John Crosby
@jccrosby.com
Figuring out how to stop being a human-doing.
🤝 Building software, leading teams, and making things work.
Ex-chef turned engineer. 🍷🍳
💪 Kettlebells & fly fishing. 🎣
#ROLLTIDE 🐘
📍 Opinions are my own.
🤝 Building software, leading teams, and making things work.
Ex-chef turned engineer. 🍷🍳
💪 Kettlebells & fly fishing. 🎣
#ROLLTIDE 🐘
📍 Opinions are my own.
The absence of malice doesn't mean the absence of harm. Impact matters even when intent was good. Make room for both truths.
January 19, 2026 at 2:34 PM
The absence of malice doesn't mean the absence of harm. Impact matters even when intent was good. Make room for both truths.
Seek out voices from different backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives. Not as tokens, but as teachers. You don't know what you don't know.
January 18, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Seek out voices from different backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives. Not as tokens, but as teachers. You don't know what you don't know.
If your solution only works for people exactly like you, it's not a solution—it's a preference. Think bigger.
January 17, 2026 at 2:34 PM
If your solution only works for people exactly like you, it's not a solution—it's a preference. Think bigger.
"I hadn't considered that" is one of the most powerful phrases in human conversation. Use it when you mean it.
January 16, 2026 at 2:34 PM
"I hadn't considered that" is one of the most powerful phrases in human conversation. Use it when you mean it.
When someone shares something difficult, don't immediately compare it to your experience. Just listen. There's time for your story later.
January 15, 2026 at 2:34 PM
When someone shares something difficult, don't immediately compare it to your experience. Just listen. There's time for your story later.
Privilege is real, but so is pain. Someone's advantages in one area don't negate their struggles in another. People are complicated.
January 14, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Privilege is real, but so is pain. Someone's advantages in one area don't negate their struggles in another. People are complicated.
If you're only talking to people like you, you're not building understanding—you're building a bunker. Get out of the bunker.
January 13, 2026 at 2:34 PM
If you're only talking to people like you, you're not building understanding—you're building a bunker. Get out of the bunker.
Disagree with the idea, not the person. "I see it differently" lands better than "You're wrong." Both can be honest, but one keeps the door open.
January 12, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Disagree with the idea, not the person. "I see it differently" lands better than "You're wrong." Both can be honest, but one keeps the door open.
Ask: Who's missing from this conversation? Whose voice isn't here? What might they say? Seek those perspectives out.
January 11, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Ask: Who's missing from this conversation? Whose voice isn't here? What might they say? Seek those perspectives out.
Your perspective is shaped by where you sit. Someone in a different situation sees things you can't. That's not wrong—that's geometry.
January 10, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Your perspective is shaped by where you sit. Someone in a different situation sees things you can't. That's not wrong—that's geometry.
Build a personal information diet. Academic sources, primary documents, established journalism, credible experts in the field, and yes—different perspectives. All of it together.
January 1, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Build a personal information diet. Academic sources, primary documents, established journalism, credible experts in the field, and yes—different perspectives. All of it together.
Ask follow-up questions. "Okay, but why?" Keep going. "And then?" "But what about?" The first answer is rarely the complete answer.
December 31, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Ask follow-up questions. "Okay, but why?" Keep going. "And then?" "But what about?" The first answer is rarely the complete answer.
Look at timelines and context. When was this said? What was happening then? Has the situation changed? Old data doesn't always apply to new circumstances.
December 30, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Look at timelines and context. When was this said? What was happening then? Has the situation changed? Old data doesn't always apply to new circumstances.
Distinguish between different types of claims: factual (testable), moral (subjective but reasoned), predictive (likely but uncertain). Different claims need different standards.
December 29, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Distinguish between different types of claims: factual (testable), moral (subjective but reasoned), predictive (likely but uncertain). Different claims need different standards.
Check for hidden assumptions. "If X, then Y" assumes that nothing else matters. What else might matter? What would change the outcome?
December 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Check for hidden assumptions. "If X, then Y" assumes that nothing else matters. What else might matter? What would change the outcome?
Read with steel-manning in mind. Try to understand why intelligent people believe this. What do they see that you might be missing? Then disagree if you still do.
December 27, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Read with steel-manning in mind. Try to understand why intelligent people believe this. What do they see that you might be missing? Then disagree if you still do.
The burden of proof matters. Who has to prove what? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Standard claims require standard evidence. Don't demand the same bar for both.
December 26, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The burden of proof matters. Who has to prove what? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Standard claims require standard evidence. Don't demand the same bar for both.
Look for peer review and replication. Has this been tested by others? Do they get the same results? One study is a data point, not a conclusion.
December 25, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Look for peer review and replication. Has this been tested by others? Do they get the same results? One study is a data point, not a conclusion.
Understand statistical significance. A small difference in a large sample might be statistically significant but practically meaningless. Context matters.
December 24, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Understand statistical significance. A small difference in a large sample might be statistically significant but practically meaningless. Context matters.
Watch for the false consensus: "Everyone thinks..." Check that claim. Is it actually everyone or just your circle? Your algorithm? Your media diet?
December 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Watch for the false consensus: "Everyone thinks..." Check that claim. Is it actually everyone or just your circle? Your algorithm? Your media diet?
Look for common ground first. You probably agree on more than you think. Start there, then explore where you diverge. It changes the entire conversation.
December 17, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Look for common ground first. You probably agree on more than you think. Start there, then explore where you diverge. It changes the entire conversation.
Assume good faith until proven otherwise. Most people aren't trying to deceive you—they're trying to make sense of a complex world with the information they have.
December 16, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Assume good faith until proven otherwise. Most people aren't trying to deceive you—they're trying to make sense of a complex world with the information they have.
When someone shares a perspective different from yours, your first response should be curiosity, not correction. "Tell me more" opens doors that "Actually..." closes.
December 15, 2025 at 2:34 PM
When someone shares a perspective different from yours, your first response should be curiosity, not correction. "Tell me more" opens doors that "Actually..." closes.
The goal isn't to win the argument. The goal is to understand the truth together. Collaboration beats competition every time.
December 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The goal isn't to win the argument. The goal is to understand the truth together. Collaboration beats competition every time.
Someone's lived experience is data you don't have. You can question their conclusions without dismissing their reality.
December 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Someone's lived experience is data you don't have. You can question their conclusions without dismissing their reality.