Listening to someone is not the same as agreeing with themPublished inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter3 min readJust now-- Be safe this weekendIssue #243: literary rejections, good storytelling, and unconscious envyIm guessing some of you saw this, but: Yesterday, at former U.S. President Jimmy Carters funeral, Barack Obama was seated next to Donald Trump. They were in the second row, behind Kamala Harris and surrounded by all 5 living U.S. presidents.The history of animosity between these two goes back three election cycles, and its not pretty. In 2012, Trump tweeted that Obamas birth certificate was fraudulent (its not). While campaigning in 2016, he referred to Obama as ignorant, a disaster, and the founder of ISIS. And recently, Obama finished a campaign tour for Kamala Harris presidential candidacy in which he argued that Trumps approach to politics is divisive and would be dangerous for the U.S. Its not an exaggeration to say their political careers have been partially built on tearing each other down, or at least positioning themselves as the better alternative.Yet, they seemed to get along fine yesterday. Maybe even more than fine. Trump told a joke (?) and Obama laughed. Obama whispered something back to him later in the ceremony.Image credit: CSPANThis made news. It surprised people. Some read the moment as hypocritical or sinister in some way, evidence that Americas leaders are unprincipled. Thats one take. A more positive perspective is that basic humanity transcends politics, which is actually pretty refreshing (to me, at least) right now, when everything from raging wildfires to private companies content moderation policies are immediately politicized to score Internet Points. Yes, its normal to be cordial toward your seatmate at a funeral. This shouldnt be controversial? Funerals are reminders that, no matter who youre dunking on today, no matter what power or money youve won or lost, our time here is short and most of this will be forgotten.(Small caveat to note the event was not grudge-less! Karen Pence and George W. Bush apparently both refused to shake Donald Trumps hand, though Bush did give Obama an amusing belly tap at one point.)Remember theres a time and place to disagree, wrote Saul Austerlitz on Medium a few years ago, in a story about how to talk to someone whos opinions you cant stand. Listening, even laughing with someone, is not the same as agreeing with them. Maybe thats a useful distinction to take with us into the weekend. Harris SockelWhat else were readingThe only way to get better is to fail first which, in YA author Dr. Casey Lawrences case, means facing 100 literary rejections last year (and celebrating them).The defining elements of great novels specificity, conflict, characters are the same ones that uplevel any type of communication, from company presentations to emails to strategy docs. Get yourself a hero and something they believe in, even if its just for your company all-hands. (Amy Widdowson, Mediums VP of Comms)Gaming historian Felipe Pepe traces the gentrification of video game history, and how not everyone grew up with N64 and Pokemon. Its less about the erasure of individual games than ways of playing (and interacting with people) like gaming in public at internet cafes as an alternative to exclusively playing at home. Your daily dose of practical wisdomSometimes, irritation is a form of unconscious envy. (J Snyder Art)