I heard an interesting twist on an old question the other day. People always ask the classic, “What keeps you up at night?” question. (By the way—don’t ever ask that of your interviewer during a job interview. It comes across as cheesy and stupid.) But while the question itself is a little corny, the notion behind it is interesting and points to a dark set of issues.

It’s pessimistic. It presumes our work (or personal issues) are so all-consuming that they override our ability to sleep. The connotation is we’re dealing with such weighty issues that they torment us in our dreams and become our nightmares. The fear of failure and disaster wakes us from our deep slumber with clammy hands and sweaty brows, gasping for air.

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