"I want to know what people like Tom (and you Steve!) actually stand for."

Haha! Hmm, I was equal parts pleased and concerned by this comment!

On the one hand, I feel like I've always been pretty clear about what I stand for. I stand for a world where we judge each other by the content of our character and not the colour of our skin or our sex or who we love or how we present ourselves. I stand for humanism instead of tribalism. I stand for equality that doesn't slip into lowered expectations and kindness that doesn't slip into pandering. I stand for open, honest, thoughtful conversation when we disagree on how to achieve these aims. I've defended these positions countless times.

But on the other hand, maybe it's not such a bad thing if it's not always crystal clear what I believe. Because I also believe we should always leave room for the possibility that we're wrong. I have very strong opinions on pretty much every topic. 😅 But as I said recently, I do my best to hold those strong opinions weakly. One of the reasons I spend so much time engaging with people is that I'm genuinely open to the possibly that I'm missing something. I'm not sure if that comes across as not standing *for* anything, but it's more about trying not to let myself become dogmatic.

Either way, thanks for the food for thought. It's always really valuable to get a window into how I'm coming across.