It should be unacceptable for us to say that lying about one’s abilities is something that everyone has to do to get ahead. It should be unacceptable for us to say that arrogance and aggression are to be aspired to.
Instead we should be demonstrating that great projects, like the ones Apple produces, are at least in part based upon trying to produce the best thing possible, feeling the integrity in the product you’re making. Trying to do something good.
Tom Coates (plasticbag.org: Should we encourage self-promotion and lies?)
Generally good advice and the best answer so far to Clay Shirky’s sensationally titled Rant About Women.
A commenter points out:
I think what Clay’s getting at is simply: willingness to take calculated risks. His example of saying, “my drafting’s fine” in order to ensure a place in a class is a good example. It’s an obnoxiously macho thing to take badly calculated risks (e.g the financial crisis was not in any significant way caused by women, I bet), but it’s often a productive means to an end.
(via @caterina)
