one of the things that I learned from doing Design Matters from my guest Danny Shapiro, and I think I mentioned this in part one of my interview with Tim; confidence is overrated. Danny Shapiro has said that what is more important than confidence is courage.

Shame on the man of cultivated taste who permits refinement to develop into a fastidiousness that unfits him for doing the rough work of a workaday world!

I think authenticity is a crock, and I think authenticity is overrated and talked about far too much. The problem with authenticity is it’s selfish. Authenticity enables us to say whatever we want and if people don’t like it, well I was just being authentic. It is a ticket to self-absorbed inconsistency, and I don’t think anybody we serve wants that.

What I want to talk to you about today is the difference between gifts and choices. Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy — they're given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you're not careful, and if you do, it'll probably be to the detriment of your choices.

Putting my grandchildren to bed.

Surrounded by my great-great-grandchildren.

I had to ask people about this, because I couldn’t think of anything, and the consensus seems to be: a general lack of self-awareness.

Some of the worst advice I've been given doesn't sort of sound like terrible advice. And maybe it's the way I've internalized the advice. Always stand up for your principles is probably good advice. The way I've internalized it is burn your bridges. So I think that--you know what I mean?

A sense of humor, integrity, intelligence. Also, factual accuracy.