Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello wonderseekers!
I was recently on a podcast where the host asked me what I thought might be the opposite state of wonder. His thought was cynicism. I felt malaise might also be oppositional to wonder, but certainly, cynicism would be a good guess, too.
I then had the opportunity to sit on a panel a few weeks ago where I talked about my shifted views on work and working. I pretty much said that for all the culture change I have tried to support over the last decade of my professional life, almost any of it could be harpooned by just one shitty boss. So my belief now is if you're in a toxic environment, it’s okay to protect your sanity and mentally clock out a bit. (It was the inspiration for my “you don’t have to bring your whole self to work” rant.) One person approached me after and commented that I sounded cynical. I think both she and the podcaster meant cynical in the more modern sense, as in, “a psychological state hardened against both moral reflection and intellectual persuasion.”
I’ve had a good noodle about it, and I think my Cynicism is perhaps rooted in a more classical sense (so “big-C” Cynicism) in that I have been constantly questioning my previous assumptions. I’m not hardened; rather, I am open to being wrong. To changing my mind. To finding freedom in challenging the status quo. And I see this as a good thing. (Especially given that “small-c” cynics tend to be more depressed and less healthy, too.)
A bit below about the power of questioning our assumptions and how a dose of classical Cynicism might be what helps us find a more meaningful life.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
Live like the ancient Cynics: Modern cynicism traps you in an unhappy cycle. The original version will set you free.
11 philosophers you don't know about: But should.
The science behind finding the world’s next “hidden genius”: What makes some scientists culturally significant while others remain in obscurity?
I’m off to Belfast next week to see my alma mater, Queens University Belfast, and then to catch up with the women of AwakenHub at their SheVentures event in Lusty Beg, Ireland. If you can’t make that event, fear not, as I’ll also be in Dublin in July speaking at the InvestHer Summit. Tickets are still available for that, and I’m certain it will be another amazing opportunity to meet with inspiring female founders and their allies.
With wonder,
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