I had a friend once, a young man in his 20's. He was going through a divorce and I said to him, "You must be feeling really vulnerable right now." All the blood drained from his face and he stammered like I had just accused him of a heinous crime. Perhaps I had. Vulnerability is frowned upon in our society, especially for grown men and women who hope to succeed in a "man's world."
Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend. We were talking about why some people are more successful than others in academic settings. She described one particular person as impervious. By contrast, she described the two if us as vulnerable. Success in the world of scholarship or business requires one to be well-armored and invulnerable.
I want to succeed in the world but I want to remain open and, yes, vulnerable. How does one do that?
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