All Systems Red

Three years into a career, still certain someone will notice you're faking it.

Of course, I still know nothing about finance. People at the bus stop know more about finance than me. Schoolchildren know more than me. I’ve been doing this job for three years now, and I’m still expecting someone to catch me out.

Confessions of a Shopaholic · Sophie Kinsella

How much of your character is just a container you were poured into?

We want to imagine that people are consistent, steady, stable. We define who they are, create descriptions to lock them on a page, divide them up by their likes, talents, beliefs. Then we pretend some—perhaps most—are better than we are, because they stick to their definitions, while we never quite fit ours. Truth is, people are as fluid as time is. We adapt to our situation like water in a strangely shaped jug, though it might take us a little while to ooze into all the little nooks. Because we adapt, we sometimes don’t recognize how twisted, uncomfortable, or downright wrong the container is that we’ve been told to inhabit.

Tress of the Emerald Sea · Brandon Sanderson

A creation story for anyone who suspects it was a mistake.

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy · Douglas Adams