Breadcrumbs

The novice of virtue is tempted by dreams of heroic acts, just as the novice sculptor daydreams of palatial monuments, or other grand work. But the master sculptor is extraordinary not because he has been commissioned for monumental bronzes (which may never happen), but because he labors over every small detail.

These are all breadcrumbs. If you are going to work and learn (and live), it is beneficial to think about how you can leave a trail.

One aspect of life, somewhat neglected in the digital age, is the desire to see and be seen. We should not only desire that others find us, we need them to. We need jobs, relationships, friends, and all other kinds of connections. Though it sometimes feels that these connections are assigned at random, it is never true, they are always the product of someone’s efforts. Trivially, hiding in a basement yields zero connections. Even going to the store is more fruitful. As I mentioned a few years ago, the cost of going to a cafe every single day is cheap, if it means you find your wife. Or put another way, the act of only drinking coffee at home can save some money, but can come at a non-financial cost. You want others to find you. And when they do, you want to be able to give them something.

If you spend a lot of time online or making things, it’s good to find a way to leave these breadcrumbs. The trail of your digital self should be interesting. If you use social media, you should ensure it makes your goals, desires, projects — if not clear, at least worth stumbling upon.

The use of social media to share — what you are learning, what you are doing, what you have done — is a simple way to see and be seen. But it is also a way to use it virtuously. Let nothing you do be done carelessly.