Delusion, Realism, and Compassion

Run toward the dream, stay close to who you are

When I was twenty-eight, I briefly dated a hairdresser (my long-time subscribers/friends will remember this saga—shout out Shampoo Avenue B). He told me that he wasn’t a hairstylist; he was a sculptor who did hairstyling.

One sculpture could take him weeks or months, so he liked to have the instant gratification of a completed haircut to balance the delayed gratification of creating a new sculpture.

Which made me realize I was a writer and entrepreneur who did “Chief of Staffing.” Delusion and realism. Instant money in the bank versus long-term satisfaction.

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about leaving behind an old version of me with a breakup.

But after catching up with many friends who are artists, entrepreneurs, senior-level executives at public companies, friends, neighbors, and random social media people over the past three weeks, I’ve realized something else.

I’m not leaving behind a version of myself, but I’ve always had the pull of two people within me. And it turns out everyone I spoke to does too: the Delusional Self and the Realistic Self.

Both of these selves want you to live a good life. They just go about it in two opposing ways: