"I write songs about my life, and my life is pretty normal."

The stranger is an element of the group itself, not unlike the poor and sundry 'inner enemies'—an element whose membership within the group involves both being outside it and confronting it.

At a restaurant do you order what you know is great， or do you try something new？ Do you make what you know will sell or try something new？ Do you keep dating new folks or try to commit to someone you already met？ The optimal balance for exploring new things vs exploiting them once found is: 1/3. Spend 1/3 of your time on exploring and 2/3 time on deepening. It is harder to devote time to exploring as you age because it seems unproductive， but aim for 1/3.