What is your motto?
If dogma doesn’t make sense, the only rational response is heresy!
I was interviewed for a feature article this week.
Well, it wasn’t exactly an interview, but a list of questions I could choose from and write responses for five and submit back for publication. Since it was my first interview ever, I’ll assume that's how interviews work.
The questions were fluffy such as What motivates you, What are your hobbies, What talent would you most like to have? Plenty of space to write content with an opportunity to make it fun, so I enjoyed the process.
However, one question stood out to me above all others. What is your motto?
What is a motto?
Universities have mottos, usually written in Latin so alumni have the privilege of explaining to anyone who doesn’t speak Latin.
A co-worker once asked if I knew what Lux et Veritas meant, which was the motto of his university so I replied, “It means ‘I am a delicious cheese sandwich’”. He never asked me to translate Latin again and I that consider one of my greater accomplishments in life.
“I am a delicious cheese sandwich”
States in the USA have mottos too and some are more memorable than others. For instance, Rhode Island's motto is Hope, and the motto for Texas is Friendship, so I suspect they were not truly invested in the motto-making process and wanted to end the session early and play a few holes of golf.
However, New Hampshire Live Free or Die is 100% Original American Gangster! Can’t you hear the musket and cannon balls flying? With a motto like that, Hardtack and black coffee must be the state delicacy!
Values and Principles
Mottos are (or should be) compressed values and principles statements that represent what an organization believes and aspires to be. Universities and states have mottos, but do individuals have mottos? Should they? Would anyone choose ‘What is your motto?’ to respond to an interview? Well, I chose it, and I responded…
“If dogma doesn’t make sense, the only rational response is heresy!”
Feeling rather clever about that, I shared it as a post on LinkedIn and got a reply from Jeremiah Steven.
“might get ya killed tho”
Well, I didn’t think of that, but ain’t it the truth?! Getting killed is my least favorite thing so I try to avoid it. But I’ve never had a motto before, so I thought I might amend it to be more truthful.
“If dogma doesn’t make sense, the only rational response is heresy! Except when torture, death, or minor incovience is a likely possibility, then the only rational response is silence.”
It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Might be better in Latin, but you get the point. Values and principles do not have the word ‘Except’ because when they do, they are no longer values, principles, or mottos.
What is your motto?
What are your values and principles? Do you have a motto? Post your motto (current, or newly created) in the comments. What beliefs define you and guide how you interact with the world? Please share!
