A student’s submission included a lengthy compliment about my teaching. Flattering the teacher is not wise. Unnecessary psychological layer. Now if they deserve a decent mark, it could be misconstrued as due to flattering me. I do not want that problem. About a year ago a student submitted an assignment that included racist remarks. My instincts were to address it but I checked with the higher ups first, asking their opinion about my planned reply. They asked me to avoid addressing it due to campus tensions at the time. I need the job, they are in charge, I followed their directive but I do not want this problem. Interviewed for a film where they asked my opinion about a band I knew. Later I saw the completed film, they cut and pasted my replies creating opinions I did not have. I do not want that problem. A piece of music I have been working on over a year, sometimes I only see it one way. I replay it over and over searching for solutions but can’t find them. Brings me down but sometimes the whole thing changes remembering the problem might just be belief. There is no escaping problems one does not want but the actual defeating lies not in hating the problem but seeing through the belief that sustains it.