I Don’t Work With Clever People Anymore

I’ve been in the research game long enough to know that intelligence isn’t what I look for anymore.

It’s empathy.

It’s quiet respect.

It’s that subtle feeling you get when someone actually sees you—not as a stepping stone or a means to an end—but as a real person.

For a long time, I assumed everyone worked like that. That if you were kind, if you cared, others would too.

But I’ve learned the hard way: not everyone plays the same game.

Some people view empathy as weakness.

Some use it.

Some never had it to begin with.

That’s why now, my only real filter is this:

Do I feel safe, respected, and…

The skinny

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