Dog behaviorists tell us that dogs aren’t very good at generalizing, that’s why when you teach Spot to sit or to come when called, you have to practice it in your home, outdoors, in crowds, at night, and during a lunar eclipse. Somehow I have trouble believing it though. When Scout gets scared by a big man with a scruffy beard, wearing an oversized jacket and a baseball cap, guess what? Soon you will have a dog who barks at all big men with beards and hats. If you’re not careful, it could even spread to women with big jackets and hats or men with beards and no hat. Who are we to say dogs can’t generalize? Tell that to my dog that refused to go for walks at night for a month after the Fourth of July. I think dogs are actually much better at generalizing than we are. How many women do you know who are extraordinarily successful in their careers but their romantic lives are a mess. Obviously the skills they’ve developed and use so well in the workplace are not being exercised after hours. I have the opposite problem; I don’t stress the dating scene. Instead I freak out about my career change. How’s it going to turn out, what if I pick the wrong job, what if I hate it, what if my boss is an a$$ or I find it completely soul-deadening??? Maybe there isn’t a single job that exists in the world that I will like! My neighbor's teacher's cousin says your first job in a field really sets the tone for the rest of your career, what if I screw it up?! I’m 31 (and ) and single, yet I have none of this paranoia about dating. In fact, I just went through a fairly negative dating experience (run-in with a pathological liar, could happen to anyone) and I came out strong and completely non-anxious about future prospects. Why? And which way will it spread, will I suddenly become anxious about my next first date (is he the one, will he be a good father, does he snore? Exactly how recessive is that balding gene?) Or will I use my live in the moment mentality to approach careers as well, learning to be open to opportunities and not let past negative experiences dictate my future? I’ll keep you posted.