I am highly sensitive to injustice, and I carry a tendency toward feeling persecuted, like someone is always trying to press down on me. I have long seen myself as an outsider. I tend to believe outsiders see things more clearly than those at the centre, though I recognise that may be my own bias speaking.

My instinct has been to change the game rather than win it. Too many people adapt to what exists in order to benefit, without questioning whether it is right or optimal. I am stubborn, but I no longer fight every battle. I choose more carefully now, which is difficult but necessary.

I understand that politics often requires compromise to get things done. At the same time, I worry that compromise can give illegitimate power too much influence over outcomes.

At a deeper level, I recognise that all of us are wronged, misunderstood, and treated imperfectly in some way, some more than others. My sense of fairness comes partly from my own experience, but it cannot stop there. We have to balance improving the world with taking responsibility for our own lives.

We are all, in some sense, victims of circumstance. But treating our suffering as unique keeps us stuck. Growth begins when we accept that no one is coming to save us. We have to own our situation and do what we can, both for ourselves and for those around us.

Coming soon