Image by Gemini
There is a distinct category of human that deserves their own exhibit in the museum of modern arrogance. You know the type: sitting dead center in the fast lane, cruising at 75 in a 70, completely enchanted by their own self-appointed role as pacing captain of the interstate.
To that specific driver:
“Hey you, you know who you are: the asshole in the fast lane doing 75 in a 70 thinking you’re going somewhere. You think you deserve that lane because you are going all the way to the next town over. Well, I’m going cross-country and you’re an obstacle. Get the fuck out of my way.”
Look, we get it. Your journey from Exit 14 to Exit 18 is a monumental saga in your own head. You grabbed an iced coffee, set the cruise control to five measly miles over the limit, and decided you’ve earned squatters’ rights on the passing lane.
The left lane isn’t a parking spot for a minor moral victory. If you have nothing in front of you but open sky, slide to the right.
The tragic irony is that asphalt is just a mirror. The highway is a live-action blueprint for how people move through life.
Every industry, office, and creative space is choked with people operating with a local-commute mindset. They reached a comfortable baseline years ago—the professional equivalent of locking in 75 mph—and immediately convinced themselves they represent the speed limit of human potential. They aren’t trying to break through horizons or build something that outlasts them. They just want to coast until their exit, utterly convinced that anyone with real velocity is reckless simply for wanting to pass.
When you’re running a cross-country route—playing the long game, building a serious vision, pushing past county lines—the real friction rarely comes from the mountains ahead. It comes from the self-satisfied gatekeepers who think their four-mile journey gives them the right to pace the entire road.
If your ambition ends at the next exit, fine. Enjoy the scenery from the right lane. But leave the left open for the people who actually have somewhere to go.
The Upgrade Blog 