On Epistemic Honesty...

Today I realized I’ll probably never climb the corporate ladder because I place a high value on epistemic honesty across all social contexts. I almost never alter my tone, play political games, or act performative. Most hierarchical social structures require some form of affectation, which is fundamentally at odds with who I am.

Even though I know we have to speak to judges differently than peers, or to a VP differently than teammates, it still makes me feel horrible. It’s so at odds with who I am, that it even gets me into trouble in professional contexts. I once left a job because my VP told me I had to “play the game” to succeed. I can’t fully silence that discomfort.

It feels like some sort of character flaw, but I’m cool with it. The irony of this post isn’t lost on me.