The puzzling gap between how old you are and how old you think you are
ABC 163: On why it's hard to ever feel your age
I did my first full-length interview about the book this week. It went well, and I’m excited for you to read it. But as I do more press, it has me thinking about exposure.
Exposure is ostensibly the goal of the run-up to a book lunch. The more people who know about the book, the more people will read it. But this increased exposure has me feeling, well, exposed. With greater visibility comes the potential for greater scrutiny—both from the public and from myself.
During interviews like this, I vacillate between the confidence of someone who has spent years researching and reporting the topics on which I’m now considered “an expert” and the terror of a kid yelling, “I don’t know, why don’t you ask a grown-up?!”
A few weeks ago, The Atlantic published a piece on why it’s hard to ever feel your age. It’s the kind of article that wedges itself in your mind. At every age, I imagine, some of the same questions linger: Am I doing this right? Do I know what I’m talking about, who I am?
Here’s the piece: The puzzling gap between how old you are and how old you think you are
Book updates:
Here’s the WIRED interview: Tech Layoffs Reveal Americans Unhealthy Obsession with Work.
My publisher also created a PDF excerpt of the book’s introduction, which I’m excited to be able to share with you. You can read it for free here.
On Tuesday evening, I’m hosting an open conversation about work and identity with this cool startup trying to bring the French literary salon into the Internet age.
Warmly,
Simo
P.S. The song of the week is some toe-tapping indie rock that reminds me of high school joy rides with all the windows down. The full songs of the week playlist is here.