Friday, June 5, 2026 · 9:41 AM
ok dumb question: am i supposed to have a “calling” by now or is that linkedin astrology
Range would say: be careful with the calling story
Chapter 7 is basically about possible selves: tiny test versions of who you might become
possible selves sounds like a college pamphlet with stock photos
fair. think changing-room mirror, not destiny
you don’t marry the jacket because it looked good online. you try it on, walk around, notice the shoulders are weird
so careers are... jackets
Epstein’s point is that you learn fit by doing, not by staring harder at your personality quiz
wait but isn’t the adult move to pick a lane and stop wandering
😮that’s the counterintuitive bit: some wandering is how people find a lane worth committing to
Commoncog’s summary flags Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas here: they interviewed hundreds of people with winding career paths
caveat: interviews aren’t physics. but the pattern matches Epstein’s argument about messy knowledge-work careers
lots of people didn’t execute a 20-year master plan
they picked the best option nearby, learned from it, then adjusted
that sounds suspiciously like making it up as you go
the difference is feedback. “did this drain me?” “am i weirdly good here?” “do people pull me into this kind of work?”
so vibes but with a lab notebook
Epstein also leans on Dan Gilbert’s “end of history illusion”: we know we changed a lot before, then assume future-us is basically done
so a 25-year career plan can be overconfident about a person you haven’t met yet
future me is absolutely gonna be annoying
probably. give them options
where does Herminia Ibarra fit in
she’s the career-change researcher Epstein uses for the practical move: test-and-learn
try activities, meet people in the field, borrow role models, run small experiments
don’t just sit alone asking “who am i really?” like a haunted LinkedIn post
lol ok but doesn’t that excuse being flaky
only if you never measure anything
a useful experiment has a cost limit, a question, and a review date
instead of “i’m becoming a designer,” do 3 small design projects, talk to 5 working designers, and note what parts you avoid
then decide if the evidence says “more,” “nope,” or “interesting but different role”
so the goal isn’t to stay open forever
right. Range is pro-exploration because exploration can improve match quality
once the fit is real, specialization gets less brittle
this is way less romantic than “follow your passion”
good. passion is often something you recognize after a few trials, not something delivered by owl
what about the late-bloomer stories
SuperSummary points to Frances Hesselbein starting major leadership work later in life, plus other nontraditional paths
Epstein uses those stories to soften the panic clock. late doesn’t mean fake
ok what do i actually do this week
pick 1 possible self. make it small enough to test in 2 weeks
write the question first: “do i like the actual work?” not “does this sound impressive at dinner?”
then do the reps, talk to people already there, and schedule a tiny postmortem
go flirt with one possible self. responsibly
fine. no haunted linkedin post
Read Fri, Jun 5 · 10:01 AM