Someone may quote you — but not necessarily what you’d want them to quote.

If you’re asked for a statement, you might carefully curate what you’d like to say.

But most often, we’re not asked for statements; they’re just captured as we speak. Sometimes out of context. Often not of our choosing. That is, what someone quotes of you might not be something you’d quote yourself as saying.

The point is not to fight with this reality. Rather, to recognize it and accept it. And to notice it happening in the world.

Noise surrounds us — internal and external. Some of it gets highlighted. Some of it gets ignored. Generally, whether a thing gets a lot of attention is out of our control.

What we can control is how we think about it and how we respond.