Becoming by Michelle Obama
In general, I make it a habit of swerving outside my lane occasionally when it comes to learning.
If you don’t habitually read outside your lane, you risk falling prey to groupthink. I recommend
that 10% to 20% of your reading should not develop your existing knowledge and not agree with
your worldview. I like to read books in other fields or books that “my tribe” might not read.
I recently read a book on gene editing. In 2006 I read the Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama so
I could hear about him, from him rather than the “unbiased” media.
I recently read Becoming by Michelle Obama, because I was intrigued by her and I wanted to
hear from someone outside my lane. I was not disappointed. Actually, I was disappointed, just
not with the story. You should read it, so I am not going to try to summarize the story; I am just
giving you my takeaways.
Michelle and Barak Obama sincerely love their country and the people in it. They are motivated
to improve the lives of those people. While it is reasonable to disagree with policies, I think our
politicians and the people, would be better off if we can first recognize that most of us are
genuinely interested in making our country, and our people better off.
to improve the lives of those people. While it is reasonable to disagree with policies, I think our
politicians and the people, would be better off if we can first recognize that most of us are
genuinely interested in making our country, and our people better off.
My disappointment was around the recounting of slanderous remarks made by the people and
the press about Michelle. I find it genuinely disgraceful how the left and right-leaning media
continually take comments out of context to smear their opponents. I find it sad that the people
of this great nation feed into it by consuming the hate-filled rhetoric. Truth: the networks supply
us what we want. I find it sad that we are such victims of confirmation bias that we no longer
notice when the people on “our side” are lying to us. (You probably know this but, confirmation
bias is the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.)
the press about Michelle. I find it genuinely disgraceful how the left and right-leaning media
continually take comments out of context to smear their opponents. I find it sad that the people
of this great nation feed into it by consuming the hate-filled rhetoric. Truth: the networks supply
us what we want. I find it sad that we are such victims of confirmation bias that we no longer
notice when the people on “our side” are lying to us. (You probably know this but, confirmation
bias is the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.)
I have more in common with Michelle Obama than not:
- She grew up in with a stay at home mom in a middle-class family.
- Her father passed away at a young age from a disease.
- She loves her daughters and would do anything to help them grow up well
- She studied HARD and achieved academically (okay she is smarter than me).
- She cares more about doing good in the world than amassing its treasures.
- She cares about the people around her not as fortunate as her.
- She deeply values the benefits of good education.
- She believes in healthy eating.
Maybe if we are all more focused on individual people rather than parties, tribes, races, or
whatever label people want to put on us or we want to put on others, we could all make
a lot more progress in this world.
whatever label people want to put on us or we want to put on others, we could all make
a lot more progress in this world.
