A wrong-number text, a FaceTime with two teenagers, and a glass-half-full outlook
2022-03-08
The other day, I got a random text from an unknown number asking, "Who is this?"
I responded, "A question I ask myself every day." Seconds later my iPhone started ringing.
I found myself on FaceTime with two teenage boys, big smiles all around. We chatted about Houston area codes, how and when I got my number, and what they had planned for the day.
Unless someone has proven to be unethical, be kind. Assuming the worst is easy when you have experienced bad people, bad luck, or tragedy. Consuming too much for-profit news, or failing to stay out of echo chambers, can warp your sense of reality too.
"A low trust approach might put a floor on how often you get taken advantage of, but it puts a ceiling on what's possible." — Shane Parrish
Empirically, the good in the world outweighs the bad, and it has been trending positive for a long time. If you don't believe it, read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
Moral of the story, part one: assuming best intentions sparks positivity and happiness.
Moral of the story, part two: don't randomly text me unless you want a sportive response.
Until next time, I wish you a glass-half-full outlook.
First published on LinkedIn, 8 March 2022. Lightly revised. Original post.