Cultural cues

What is a cue? It is a signal to the rest of the world in how to behaive. Going to the opera doesn’t have a dress code and yet, almost everyone there is dressed in a tux or gown.

Going to work has social cues. In the home, there are cues everywhere. You’ll find toys in a home full of children not expensive vases.

The problem with cues is we treat them like laws. If things look like this, I should act like that. We are always looking for a way to behaive because of our deep desire to fit in.

What about when AI wipes out a job market? What are those cues?

What about when social media becomes unreadable (which lets be honest already is) because of all the fake news that is spreads? What is the signal then?

The point is, the world continues to change at a pace no one can be competent at. And the world the last 200 years was built of competence. Anyone who goes to university can attest, it is less about learning as it is to demonstrate you can be competent at the tasks you will be given.

The culture cue of demonstrating competence is dead. If all you can show to get a job is a resume, how does one stand out? You can’t. You have to show your work. What projects you have completed, what your portfolio looks like, what can you point to and say, “This is me.” A social media account isn’t enough. Short cutting to making it seem like you have a brand isn’t doing much either.

The cue is a signal. And the signal is noisy. It isn’t easy to pick up because it isn’t making it clear what to do next. When it isn’t clear, the answer is simple:

Pick yourself. Get going.