Just How Vulnerable?

Is 2026 going to be The Year of Vulnerability? If so, we probably need to set some ground rules.

When someone is “in the soup,” they are in trouble. Trouble of some sort, trouble that may or may not be with a capital “T;” You may or may not want or need to know exactly what they’re going through, but you do need to at least be aware that they…are going through it.

The idiom goes way back to earlier times — I saw it mentioned as I rewatch the show Deadwood — and I have heard it quite a few times this year, in a variety of instances. In each case, I didn’t ask for details, just knew that I needed to show a little compassion.

So, if you are currently “In The Soup,” I see you.

Levels of Vulnerability

Let’s talk, first, about the job search world. No industry seems to be immune to cutbacks, layoffs, job losses; the rise of not just “AI” but the “AI is gonna take your job” phrase adds nothing but anxiety. There’s a real chance that you know a few people “In The Soup.”

If you spend any time at all on LinkedIn — oh, I’m there A LOT — you’ll see one debate among job searchers, hiring managers, and everyone in between: do you use the dreaded “Green Circle?”

You can use a Green Circle to telegraph to the world that you are “Open to Work.” To some, it’s important: You have a lot to offer an employer, and they need to know that you can help fill a need of theirs.

To others, it’s too vulnerable by half.

Here Again, Your Mileage May Vary

Advice for the jobless — or ANYONE going through any significant life change — is everywhere. Apply to all the jobs! Only apply to those that are a really good fit! Only apply if you have someone on the inside! And so on, and so forth.

The challenge for YOU, Dear Reader: understand just how vulnerable you want to be. Can you deal with all of the advice? Do you want help from well-meaning strangers?

Maybe Quiet Confidence Is ‘The Way’

Here’s the thing: EVERYONE is in some sort of soup. Is it lower-case “soup” or “THE SOUP ” in ALL CAPS AND BOLD ITALICS?

We’re all human, we can’t avoid the realities of life; challenges will always find us. Some people may get more than they can apparently handle, some may seem to skate by. But everyone is dealing with some sort of soup.

The Crisis Communicator in All of Us

I worked at a place a decade or so ago where we dealt with our share of crises; most of them were out of the public eye. (Part of my job was to KEEP THEM OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE.) On my last day, as I left for greener pastures, one of my colleagues said “wow, you always seemed cool under pressure when everything was out of control.” (Yes, that old saw about men receiving compliments so infrequently that they remember them always…it’s true.)

But I also had to do the “chameleon” thing while there: couldn’t tell everyone everything that was going on, lest it jeopardize my long-term prospects.

Vulnerability could lead to victimhood if you take it too far. You could get taken advantage of. And so on.

Advice, Then, For 2026

I write this post having just celebrated a birthday. (Yes, I realize I don’t look THAT old. Thank you.) I’ve dealt with my share of soup — my favorite story is how, a few years ago, I had “16-and-a-half inches of my colon removed” and how I asked to have the piece of colon freeze-dried so I can wear it around my neck as a symbol of my vanquished opponent; that request was denied — and anyone who has spouses or kids or pets knows that various soups, stews, and chowders surround you 24/7.

You may have had more of your colon removed, or may have had a worse problem befall you.

OR you may have had a really crappy job loss and it may have been way too long since you’ve had a job that matched your skills and abilities.

And you can tease this out in any other aspect of life: We’re all In The Soup.

Share as you see fit. Or don’t share at all. Quietly ping a friend and let them know they are on your mind. Hop on a call with an old friend; or, even better, do the IRL thing as often as you can.

Make it a wonderful 2026.