NGM Thoughts 12: On Cheese
What is something from your childhood that you fundamentally believed was gross and now you quite enjoy? Brussel sprouts? Dark chocolate? Do you remember your first sip of alcohol? Whether beer or wine or spirit—did you spit it out?
For me it was soft or exotic cheeses. Straight up, I was a cheddar or die kind of guy.
I was recently chatting with a brilliant woman of colour about a panel that I will be moderating soon. We were talking about the challenges of diversity in the workforce and she said two things that really struck me. The first:
“The challenge of diversity is that I may have to change what I believe to be true.”
Our taste buds change over time as we mature and get exposed to more and more food and our old protective taste buds die off. Thankfully someone (can’t remember who, but bless them) exposed me to cheese beyond my old faithful. Now I’m not sure where I’d be without a good brie, a salty manchego, or a squeaky paneer.
Our opinions of things change over time as we get exposed to them more too. Think of stereotypes as the averse taste buds in this case.
The second thing this woman said was something like:
“Diversity is an individual responsibility, not an organizational mandate.”
What we dove into from this was around whether or not we as people live diverse lives. For me, I look at those I surround myself with, and it’s pretty easy to live a diverse life. My best friend is Caribbean, my business partner is Chinese-Filipino, two of my other close friends are Sri Lankan and Guyanese respectively, I’ve lived in Germany and Brazil as an adult, I speak 2.5 languages and I think I’m the only white person to eat ackee and saltfish at a Jamaican restaurant in Calgary. That being said, I will never stop at tokenism. I love learning about people and cultures and will continue to seek new connections and experiences—whether that’s watching Huang’s World on Vice or a new cheese board.
Bring some umami into your life. From simple things like when was the last time you watched a movie in a language that was not English? Or ate at a new ethnic restaurant for the sake of it? After all, diversity is your responsibility, and not just your company or manager’s.
P.S. Wrap some Brie in a some phyllo pastry and throw it in the oven for 15–20 mins, serve with some chutney and boom!
Written by Next Gen Men Co-Founder Jake Stika as part of a personal challenge to share some of our reflections around what it means to be a better man in today’s day and age. Join us every Friday for NGM Thoughts.