Dear Karthik,

I enjoyed this story & learned something, as I usually do from your articles.

But I was thinking about the word “boring” & it’s use here. I mean, I see why you would use it, but you could certainly, &, just as easily, substitute the word “intrespective” or “thoughtful” or even “listening” or “quiet.” The point you were trying to make was “not splashy,” or “not arrogant,” or not “loud.” I mean, the opposite of boring would be interesting, & you are, by all definitions, an interesting man, as is your boss. People who are interested in others usually are. People who are interested in a wide variety of subjects, who can converse with people from all walks of life & learn something from everyone, no matter how humble or high born, usually are.

Maybe “humble” would be a better word, but once you call yourself that, are you really humble? That is a paradox. I am going to think on this — that’s the problem with English, or maybe languages in general. For me, at least, it can become a rabbit hole, & then the actual, original meaning of the article gets lost along the way. I promise I won’t lose sight of that! Maybe if I think of it in Russian… but Russian isn’t that reliable either. Unless you were writing about drinking (alcohol) or insanity — then Russian can be incredibly abundant & rich!