Speak it up

This week I’ll be brief. Even briefer than usual because I’m in the middle of a trip. Travel gives a perspective, and meeting new people allows us to confront our ideas and ensures we are on the right track. Of course, it requires a bit of humility, but it’s worth the effort.

A few days ago, I had an exciting chat about the topics I think about, and I claim to have a strong opinion. Fortunately, I clashed with people with different points of view. That was an intense but good conversation that led me to some interesting conclusions. I started the thesis that made perfect sense to me when I kept them inside my head, but all I saw on the faces was confusion, and I realised how easy it is to push it back. The arguments I used were much more clumsy and way less powerful than I thought.

That enjoyable experience gave me a new perspective. The only way to validate your thoughts, skills, beliefs, etc., is to try it in the wild. We can know the theory about the bottom turn, learn about the power zones on the wave and still, once we get into the water, we can be wrong at surfing. Same with the ideas. It is pleasant to live in our little world where our thoughts are in order, and all makes perfect sense, but only speaking it up, best in front of people who do not share the same values and actively try to diminish it, will prove it is worth anything.

So think, learn and formulate ideas, but don’t forget to try them out in the wild.