Peak Fever

In the last few months, I’ve come to realize that in our 20’s, a lot of us get what I call “peak fever.”

Symptoms of peak fever include ruthless self-absorbance, a condescending attitude, thinking that you’re Mother Teresa after working for a non-profit for a year, thinking that you’re Steve Jobs after presenting a Powerpoint using the 10-20-30 rule, and a propensity to discuss how big your ideas are while completely dismissing somebody else’s.

Peak fever is merely a byproduct of ambition. It is deeply rooted in Machiavellian physics and afflicts nearly 2 out of 5 working professionals in the entrepreneurship/marketing fields between the ages of 22-28.

If you have a friend who is a 24-year old CEO, watch out, for 9 out of 10 cases reported have been from cases involving individuals with highly inflated job titles and bank accounts stemming from their parents money.

If you’re a priviliged suburban 20-something living near Palo Alto, CA, keep your ego in check please. We all have ideas and we will all hopefully run something successful with the potential to change the world. Perhaps things work better when you respect somebody else’s idea and you collaborate.

Ah, collaboration and respect for one another’s ideas. What a notion.