Humans are walking contradictions
We are walking contradictions. And if you’re building anything for people—this matters.
In a recent survey I ran, I asked people how today’s social climate is affecting them.
92% believe we are in a crisis, 75% said it was directly impacting their lives, 100% identified with “action-oriented” personality traits. Yet only 5% said they were doing anything about it—through civic action, organizing, or even changing their work.
There’s a gap between how we see ourselves and how we act. And it isn’t just personal psychology. It’s the kind of insight that can make or break a product, service, or movement.
As someone who works at the intersection of innovation and human insight, I see this pattern all the time:
People say they value sustainability but won’t pay more for eco-options.
They want brands to take a stand, but feel uncomfortable when things get “too political.”
They express loyalty, but easily switch when convenience wins.
Here’s a recent personal account:
At a recent dinner, the conversation (without getting explicitly political) turned to a collective sense of helplessness—constitutional, economic, cultural. A few days later, I walked with a friend recently riffed from USAID who’s now focused on grassroots impact.
The contrast hit hard.
I asked myself:
Do I care about the state of the world? Yes.
Do I believe change is needed? Yes.
Do I think of myself as action-oriented? Absolutely.
Am I taking civic action? …No.
That discomfort led to a small (non-scientific) research dive. Most participants (76%) say they are responding to the social climate through individual control, like positivity in the house, economic frugality, spending boycotts, cleaning the home, etc. A text from a friend who took the survey stuck with me:
“I had to kind of admit to the fact that I’m a little boring and not as involved as I like thinking I am.”
We all tell stories about ourselves—and as builders, strategists, and marketers, we often take those stories at face value. But real insight lives in the contradiction.
I’m still exploring the “why” behind this dissonance. Some early hypotheses:
“I want to help, but I don’t know where to start.”
“My small actions matter in the bigger picture.”
“That’s not my role—others do that kind of thing.”
Maybe you see another explanation? I’d love to hear it.
And if you need someone who gets to the bottom of what people really think, feel, and do—so you can build the right thing—I’d love to connect.