I spend a good amount of time hiking in Shenandoah National Park and
surrounding areas. I’ve seen quite a few #bears and I’ve followed one
down the trail. I’ve been growled at by a mother bear when I
unknowingly came between her and her cubs. This is going somewhere
related to #cybersecurity. I promise.
You can’t outrun a bear. Climbing a tree won’t help. If a bear
actually decides to attack you, the odds are not in your favor, but
fortunately they almost never attack. The old joke goes “I don’t have
to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you” because, presumably the
bear will catch your slower partner, stop, and not bother you when you
both decide to run for it in violation of bear encounter best
practices.
“I’m passionate about…” I’ve always hated that phrase. Because I
thought it was fake. I thought it was trendy. I’ve reflexively reacted
against trendy things for decades. Pet Rocks, Disco, TED talks,
cryptocurrency… But I am coming to see what the phrase is getting
at. And I think I like it.
In a work world where human beings are called “resources”, where
intelligent, creative, inquisitive, motivated people are subjected to
management practices derived from 19th century steel mills and
automotive assembly line production, the phrase “I’m passionate
about…” is (can be) an attempt to re-assert humanity.