Sweeping Statements: After the Dust Settles

 


In this Halcolm strip, a simple chore — cleaning a shared office — turns into a contest of cleverness. As Halcolm and a young professor try to outdo each other with ever-loftier “wise sayings,” their sweeping gets faster, louder, and more dramatic. By the end, the office is spotless… but the air is a choking cloud of dust.

It’s a perfect metaphor for what happens when ego sneaks into collaborative work. In evaluation, teaching, or any shared endeavor, we can be so eager to sound insightful that we stir up more confusion than clarity. Instead of helping the situation, we cloud the room — and our relationships — with unnecessary dust.

Sometimes the wisest move isn’t offering the smartest statement.
Sometimes it’s simply working together, gently, without the need to outperform.

Clean spaces are good. Clear air is better.

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