There are two reasons why an angler is the best person to deal with rejection. First, you have the willingness to be alone. Silent mornings between angler and river bank are a great way to teach independence. Second, and more importantly, is perseverance through long periods where no fish are caught. Missed opportunities train a fisherman not to focus on catching a the big one but, instead, to enjoy the experience. A nibble signals a “momentary understanding” that a fish could be caught – they are always prepared for disappointment.

I feel that this preparation for disappointed is fundamental to understanding in other realms. As soon as you feel that you’ve grasped an idea, something tears it apart. I just tweeted that “the only thing standing in the way of me making sense is analysis.” In other words, things aren’t simple. When I make a statement about the state of things I’m always aware that it’s temporary. The things I’ve often thought about the most are the most unclear to me.

I have an internal framework that I use to judge how much someone has thought about an issue.

• Lightly – Here, it’s all about reactions and how an issue is relevant to the speaker’s situation.
• Moderately – This stage introduces analysis of a problem with evidence that goes beyond personal experience.
• Heavily – At this stage, the speaker understands the controversies, the opposing sides and has taken a position. It’s more about irony and persuasion of a particular side than statements of fact. When a person is flippant about serious things, I always think they know what they are talking about.

I stick by the philosophy of building skills not knowledge. And, that we certainty runs thin with time. Learn and re-learn.