Lots to enjoy and unpack, but solidarity on the “too many pokes” as a kid experience that turned into needle phobia. I also had that, and would get shocky any time I had a blood draw or vaccination.
Then pregnancy. And between having enough competent experiences and lots of repetition…I now have zero qualms.
I was scrolling LinkedIn , and this post is the only one that I opened to read instead of all the Ai ones. what got me related is the not the idiot part but the struggle to accept not knowing something, the judgement of not being the intelligent one and that how self awareness is a boon but you know you don't know and don't want to enact any more . a silence is better than proving anyone that I have an opinion for you to judge. every example was so relatable.
Dear Julie — sorry to bother you again! I left a comment a while ago, asking about translating this post "I am an idiot" into Chinese, and I figured it probably got lost in the shuffle.
Quick recap: I run a small personal WeChat account (around 200 readers , no ads, just a place I share things and learnings around design). Your piece really resonates me and I'd love to share it with Chinese readers who can't read your English post easily. I'd credit you clearly at the top and link back to the original, and the translation would stay faithful to your work — no edits to your ideas.
If you're okay with it, even a one-word reply would work. If not, and I totally understand — I'll just keep it as personal reading notes and won't bother you again. ;D
Thanks either way! Looking forward to hearing from you.
Seldom do I take the time to print out a Substack article. This one resonated with me in a strange manner. I am in my late 60s. The whole AI experience is over the top most of the time. Does that mean I'm an idiot? Probably by some standards, yes. I was taught the word "idiot" just wasn't very nice. But I found myself using it after the show Raymond came out. Debra's usage of the term thrilled me! I have a prominent idiot in my life! (I"m married! lol) I'm adding this column to my "someday in the future file."
In regard to your fear of being poked by needles. I have had to take my own unique method to get my blood draws preformed. I have had so many labs in the past year, and so many imcompetent phlebotomists. I now take control. I tell them where to take my blood. If they can't get it right, I will guide the needle myself. It's my body! And I'm having it done my way. When they have to have the cardiac team come into draw blood, someone doesn't know what they are doing!
Thank you. Really enjoyed this piece. I restacked it with the following comments.
Knowing what you don't know is not humility. It is the highest cognitive function available to a human being.
Vygotsky called the space between what you can do alone and what you can do with the right support the Zone of Proximal Development. Feuerstein spent his career arguing that the mediator's job is to find that edge and work it deliberately. Not to fill in the gap. To build the capacity to close it.
The question is whether we are using AI to find that edge or to avoid it entirely. Because those two things produce completely opposite outcomes and they look identical from the outside.
I am using AI and Substack as thinking partners to work that question out loud. Julie Zhuo is asking exactly the right thing. I am trying to figure out what the answer looks like when you apply a child development lens to it.
My name is Linxi, a UX designer based in Shanghai. I have read your book "The Making of a Manager" and have been a longtime reader for your blog. I have taken a first pass to translate this blog post into Chinese, and I'm seeking your permission to post the Chinese version on my personal WeChat Account. I share design-related ideas and personal notes on this WeChat account.
I'd ensure that the translation is for learning purposes and non-commercial. I'll credit you as the original author and link back to your blog post. And I'd really love to send you the translated version with you before publishing. If you have any requirements or only want to translate an excerpt, I'm fine with that too. Would you be open to this request? Thank you for considering - either way, thank you so much for the writing and sharing. The article was really inspiring and cheering.
Looking forward to hearing from you. You may contact me via linxi_li@outlook.com. Thank you!
I really admire and resonate with your ending. To the list of famous people, I kept coming back to Richard Feynman. I'm reading his book at the moment and his self-deprecation feels very liberating - to explore, to have fun, to learn something new that no one is paying attention to. Just jumping on opportunities and figuring it out
Lots to enjoy and unpack, but solidarity on the “too many pokes” as a kid experience that turned into needle phobia. I also had that, and would get shocky any time I had a blood draw or vaccination.
Then pregnancy. And between having enough competent experiences and lots of repetition…I now have zero qualms.
“Exhibit A: famous people who have said they were ding-dongs:” — I love this sentence so much! And the rest of the essay as well.
I was scrolling LinkedIn , and this post is the only one that I opened to read instead of all the Ai ones. what got me related is the not the idiot part but the struggle to accept not knowing something, the judgement of not being the intelligent one and that how self awareness is a boon but you know you don't know and don't want to enact any more . a silence is better than proving anyone that I have an opinion for you to judge. every example was so relatable.
Dear Julie — sorry to bother you again! I left a comment a while ago, asking about translating this post "I am an idiot" into Chinese, and I figured it probably got lost in the shuffle.
Quick recap: I run a small personal WeChat account (around 200 readers , no ads, just a place I share things and learnings around design). Your piece really resonates me and I'd love to share it with Chinese readers who can't read your English post easily. I'd credit you clearly at the top and link back to the original, and the translation would stay faithful to your work — no edits to your ideas.
If you're okay with it, even a one-word reply would work. If not, and I totally understand — I'll just keep it as personal reading notes and won't bother you again. ;D
Thanks either way! Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Linxi
Yes!
thank you. this might be my favorite thing you've ever written! how freeing this framing is!
Seldom do I take the time to print out a Substack article. This one resonated with me in a strange manner. I am in my late 60s. The whole AI experience is over the top most of the time. Does that mean I'm an idiot? Probably by some standards, yes. I was taught the word "idiot" just wasn't very nice. But I found myself using it after the show Raymond came out. Debra's usage of the term thrilled me! I have a prominent idiot in my life! (I"m married! lol) I'm adding this column to my "someday in the future file."
In regard to your fear of being poked by needles. I have had to take my own unique method to get my blood draws preformed. I have had so many labs in the past year, and so many imcompetent phlebotomists. I now take control. I tell them where to take my blood. If they can't get it right, I will guide the needle myself. It's my body! And I'm having it done my way. When they have to have the cardiac team come into draw blood, someone doesn't know what they are doing!
Congrats on learning to work with your fear!
Lovely read, thank you. Your perspective on embracing shortcomings is sort of like the 'anti-hustle'. I am now hungry for some FHCs though.
Thank you. Really enjoyed this piece. I restacked it with the following comments.
Knowing what you don't know is not humility. It is the highest cognitive function available to a human being.
Vygotsky called the space between what you can do alone and what you can do with the right support the Zone of Proximal Development. Feuerstein spent his career arguing that the mediator's job is to find that edge and work it deliberately. Not to fill in the gap. To build the capacity to close it.
The question is whether we are using AI to find that edge or to avoid it entirely. Because those two things produce completely opposite outcomes and they look identical from the outside.
I am using AI and Substack as thinking partners to work that question out loud. Julie Zhuo is asking exactly the right thing. I am trying to figure out what the answer looks like when you apply a child development lens to it.
Dear Julie,
My name is Linxi, a UX designer based in Shanghai. I have read your book "The Making of a Manager" and have been a longtime reader for your blog. I have taken a first pass to translate this blog post into Chinese, and I'm seeking your permission to post the Chinese version on my personal WeChat Account. I share design-related ideas and personal notes on this WeChat account.
I'd ensure that the translation is for learning purposes and non-commercial. I'll credit you as the original author and link back to your blog post. And I'd really love to send you the translated version with you before publishing. If you have any requirements or only want to translate an excerpt, I'm fine with that too. Would you be open to this request? Thank you for considering - either way, thank you so much for the writing and sharing. The article was really inspiring and cheering.
Looking forward to hearing from you. You may contact me via linxi_li@outlook.com. Thank you!
Best regards,
Linxi
I really admire and resonate with your ending. To the list of famous people, I kept coming back to Richard Feynman. I'm reading his book at the moment and his self-deprecation feels very liberating - to explore, to have fun, to learn something new that no one is paying attention to. Just jumping on opportunities and figuring it out