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The Words I Wish I Had Said More
“What music do you like?” I asked a fellow cube-jockey. I asked this innocent question not so long ago, in the endless cubicles of The Corporation. Her response was strange.
She bowed her head, shy about her answer. “Justin Beiber,” she mumbled. She even winced a little, expecting me to mock her. Lucky for her, that’s not my style. Even luckier, I had recently articulated my chilled-out approach during a corporate training.
We had been challenged to design our “personal brand.” Usually when I hear such an assignment, I want to vomit. Cramming yourself into a “brand” is a ceremony enforced by the religion of Capitalism. I put it in the same annoying category as people’s tendency to generalize by generation. Both are rituals for the benefit of easier marketing.
Anyway, back to my pal. I announced to her, “Hey, my brand is ‘No Judgment.’ You like what you like.” She seemed grateful. I felt proud for making her feel comfortable enough to be honest. Done right, I guess personal branding could be a good thing.
No Judgment Done Right
So yeah, that’s my personal brand: No Judgment. Obviously, it’s not something to take to extremes. I mean no judgment where judgment isn’t necessary. If someone tries to stab you, it’s okay to get a little judgey toward them.
