One theme that keeps coming up for me lately is this: our ability (or inability) to see reality for what it really is.

Most people suck at this. We’re emotional, biased, and addicted to being “right” instead of being accurate. The brain doesn’t care about truth—it cares about protecting your ego and keeping you in the tribe. That’s why people cling to their stories, no matter how ridiculous they get.

Business is one of the few arenas where we don’t have that luxury. Reality will slap you in the face. If your product sucks, people won’t buy it. If you’re wrong about the market, your bank account will humble you—fast. You either adapt, or you go broke. That’s why the best entrepreneurs develop a superpower: seeing things as they are, not as they wish they were.

Life, on the other hand? It lets you believe your illusions.

Take US politics right now. The left refuses to acknowledge anything good about Trump—ever. To them, he’s 100% evil. No nuance, no objectivity. Just raw emotion.

And the right? They do the same in reverse. Trump can do no wrong. Every flaw gets rationalized, defended, ignored.

Both sides are guilty of the same thing: choosing identity over truth. It’s not about facts—it’s about feelings.

But here’s the thing: the ability to see reality clearly is a cheat code for life. The best leaders, investors, and thinkers are always asking:

• What if I’m wrong?
• What does the data actually say?
• What would this look like without my emotions clouding it?

Most people won’t do that. They’d rather be comfortable than correct. But comfort doesn’t win. Reality does.

So I’ll leave you with this:

Are you seeing reality?

Or just your version of it?