Intuitive leap

Intuitive leap is a unique Viridian Jewel that allows passives within its range to be allocated without being connected to the tree.

That's how Path of Exile's gamepedia puts it. I like Path of Exile.

Put this on now,  "https://soundcloud.com/auroracolson/les-moulins-de-mon-coeur"

8 years ago...

He dips the tea bag for the 12th time. As he keenly and reverently dips it, he asks me, "How are you so competent?"

Questions like this terrify me.

Someone, who only gets to hear, "Why you don't talk?" and similar rhetorical prompts to which I reply from a pre-computed set of answers.

This situation was different. Thankfully I have an ability to freeze time as Letho of Gulet does in Witcher 2's trailer.
When faced with nontrivial situations, I expend a charge or two.

I knee-jerked, "What do you mean?" and bought some time to decide.

He goes on, "Generally speaking, you are good at development. You appear wise in the way you talk. You are good at what you do...".

Now things were getting out of hand, so, I used a charge and stopped time.

After a lifetime (read: 21 years) of pondering in the nether realm and 5.126 seconds of supposedly real-life time, I reply, "...do good to people. Obey your Lord. That's all about it. Really..."

and we did the 13th dip of the tea bag together, on the tea stall, at the workplace.

I clearly disappointed him.

Let's go through what happened in the nether realm.

• Why would he ask this question? Probably, he is talking about my programming skills. That's all he has seen.
• Probably he saw me talk about different things in a confident manner. So, he just mistook confidence for competence. Humans do that too often.
• He didn't really ask, "Why I don't talk" ever. Maybe he is deeper than that.
• Does he want to mimic my ways?
• I am only above average at programming and the rest is because I don't talk much. So, when I do, it's consequentially a bit meaningful/important.
• Should I tell him, how much you need to bottle up to be like that?
• Should I explain it takes too much listening and no talking? and that I didn't develop that skill? It's just the outcome of a staged accident in the universe.
• Does he really know, how many things I suck at?
• Does he know what it takes? Would he be willing to pay that cost?
• Was it a choice for me ever?
• Can I really tell him to put in more hours in programming and don't socialize and overthink that you overthink a lot?
• I didn't put in the effort to be like that.
• Should I tell him, he needs to go back in time, change traits of his lineage to be like his definition of "competent"? or sever his sanity through some physical or mental trauma? or he needs to sell his soul to the devil to reverse his cognitive stack.
• He clearly can't control that and he shouldn't. He should capitalize on his strengths.
• Whatever I try to explain won't make any sense to him.
• Even if I do explain. Is being competent really needed? Am I content being this "competent"? Is this purpose of life? Would he be happy then?
• Is it not like Iqbal said
  

zarra zarra dehar ka zindani-e-taqdeer hai
parda-e-majboori-o-bechargi tadbeer hai
(Every atom of creation is a prisoner of fate;
Contrivance is the veil of constraint and helplessness.)

• Even if I suggest something good for him. It's up to the will of God whether it proves to be good for him. No good can be good for him if it isn't meant to be. No bad can be bad for him, it isn't meant to be. All advice is bad advice.
• What humans can do is, to be kind to humans. That's all I put conscious effort in. Try to obey the Lord. Maybe even that is an accident. :|
• Should I explain it all? He will think I am a nincompoop and definitely not what he believed to be.
• Let's stick to basics. Let's stick to universal truths. So, I reply, "...do good to others. Obey your Lord. That's all about it. Really..."

All of this flashes through the conscious and subconscious.

and that's how I talk.

It's like declarative programming.

An intuitive leap!

Most intuitives can't explain themselves easily. Most of the time they make intuitive leaps. They themselves need time to comprehend what they say.

Listeners are typically

• alienated
• think we are a different level stupid/wise
• wateva!!!
• and then some daring souls, still carry on the conversation. That's when we connect.

Before you sign off, give this a listen. "https://soundcloud.com/long-hoangkim/matt-monro-the-windmills-of"