MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK


DON’T BE SCARED - there is nothing to fear, but fear itself!

Friday, Nov. 29, 2019
 
 
Why are we afraid to ask whether anyone agrees with us?
 
Are we too polite? Or, are we afraid of the answer?
 
Out there, likely not far away (though these days someone halfway around the world is only a point-click-thought away), someone agrees with me.
 
Someone likes me.
 
Someone thinks kindly of me, toward me.
 
This is true, I expect, for all of us.
 
If so, who needs two? Who needs more than two?
 
Right questions, but we all know that two isn’t enough, nor are three?
 
We live in a society more focused on how we are seen or heard – and by how many, than on who we are?
 
More focused on what people think of us than what we feel about ourselves. More concentrated on whether we aligned with someone, or a viewpoint, cause, party, philosophy.

When was the last time you sat with a total stranger, to ask: “Tell me, please, what do you think about __________?”
 
When was the last time you sat with a friend to ask that?
 
With your spouse?
 
With a customer, competitor, adversary, neighbor – and just asked them that?
 
There is no shortage of people, corporations, governments, and societal forces sending you a message about what you should think – but isn’t it more important to know what you think?



Find this and other articles by Mark Kolke at Medium



sign up to get Musings free daily



 
Mark Kolke, Realtor, MaxWell South Star Realty

sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021