s life, that sounds sublime.
Bestselling author Daniel H. Pink wrote this in 2012 to introduce a new book: “Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.” In case moving others seems important to you, here are his ABC’s.
Attunement: Bringing oneself into harmony with individuals, groups, and contexts
Buoyancy: A quality that combines grittiness of spirit and sunniness of outlook
Clarity: The capacity to make sense of murky situations
Can these improve your life? With attunement, you can see things from others’ perspectives. With buoyancy, you can quickly overcome setbacks and persevere. And with clarity, you can get better at identifying and overcoming problems for yourself and others.
Maybe obscurity is an option … but if not, these ideas can probably help us optimize our human interactions for more fun and profit.
Interested in knowing more? My blog awaits you, with new updates coming soon.
