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Auth0 truly did an amazing job on hiring for culture, being transparent and living their values. The pre-acquisition Glassdoor reviews were astounding and back

Auth0 truly did an amazing job on hiring for culture, being transparent and living their values. The pre-acquisition Glassdoor reviews were astounding and back this up. For myself, working at auth0 was truly life altering. It was the first time I was in a long standing multi-national environment. It was the first time I was deeply exposed to other cultures and ways of living. As a side effect of working at Auth0, This exposure completely reshaped my worldview and thoughts on luck and privilege. Watching Argentina inflation fluctuate as people I spent 8 hours a day with struggle to pay their bills and provide for their families as I live stably with no worry I really internalized how much pure raw luck plays in setting us up for life: Who we’re born to and where we’re born.

EdSharkey 3y ago
Word choice can help your thinking. We all receive different struggles and decide how to respond. The way you describe your 'luck', I read as "random good fortune" tinged with some guilt for being a 'have' when there are so many 'have-not's. I prefer 'blessed', and not in the corny #blessed way, to describe my condition. To me, I was given much because so much is expected of me by God, by universe and by my higher self. The extent to which I am blessed is a component of my calling to improve the total human condition. If you lean in to that way of thinking, you obligate yourself and that can be as heavy a burden as you choose to make it. That choice and the freedom to decide how to fulfill that obligation are a part of the blessing. To naval gaze and feel guilt is natural but fruitless stinkin' thinkin'. Motivating oneself with gratitude and humbling oneself by giving glory are ways to power through guilt.
- _heimdall 3y ago
  > I prefer 'blessed', and not in the corny #blessed way, to describe my condition. To me, I was given much because so much is expected of me by God, by universe and by my higher self. How do you avoid this leading to a feeling that you, and anyone else "blessed", is more important that others? Should we really assume that the condition of one's life is an indicator of both the existence of a higher power and of that person's relative importance to it?
  - ricenews 3y ago
    Not OP, but I’ll take a crack at responding. The feeling of being “blessed” is the recognition that a substantial component of your current fortune is due to circumstances outside your control, whether due to a higher power, support from family/friends, raw luck, or the kindness of strangers. The proper and typical response to this feeling is one of gratitude, not self-importance, and the desired response is to contribute in various ways to the blessing of others (i.e. pay it forward). It’s only when we lose the salience of that “blessed” feeling, and we start to take our circumstances for granted, that leads to our feeling of greater importance than others. It’s a slippery position no doubt, but the alternative feelings are: guilt (that I’ve received unfairly), anxiety (that what I’ve received may not be enough), jealousy (that what I’ve received is not enough), or pride/self-satisfaction (that I’m primarily responsible for what I’ve received). And honestly, it’s pride that is the true gateway to that feeling of self-importance you describe.
    - remram 3y ago
      What you're describing is better captured by the word "lucky". "Blessed" is lucky plus an acknowledgement that this luck was granted to you on purpose by a higher power, so you deserved it in a karmic way (though not operational way). It really irks me too.
      - simplify 3y ago
        "Blessed" does not necessarily imply karmic nor deserving. Many Christians will say they've been blessed and recognize they don't deserve it.
        withinboredom 3y ago
        Someone/something divine must do the blessing. This is in the definition of bless, so how do you conclude it doesn't? To gain the favor of a god/goddess means the divine creature believes you deserve it, even if you don't think it to be so.
616c 3y ago
I traveled some in college to not so tourist friendly places and then worked as an expat in IT and I feel so fortunate for the same takeaways I am bitter and cynical as an American but defend the other at home and abroad because it made me keenly aware of our shared perspective It always makes me often wallow in guilt it took a privileged family to kick that off and let me learn it far away and not build up such empathy at home. When I read shared experiences like ours on the Internet it reminds me of what I think is the one true value of this tool for humanity I wish it was used for that the majority of the time by most people but oh well!

EdSharkey 3y ago

Word choice can help your thinking. We all receive different struggles and decide how to respond. The way you describe your 'luck', I read as "random good fortune" tinged with some guilt for being a 'have' when there are so many 'have-not's. I prefer 'blessed', and not in the corny #blessed way, to describe my condition. To me, I was given much because so much is expected of me by God, by universe and by my higher self. The extent to which I am blessed is a component of my calling to improve the total human condition. If you lean in to that way of thinking, you obligate yourself and that can be as heavy a burden as you choose to make it. That choice and the freedom to decide how to fulfill that obligation are a part of the blessing. To naval gaze and feel guilt is natural but fruitless stinkin' thinkin'. Motivating oneself with gratitude and humbling oneself by giving glory are ways to power through guilt.

_heimdall 3y ago
> I prefer 'blessed', and not in the corny #blessed way, to describe my condition. To me, I was given much because so much is expected of me by God, by universe and by my higher self. How do you avoid this leading to a feeling that you, and anyone else "blessed", is more important that others? Should we really assume that the condition of one's life is an indicator of both the existence of a higher power and of that person's relative importance to it?
- ricenews 3y ago
  Not OP, but I’ll take a crack at responding. The feeling of being “blessed” is the recognition that a substantial component of your current fortune is due to circumstances outside your control, whether due to a higher power, support from family/friends, raw luck, or the kindness of strangers. The proper and typical response to this feeling is one of gratitude, not self-importance, and the desired response is to contribute in various ways to the blessing of others (i.e. pay it forward). It’s only when we lose the salience of that “blessed” feeling, and we start to take our circumstances for granted, that leads to our feeling of greater importance than others. It’s a slippery position no doubt, but the alternative feelings are: guilt (that I’ve received unfairly), anxiety (that what I’ve received may not be enough), jealousy (that what I’ve received is not enough), or pride/self-satisfaction (that I’m primarily responsible for what I’ve received). And honestly, it’s pride that is the true gateway to that feeling of self-importance you describe.
  - remram 3y ago
    What you're describing is better captured by the word "lucky". "Blessed" is lucky plus an acknowledgement that this luck was granted to you on purpose by a higher power, so you deserved it in a karmic way (though not operational way). It really irks me too.
    - simplify 3y ago
      "Blessed" does not necessarily imply karmic nor deserving. Many Christians will say they've been blessed and recognize they don't deserve it.
      - withinboredom 3y ago
        Someone/something divine must do the blessing. This is in the definition of bless, so how do you conclude it doesn't? To gain the favor of a god/goddess means the divine creature believes you deserve it, even if you don't think it to be so.

616c 3y ago

I traveled some in college to not so tourist friendly places and then worked as an expat in IT and I feel so fortunate for the same takeaways I am bitter and cynical as an American but defend the other at home and abroad because it made me keenly aware of our shared perspective It always makes me often wallow in guilt it took a privileged family to kick that off and let me learn it far away and not build up such empathy at home. When I read shared experiences like ours on the Internet it reminds me of what I think is the one true value of this tool for humanity I wish it was used for that the majority of the time by most people but oh well!