This LinkedIn post was inspired by a number of postings I began seeing on that platform where people decided to buck convention and say things that we've all been told not to say in a professional setting. This posting was the moment I broke the chain.

For years, I’ve approached LinkedIn like a well-trained dog—Pavlovian style:
Cautious. Tail tucked. Bell rings—act “professional.”

Conditioned.

I’ve been on here a while, and I’ve brought with me everything I was taught about how to act in a “professional setting.” Think before liking something. Watch what you say. Keep things neutral. Keep it “safe.”

I think I was wrong.

Recently, a couple of posts challenged that mindset. They said LinkedIn is changing—that we can show up as full people here. That was the first break in the chain. Then I found myself hesitating—thinking twice before engaging with posts I agreed with—because they were “too political,” “too controversial,” or “might not look good.”

What would my employer think?
What would a potential employer think?

Well, you know what?
That kind of wishy-washy horse manure is exactly why we’re in the mess we’re in.

So this is me breaking my own rules.

I’ve had three personal no-go zones on LinkedIn for years:

1. No politics
2. No controversial opinions
3. No showing weakness or failure

I’m breaking all three today.

Politics:

The current executive administration in the U.S. has crossed a line into authoritarianism that should alarm every red-blooded American—regardless of political affiliation. If you care about democracy, liberty, or basic decency, now’s the time to push back. Not tomorrow. Yesterday.

Controversial Opinion:

The modern professional world has jumped the shark. We’ve created a culture where greed and mediocrity run the show. We worship billionaires. We shame the poor. We pollute the earth and our minds and pretend there’s no alternative—because we’re terrified of not surviving outside the machine. Our professional culture is what created the primordial ooze that enabled the current executive administration (see Politics.)

My Weaknesses:

I don’t have it all together—never have, and probably never will.
I don’t always know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it.
I forget things. I get scared. I make mistakes.
Sometimes I don’t feel good at anything.

This LinkedIn post was inspired by a number of postings I began seeing on that platform where people decided to buck convention and say things that we've all been told not to say in a professional setting. This posting was the moment I broke the chain.

For years, I’ve approached LinkedIn like a well-trained dog—Pavlovian style:
Cautious. Tail tucked. Bell rings—act “professional.”

Conditioned.

I’ve been on here a while, and I’ve brought with me everything I was taught about how to act in a “professional setting.” Think before liking something. Watch what you say. Keep things neutral. Keep it “safe.”

I think I was wrong.

Recently, a couple of posts challenged that mindset. They said LinkedIn is changing—that we can show up as full people here. That was the first break in the chain. Then I found myself hesitating—thinking twice before engaging with posts I agreed with—because they were “too political,” “too controversial,” or “might not look good.”

What would my employer think?
What would a potential employer think?

Well, you know what?
That kind of wishy-washy horse manure is exactly why we’re in the mess we’re in.

So this is me breaking my own rules.

I’ve had three personal no-go zones on LinkedIn for years:

1. No politics
2. No controversial opinions
3. No showing weakness or failure

I’m breaking all three today.

Politics:

The current executive administration in the U.S. has crossed a line into authoritarianism that should alarm every red-blooded American—regardless of political affiliation. If you care about democracy, liberty, or basic decency, now’s the time to push back. Not tomorrow. Yesterday.

Controversial Opinion:

The modern professional world has jumped the shark. We’ve created a culture where greed and mediocrity run the show. We worship billionaires. We shame the poor. We pollute the earth and our minds and pretend there’s no alternative—because we’re terrified of not surviving outside the machine. Our professional culture is what created the primordial ooze that enabled the current executive administration (see Politics.)

My Weaknesses:

I don’t have it all together—never have, and probably never will.
I don’t always know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it.
I forget things. I get scared. I make mistakes.
Sometimes I don’t feel good at anything.