Picking Brains is Violent Zombie Bullshit

“hey [busy person], can I pick your brain over coffee” is such a funny email to get. The intention is always great, but that term is terrible and should not be used. Perhaps I just never learned what the standard unit or object is to be actuality of picking a brain. When thinking about such and act I can guess that I’m either:

  • dead (sidenote, please no)
    or
  • dying (sidenote, really, don’t do this)

So if you want my advice, ask for my advice! If you want to murder me and then poke at my opened skull the best strategy would be to surprise me and not let me know through an email! Did we not learn anything from Risk?

Best case this is a meeting between a friend but more likely this is an invitation to a one sided meeting where you are setting up someone to tell, not teach. I don’t want to ever meet with someone where I’m not curious on what they have experienced.

So my ask: please stop saying the term.

Also please, really, don’t kill me.


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2 responses to “Picking Brains is Violent Zombie Bullshit”

  1. Aimee Giese Avatar

    THIS THIS THIS. Have the decency to understand you are asking for free advice, at least. I hate this term more than almost anything. Except maybe spiders.

  2. Christopher Citty Avatar
    Christopher Citty

    I always found the term ‘picking your brain’ to be predatory in nature. It seems to imply someone is just using you for something, advice or to pitch an idea, and then they’re going to cast you aside. Rude, really.

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