Don't get sucked into the vortex

Protect your peace and your carpets

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving,
and that's your own self.”

–Aldous Huxley

Beyond your basic responsibilities, there are probably one hundred-thousand unsolved problems at your place of work. Linger too long around the water cooler, and you might be invited to help solve one of them. And while being recognized as a savior is flattering, it may also be a slippery slope into an unflushable toilet. Not every invitation merits a réponse, s’il vous plaît. Don’t get sucked into the vortex.

One problem with Other People’s Problems is how they tend to stick to other problems—that you understand even less. It’s what Gordon Mackenzie describes as a “giant hairball” in his must-read book for any creative person trapped in a corporate labyrinth.

You think it’s altruism coaxing you into that gaping morass? Heed my hairdresser’s brutal riposte when I once admitted an inability to walk by a mirror without inspecting it: “That’s vanity, honey.” It may feel like e…