Are You a Rock or a Chameleon?
Is it a character flaw or an asset to be a chameleon? What about being a rock?
A rock acts consistently in most circumstances. Most people would describe interactions with such a person in a consistent way. A chameleon is someone who modifies their reactions in the face of various circumstances.
The height of luxury on a Sunday afternoon is having the time to properly catch up with people. I was so happy to connect with one of my favorite people this morning. Oliver Uberti is one of my closest collaborators. The gorgeous illustrations on the Science House website are his. He branded Mystery Jars with me, and he created the visual language for the Glyphs of the Imagination Age. We were discussing the logo for my new 3D printed jewelry line, which will launch in June.
The topic soon shifted to rocks and chameleons. Oliver mentioned that some people are rocks, stable, unshakeable by circumstance. In general, rocks are prized for their solid, predictable natures. On the other hand, chameleons are not to be fully trusted. If you’re a chameleon, able to adapt to different people and situations in a much more fluid way, then who are you, really?
It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with the shift in identity due to the permeation of connective technology and its ability to liberate our minds from the confines of many of our most crippling pre-determined physical circumstances. I created the Imagination Age as a framework for the mindset required to make this shift. The Imagination Age is a period between the Industrial Era and the Intelligence Era. Those two longer periods include everyone, to varying degrees, by default. On the other hand, you have to opt into the Imagination Age. Most of the people who opt in understand that we are required to be more chameleonic than ever. This doesn’t mean we aren’t dependable. You can depend on a chameleon to change when reality demands it, which is constantly.
Rocks run the risk of reaching a point at which the demands of reality no longer match their sturdy style. What happens then? A crisis of identity, a battle between the fixed sense of self and the new reality that has dynamically continued unfolding.
Oliver reminded me about a concept that I studied when I was younger: upaya. Roughly translated to “skillful means,” upaya is the Buddha’s rhetoric style.
“What is really means is to speak in a way that demonstrates awareness of the audience,” Oliver said.
That is the very essence of chameleonic in the Imagination Age. You don’t change who you are in each instance. You change the way you shape your message so the listener can understand.
And also, you listen. And listen, and listen.
escape artist, inventor of whimsy, designer with dirty hands
10 年I tried to be a chameleon, but I sank like a rock. But as long as I'm a rock, I can dream I have gills, fins, and a tail. Or maybe I'm just a cuddlefish that was told he was a rock. Maybe the cuddlefish just needs a reminder of what he can do and what else he can be. If he doesn't, he won't be the first fish that sank like a stone. He'll be in good company with the rest of the rocks that never woke up.
Power Responsive Manager
10 年This is one of the most interesting and relevant articles i have read. Its transferable to everyday life in and out of work! and it begs the question to everyone both on a personal level and in discussion... Who are you really? Are you just a mimic of the current situation, adapting to be who people want you to be? or are you the immovable object, but lacking in spark and creativity. The answer isnt always the one you want to hear. But can you be a bit of both... ?
Visual Storyteller at Elevation Design LLC
10 年chameleons move really slow. i'm learning to be a chameleon. I've always blended in with surrounding and adapted well to different people and personality types. the trick for me lately has been moving and adapting slow and steady and not so fast it looks like i'm trying to show anybody up (i want the team to succeed), but not so slow that i fall asleep either.
Apprentice Operator at AECOM
10 年I tend to be the rock, which I see as one of my biggest downfalls. Too many years in the military make my world black and white.
Chief Revenue Officer | Strategist | Go-to-Market | Sales | Marketing | Business Development | SaaS | PaaS | Marketplace | E-commerce |
10 年A rock would surely be too rigid in circumstances that require a chameleonic approach. Multifaceted ability to change ones attributes in any given situation gives credibility. To be a rock, supportive, solid without change brings with it challenges in an environment that requires adaptability. So for me you have to have both attributes, and your skill to adapt to either denotes your ability to succeed.