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proximity to things that aren’t cared for is corossive (View Highlight)

When you work day in and day out with something where Quality isn’t important, you take psychic damage. When you work with people that don’t at least share a vision of Quality, then you struggle to have happy relationships with them (View Highlight)

Upon reflection, there isn’t a quantity of money large enough to make me ditch the pursuit of Quality in the largest domains of my life. I turned down a job that would have doubled my salary last week because the person talking to me gave me slightly off vibes. Again, I am not a reasonable person. (View Highlight)

I’ve spoken to so many more experienced people that I am extremely confident in one fact - you can’t find major meaning in life at work if you work for someone else. That’s okay. In many ways it’s easier than self-employment, and you get lots of time to find the meaning elsewhere. And if you don’t get enough time, get paid more and work less. This is left as an exercise for the reader (View Highlight)

Thirdly, Quality isn’t always good for the business. Sometimes you have to ship garbage now, and that’s just how it is. If customers choose to buy something bad because something good is too expensive, well, the business may adapt and go uphill financially, but it will go downhill spiritually - but the other choice was bankruptcy, so that’s that. But honestly, at this point, just move to something Quality again. No being reasonable. (View Highlight)

And finally, Quality isn’t fun. Detecting Quality requires mastery, and mastery is like, really fucking boring sometimes. It’s just important to realize that boredom isn’t going to kill you. (View Highlight)

Even in the technology space, I’ve just crunched through like 450 pages of reading material, some of it relatively technical, because I’m hoping that the ability to see better Quality will let me work at places that have higher Quality (View Highlight)

This is probably the same in Data

It’s a rare thing, and it’s mostly worthless from a “career” standpoint: in corporateland, it doesn’t matter if you’re best or serviceable. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great accountant or an accountant. As long as the books are done, no one cares. Doesn’t meant you shouldn’t strive to be the best accountant, but you gotta live with the reality that being great at something is mainly for you. (View Highlight)

New highlights added 2023-10-09

because I, not management, have to take responsibility for the maintenance of my soul (and the same goes for you too). (View Highlight)

Peace of mind isn’t at all superficial, really,” I expound. “It’s the whole thing. That which produces it is good maintenance; that which disturbs it is poor maintenance. What we call workability of the machine is just an objectification of this peace of mind. The ultimate test’s always your own serenity. If you don’t have this when you start and maintain it while you’re working you’re likely to build your personal problems right into the machine itself.” (View Highlight)

You have to be able to work slowly and patiently, and to whatever standard your soul is happy with. (View Highlight)