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Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

jorgegalindo.me

31–40 of 260 posts

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#31
post #22

just a few people are going to miss the smartest in the room, but everyone is going to miss someone kind How is the goal of having people miss you related to achieving business goals ? On the contrary if the smartest is able to produce a lot, people are going to miss him On that topic, I’d rather have people trying to not become offended for little things, seems easier than faking kindness for personal benefits

People don't like working with jerks. I don't.

It's hard to achieve business goals if no one wants to work with each other.

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#34
"Being nice is the new punk"

I would say helping others is incredibly punk. Such as responding to chat messages requesting help in some particular coding problem. So many people will direct them to a support queue, but I love taking time to understand their issue and help them out.

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#35
post #22

just a few people are going to miss the smartest in the room, but everyone is going to miss someone kind How is the goal of having people miss you related to achieving business goals ? On the contrary if the smartest is able to produce a lot, people are going to miss him On that topic, I’d rather have people trying to not become offended for little things, seems easier than faking kindness for personal benefits

The idea is to be genuinely kind, not to fake it.

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#38

In my latest blog post, I highlight the value of kindness over intelligence in the workplace. I talk about how being kind—through listening, respecting others, showing empathy, and focusing on solutions—can significantly enhance team dynamics and productivity. While being smart is important, I believe that kindness leaves a lasting impact and creates a more positive and effective work environment.

Those actually do sound like smartness. Emotional intelligence is as important as any other.

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#39
Seems like good common sense. Listen, be respectful, keep an open mind.

To be fair does it not depend on the audience. There's a balance between the audience and an idea you want to push.

Here in YC you can probably go full on with your tech/science knowledge/ideas/theories/whatever and people will judge you purely on your points made, and the people listening are in the same boat.

In another context you may be the smartest person in the room by a long way on a topic and have something constructive to say, but no one else in the room is as competent so you cannot go full on with your YC-like comment and have to balance the knowledge/empathy available of the audience.

I guess in the end it's about ignorance busting and offering some new insights into a thing that other people can appreciate.

Re: Do not try to be the smartest in the room; try to be the kindest

#40
4 day work work, 6 hour days, better pay, the freedom to spend as much time with the people you want, doing the things you want, without fear of financial ruin or bodily injury. Thats what workers want... not for the work place to replace their family. We do not need to be friends, I do not need to be nice to you. This whining comes from people who place work over all else and need work to be something other than it is. A means to an end.

Now, I do not mean passion projects... I mean wage slavery work hell holes... My passion projects and companies are made up of people I trust, have verified their experience. We are nice to each 60% of the time- we understand the other 40% is necessary. We don't take it personally, we brush it off. We are mature professionals, not whiney day care adults.

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