tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51557677756246690352024-03-06T15:01:59.597-05:00VNTHOMASOne of my mentors told me to create a book journal and take notes. This is my attempt.VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-76597342859017179362022-02-22T20:22:00.003-05:002022-02-22T20:22:38.273-05:00 No Filter The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">No Filter The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4acc0f98-7fff-5c0d-810f-cd5ae2eabab1"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[A very interesting true story of Instagram; the patience & the perseverance of Instagram's main founder’s high artistic standard is equally scintillating.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Main actors:</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark Zuckerberg - While Kevin Systrom studying at Standford, Systrom was pleased to be recruited by Zuckerberg, who he thought was hyperintelligent, and even asked Systrom to drop out of school to join Facebook. But Systrom rejected that idea.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kevin Systrom - When he’d first applied to Stanford, he’d thought he would major in structural engineering and art history. He imagined traveling the world, restoring old cathedrals or paintings. His passion for photography eventually led him to his world-famous creation, Instagram.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jack Dorsey - Systrom went for an internship at Odeo which made a marketplace for podcasts on the internet and there he met Dorsey. Its CEO Evan Williams was already tech-world famous for selling Blogger, a blogging website, to Google. Dorsey & Williams later became founders of Twitter. Though Dorsey had initial reservations about Systrom, they become close buddies. Dorsey was very instrumental in popularizing Instagram during the initial phase by tweeting to his million followers.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mike Krieger. Gregor Hochmuth was Systrom's buddy at Stanford and was Systrom's first choice for co-foundering his Burbn app. Since Hochmuth was happy with his job at Google, he suggested his Brazilian international student at Stanford, Krieger to Systrom. Krieger thus became the co-founder of Burbn and eventually co-founder of Instagram.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marc Andreessen - Co-founder of Netscape who funded Systrom's Burbn app initially.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cole Rise - a local designer who created around 20 filters for Instagram, including the logo. One of the main filters is named after him the 'Rise' filter.]</span></li></ul><p></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kevin Systrom imagined traveling the world, restoring old cathedrals or paintings. He loved the science behind the art, and how a simple innovation—like architect Filippo Brunelleschi’s rediscovery of linear perspective during the Renaissance—could completely change the way people communicated. The paintings for most of Western history were flat and cartoonish, and then, starting in the 1400s, perspective gave them depth, making them photorealistic and emotive.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Born in December 1983, he was raised, along with his sister, Kate, in a two-story house with a long driveway on a tree-lined street in suburban Holliston, Massachusetts, about an hour west of Boston. His energetic mother, Diane, was vice president of marketing at nearby Monster.com, and later at Zipcar, and introduced her children to the internet back when the connection took over the phone line. His father, Doug, was a human resources executive at the conglomerate that owned Marshalls and HomeGoods discount stores. Systrom was an earnest, curious kid who loved going to the library and playing the futuristic, demon-riddled first-person shooter game Doom II on the computer. His introduction to computer programming was creating his own levels in the game.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photography was one of his longest-running personal interests. Ahead of his trip to Florence, the epicenter of the Renaissance he’d learned so much about, he saved up to purchase, after intensive research, one of the highest-quality cameras he could afford, with the sharpest lens. He intended to use it in his photography class. His teacher in Florence, a man named Charlie, was unimpressed. he took the prized purchase away into his backroom and returned with a smaller device, called a Holga, that only took blurry, square black-and-white photographs. It was plastic, like a toy. Charlie told Systrom he wasn’t allowed to use his fancy camera for the next three months, because a higher-quality tool wouldn’t necessarily create better art. You have to learn to love imperfection, he instructed.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The idea—of a square photo transformed into art through editing—stuck in the back of Systrom’s mind. More important was the lesson that just because something is more technically complex doesn’t mean it’s better.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom needed a startup internship as part of the Stanford Mayfield Fellows Program he’d been barely accepted into. Systrom read in the New York Times about a trend in online audio and saw mention of a company called Odeo, which made a marketplace for podcasts on the internet. That’s where he decided he wanted to intern.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jack Dorsey, a new engineering hire at Odeo, was expecting to dislike the 22-year-old intern he had to sit next to all summer. He imagined that an exclusive entrepreneurship program and an elite East Coast boarding school were both sterile, formulaic places and that a person shaped by them might be devoid of creativity. To Dorsey’s surprise, he and Systrom became fast friends.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Later that year, Systrom built something called Burbn, after the Kentucky whiskey he enjoyed drinking. The mobile website was perfect for Systrom’s urban social life. It let people say where they were, or where they planned to go so their friends could show up. The more times a user went out, the more virtual prizes they got</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In January 2010, determined to make his pitch and justify quitting Nextstop, Systrom headed to a party for a startup called Hunch at Madrone Art Bar in San Francisco’s Panhandle neighborhood.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over cocktails, Systrom met two important VCs with checkbooks: Marc Andreessen, a co-founder of Netscape, who ran Andreessen Horowitz, one of the valley’s hottest venture capital firms, and Steve Anderson, who ran a much quieter early-stage investing shop called Baseline Ventures. Anderson liked the fact that Systrom, with pedigrees from Stanford and Google and a confident personality, didn’t have any investors yet for his mobile idea. Anderson liked to be the first to notice something. He borrowed Systrom’s phone to type an email to himself: Follow up. “The biggest risk for you is you’re the sole founder”, Anderson told Systrom. “I usually don’t invest in sole founders. He argued that without someone else at the top, nobody would tell Systrom when he was wrong, or push his ideas to be better”.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mike Krieger was another Stanford student, two grades younger, whom Systrom knew from the Mayfield fellowship. Systrom had first met Krieger years earlier at a Mayfield networking event, where Krieger read Systrom’s Odeo name badge and quizzed him about what that company was like. Then Krieger disappeared for a while to complete a master’s degree in symbolic systems—the famous Stanford program for understanding the psychology of how humans interact with computers. He wrote his thesis about Wikipedia, which had somehow cultivated a community of volunteers to update and edit its online encyclopedia. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the investment from Anderson, Systrom told Krieger the idea was turning into a real company, with real financial responsibilities, and asked Krieger if he wanted to be an official cofounder. Count me interested, Krieger said. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Krieger and Systrom started the exercise by making a list of the top three things people liked about Burbn. One was Plans, the feature where people could say where they were going so friends could join them. Another was photos. The third was a tool to win meaningless virtual prizes for your activity, which was mostly a gimmick to get people to log back in. Not everybody needed plans or prizes. Systrom circled photos. Photos, they decided, were ubiquitous, useful to everybody, not just young city dwellers.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom and the girlfriend who would become his wife, Nicole Schuetz, whom he’d met at Stanford, went on a short vacation to a village in Baja California Sur, Mexico, called Todos Santos, with picturesque white sand beaches and cobblestone streets. During one of their ocean walks, she warned him that she probably wouldn’t be using his new app. None of her smartphone photos were ever good—not as good as their friend Hochmuth’s were, at least.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You know what he does to those photos, right? Systrom said.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He just takes good photos, she said.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"No, no, he puts them through filter apps", Systrom explained. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Well, you guys should probably have filters too", Schuetz said.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom realized she was right. If people were going to filter their photos anyway, might as well have them do it right within the app,</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While they were building it, they received an unsolicited email from Cole Rise—a local designer who had heard what they were working on and wanted to be a tester for it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom and Krieger asked Rise a lot of questions about his beta-testing experience, and he started to sense that the founders didn’t know their potential. This is going to be fucking huge, Rise explained. In the tech industry, leaders rarely had any experience in the industry they were disrupting. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos had never been in books and Tesla’s Elon Musk had never been in car manufacturing, but Instagram’s filters had clearly been made by a photographer. Earlybird was the best Rise had ever seen, he explained—far higher quality than anything on Hipstamatic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a few drinks, the founders asked Rise if he would like to create some filters of his own, as a contract job. Rise agreed, thinking it would save time to have an app that would automatically edit his pictures exactly how he wanted them to be edited. He’d built up a complicated system after spending years collecting textures from things he saw around him. He would overlay those textures on files in Adobe Photoshop, then add layers of color change and curves.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Neither Rise nor the founders thought there was a downside to the fact that filters when used en masse, would give Instagrammers permission to present their reality as more interesting and beautiful than it actually was. That was exactly what would help make the product popular. Instagram posts would be art, and art was a form of commentary on life. The app would give people the gift of expression, but also escapism.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom and Krieger wanted to come up with a name that was easy to pronounce—and spell, after Burbn. They also wanted it to portray a sense of speed in communication. They’d borrowed Gmail’s trick, and would start uploading photos while users were still deciding which filter to apply. A lot of the good photo-related startup names were taken, so they came up with Instagram, a combo of instant and telegram.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The founders picked their first users carefully, courting people who would be good photographers—especially designers who had high Twitter follower counts. Those first users would help set the right artistic tone, creating good content for everyone else to look at, in what was essentially the first-ever Instagram influencer campaign, years before that would become a concept. Dorsey became their best salesman.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once Dorsey was addicted to Instagram, the product seemed so obvious and useful that he wished Twitter had managed to build it first. He asked Systrom if he would be open to Twitter acquiring his company. Systrom sounded enthusiastic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Williams was CEO and was still trying to establish himself as Twitter’s leader. Dorsey’s strategy was not welcome. After that, Dorsey had another motivation to promote Instagram—to prove Williams wrong. Everything he posted on Instagram would immediately cross-post to Twitter, reaching his 1.6 million followers there. He told the world it was his favorite new iPhone app, and they listened.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Articles would later reflect on Instagram’s origin, crediting the app with perfect timing. It was born in Silicon Valley, in the midst of a mobile revolution, in which millions of new smartphone consumers didn’t understand what to do with a camera in their pockets. That much is true. But Systrom and Krieger also made a lot of counterintuitive choices to set Instagram apart.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instagram’s early popularity was less about the technology and more about the psychology—about how it made people feel. The filters made reality look like art. And then, in cataloging that art, people would start to think about their lives differently, and themselves differently, and their place in society differently.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If Facebook was about friendships, and Twitter was about opinions, Instagram was about experiences—and anyone could be interested in anyone else’s visual experiences, anywhere in the world. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With so much to get done, the founders divided and conquered based on what they were good at. Systrom was the public-facing guy, navigating the relationships with investors and the press, and working on the look and feel of the product. Krieger was behind the scenes, learning on the fly how to solve the complex engineering problems that supported Instagram’s growth. Krieger, who owned much less of Instagram than Systrom did, embraced the hierarchy. He didn’t want Systrom’s job, and Systrom didn’t want his. That’s why it worked.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first big celebrity to sign up was the rapper Snoop Dogg. He posted a filtered Instagram picture—of himself wearing a suit and holding a can of Colt 45—and simultaneously sent it to his 2.5 million followers on Twitter.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Siegler wrote for TechCrunch at the time: Step one: obtain a ton of users. Step two: get brands to leverage your service. Step three: get celebrities to use your service and promote it. Step four: mainstream. In his estimation, Snoop put Instagram on step three, just a few months after its launch.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the summer of 2011, Twitter had about 100 million monthly users, and Facebook had more than 800 million. Instagram was a much smaller player—with 6 million sign-ups—but had reached that milestone about twice as fast by building off the existing networks.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nowhere was the effect more apparent than with celebrities. Justin Bieber had more than 11 million followers on Twitter. So when the 17-year-old pop star joined Instagram and tweeted out his first filtered photo, a high-contrast take on traffic in Los Angeles, Krieger’s alarm sounded. The servers were stressed as Bieber gained 50 followers a minute. Justin Bieber Joins Instagram, World Explodes, Time magazine reported. Almost every time the singer posted, throngs of tween girls would overload the servers again, often taking them down.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bieber’s following was enough to change the nature of the Instagram community. All of the sudden, Instagram was emoji heaven, Rise later recalled. As younger users joined, they invented a new etiquette on Instagram, which involved trading likes for likes and follows for follows. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instagram kept getting more valuable, finding its footing and a path to the mainstream. Despite Costolo’s doubts, celebrities continued to sign onto Instagram, including Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna. In January 2012, Instagram added one of Twitter’s most valuable users: President Barack Obama. Obama’s account launched the day of the Iowa caucus for that year’s presidential campaign.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Van Damme and Hochmuth got to the office the next morning, it was clear that everyone else had gotten the same message. The employees whispered their theories to one another. Maybe there had been a major hack. Maybe something had gone wrong with the recent venture capital fundraising, and Instagram was actually out of money and would have to shut down.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every employee got a call on Sunday night to be in the office at 8 am in the office and there was a surprise waiting for them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So over the weekend, we had some conversations about a potential acquisition”, Systrom said. “I talked to Mark Zuckerberg”, he continued. Still normal. “We said yes to Facebook. We’re getting bought—for $1 billion”. Not normal. Not believable. Employees let out gasps and guttural sounds. Some of them laughed, unsure how to control their surprise, while others failed to hold back tears.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The public statements from Systrom and Zuckerberg attempted to reassure them. It’s important to be clear that Instagram’s product is not going away, Systrom said on the Instagram blog. We’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently, Zuckerberg’s Facebook post said. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the same Sunday, Michael Schroepfer, Facebook’s head of engineering, was in Zuckerberg’s kitchen with Zoufonoun while Systrom paced outside in the yard, on the phone with his board.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Usually, when Facebook acquired a company, they found ways to absorb the technology, rebrand the product, and fill some gap in what their own company was capable of. If Instagram was going to be its own product, it broke Facebook’s normal acquisition process, and it wasn’t clear how it would work. How do we integrate something like this? Schroepfer asked.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Schrep, we are buying magic. We’re paying for magic. We’re not paying $1 billion for thirteen people. The worst thing we could do is to impose Facebook on them prematurely”. After hours of discussion and sleepless nights, Zoufonoun who was Facebook's deal man was fully converted into an Instagram believer. “It’s blossoming, and you just need to nurture that plant. You don’t need to trim it or shape the plant at that point”.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zuckerberg agreed. He fired off an email to the Facebook board, letting them know what was happening. It was the first they were hearing of the massive deal, which was all but completed. Because Zuckerberg held the majority voting power in the company, the board’s role was merely to put a rubber stamp on his decisions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same Sunday night, Systrom’s board conversations faced more resistance. Anderson, in particular, was confused and opposed as he could arrange better financing deals.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom gave four reasons. First, he reiterated Zuckerberg’s argument: that Facebook’s stock value was likely to go up, so the value of the acquisition would grow over time. Second, he’d take a large competitor out of the picture. If Facebook took measures to copy Instagram or target the app directly, that would make it a lot more difficult to grow. Third, Instagram would benefit from Facebook’s entire operations infrastructure, not just data centers but also people who already knew how to do all the things Instagram would need to learn in the future. Fourth, and most importantly, he and Krieger would have independence.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zuckerberg understood that the hardest part of creating a business would be creating a new habit for users and a group they all wanted to spend time with. Instagram was easier to buy than to build because once a network takes off, there are few reasons to join a smaller one. It becomes part of the infrastructure of society.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom said. It was about creativity, design, and experiences</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultimately the team came up with three Instagram values. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The biggest was community first, meaning all their decisions should be centered around preserving a good feeling when using Instagram, not necessarily a more fast-growing business. Too many notifications would violate that principle.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then there was simplicity matters, meaning that before any new products could roll out, engineers had to think about whether they were solving a specific user problem, and whether making a change was even necessary, or might overcomplicate the app.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was also inspire creativity, which meant Instagram was going to try to frame the app as an artistic outlet, training its own users and highlighting the best of them through an editorial strategy, focusing on content that was genuine and meaningful. </span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data collection using Onavo.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook in 2013 acquired a tool called Onavo. The acquisition generated little buzz, as it wasn’t a flashy consumer product. It was a wonky-sounding thing called a virtual private network, or VPN, which was made by Israeli engineers to allow people to be able to browse the Internet free from government spying on their activity, and from having to go through firewalls. Once Facebook purchased the VPN company, they could look at all the traffic flowing through the service and extrapolate data from it. They knew not only the names of the apps people were playing with, but also how long they spent using them, and the names of the app screens they spent time on—and so, for example, could know if Snapchat Stories was taking off versus some other Snapchat feature. It helped them see which competitors were on the rise before the press did.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About WhatsApp takeover</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the failure with Snapchat for $3bn, Zuckerberg asked Systrom to help acquire the app he wanted to pursue next: WhatsApp, the messaging app that had 450 million monthly users all over the world. According to Onavo data, the app thrived especially in countries where Facebook wasn’t as dominant.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Systrom dutifully helped Zuckerberg sell the vision. The money was perhaps even more convincing to Koum than Systrom was. When the deal was announced, everyone at Instagram was shocked all over again. The price was a stunning $19 billion. Plus, Koum got a seat on Facebook’s board, and WhatsApp got to stay in its own offices in a nearby town called Mountain View, with about fifty employees who were all now tremendously wealthy.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About Trump Clinton issue with FB</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the internal paper, the employee explained that Trump had outspent Clinton between June and November, paying Facebook $44 million compared to her $28 million. And, with Facebook’s guidance, his campaign had operated like a tech company, rapidly testing ads using Facebook’s software until they found the perfect messaging for various audiences.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump’s campaign had a total of 5.9 million different versions of his ads, compared to Clinton’s 66,000, in a way that better leveraged Facebook’s ability to optimize for outcomes, the employee said. Most of Trump’s ads asked people to perform an action, like donating or signing up for a list, making it easier for a computer to measure success or failure. Those ads also helped him collect email addresses. Emails were crucial because Facebook had a tool called Lookalike Audience. When Trump or any advertiser presented a set of emails, Facebook’s software could find more people who thought similarly to the members of the set, based on their behavior and interests.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clinton’s ads, on the other hand, weren’t about getting email addresses. They tended to promote her brand and philosophy. Her return on investment would be harder for Facebook’s system to measure and improve through software. Her campaign also barely used the Lookalike tool.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personal conflicts</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark Zuckerberg's mentality is all about speed and monetization and Systrom is slow to make changes and believes in artistic aspirations. He was reluctant to enable Ads on Instagram but was forced to do so by Zuckerberg. Even then, Systrom was very selective on Ad content as he wants Ad to look like an artistic expression than an Ad. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Snapchat’s popularity was going up, he was forced to incorporate disappearing stories on Instagram, which was a huge success; mimicking Snapchat’s core feature. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook pushed to put advertising in WhatsApp Status, their version of Stories. But in order to place those ads in front of the right people, WhatsApp would have to know more about the users of the chat app, which would mean chipping away at the encryption. The founders, Brian Acton and Jan Koum, stubbornly resisted the idea, which violated their motto—No ads, no games, no gimmicks—and which they thought would break users’ trust. Acton decided to leave Facebook: his decision cost him $850 million in stock options.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Instagram’s user base reached 1 billion, faster than facebook’s same milestone, Zuckerberg was getting upset. He felt Instagram reached the milestone because of Facebook’s network effect, but at the same time, Facebook did not grow much with Instagram. He felt Instagram is making Facebook irreverent and being a creator of Facebook, he felt offended; He wanted to stop the cannibalization of Instagram. Facebook's growth team was asked to look into cannibalization, with help from about 15 data scientists at both Facebook and Instagram.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Schultz completed his research on whether Instagram would cannibalize Facebook, the leaders read the data very differently. Zuckerberg thought the research showed that it was likely Instagram would threaten Facebook’s continued dominance—and that the cannibalization would start in the next six months. Looking at the chart years into the future, if Instagram kept growing and kept stealing users’ time away from Facebook, Facebook’s growth could go to zero or, even worse, it could lose users. Because Facebook’s average revenue per user was so much higher, any minutes spent on Instagram instead of Facebook would be bad for the company’s profitability, he argued.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rift between them got worsened when Zuckerberg appointed a CEO for Instagram and eventually both founders of Instagram left Facebook.</span></p></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-81589177462661665702022-02-13T22:00:00.004-05:002022-02-15T08:45:22.699-05:00Trillions: How a Band of Wall Street Renegades Invented the Index Fund and Changed Finance Forever by Robin Wigglesworth<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Trillions: How a Band of Wall Street Renegades Invented the Index Fund and Changed Finance Forever by Robin Wigglesworth</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">[insightful book on the current state of the stock market; esp. Index funds & EFTs]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The hedge fund industry first emerged in the 1960s but had enjoyed explosive growth over the last decade, and by 2007 managed nearly $2 trillion on behalf of investors around the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Index funds (dubbed as passive investing) are investment vehicles that simply try to mimic an index of financial securities. An S&P 500 index fund buys every single one of the five hundred stocks in the index, exactly according to their relative stock market value—so it buys more of Apple than it does Alaska Air Group.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">During his Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting on May 5, 2017 speech, Buffet said, There’s one more person that I would like to introduce to you today and I’m quite sure he’s here. I haven’t seen him, but I understood he was coming, Buffett said, scanning the audience. I believe that he made it today and that is Jack Bogle . . . Jack Bogle(Vanguard founder) has probably done more for the American investor than any man in the country. Jack, could you stand up? There he is. To thunderous applause, the gaunt but beaming Bogle, dressed in a dark suit and checkered open-neck shirt, stood up, waved to the crowd, and took a small bow toward Buffett and Munger’s podium.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The public universe of index funds stood at almost $16 trillion by the end of 2020, according to Morningstar, a prominent data provider in the investment industry. But many big pension plans and sovereign wealth funds also have huge internal index-tracking strategies or pay an investment group to do it for them outside of a formal fund structure. BlackRock, the world’s biggest money manager, estimated in 2017 that there was another $6.8 trillion in nonpublic passive equity strategies, managed internally or by the likes of BlackRock. Assuming a growth rate similar to the public index fund world, that means that over $26 trillion—and that is likely a conservative estimate—now does nothing more than slavishly track some financial index, whether the S&P 500 for American stocks, the Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate for the US bond market or the JPMorgan EMBI index for developing country debt. The biggest equity fund in the world is now an index fund. The biggest bond fund is as well. The leading gold index fund now holds more of the yellow metal than most central banks, an astonishing eleven hundred tons.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Financial math behind index fund: </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">A</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> little-known turn-of-the-twentieth-century French mathematician named Louis Bachelier with ideas astonishingly far ahead of their time. Bachelier’s thesis Theory of Speculation is now widely considered one of the seminal works in the history of finance, the first-ever rigorous, mathematical examination of how financial securities appear to move in unpredictable and random ways. Although little appreciated in his own time, Bachelier is today considered one of the great academics of the nineteenth century, the father of a field now known as mathematical finance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1932, Alfred Cowles (his family-owned Chicago Tribune and owner) set up the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics, with the motto “Science is Measurement. The Cowles Commission would go on to host and support an all-star cast of great economists and financial academics over the years, such as James Tobin, Joseph Stiglitz, Abba Lerner, Kenneth Arrow, Jacob Marschak, Tjalling Koopmans, Franco Modigliani, and Harry Markowitz, several of whom would go on to win Nobel Prizes for work at the commission. In fact, one could argue that in its heyday it was the most influential economic think tank in history.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Success always has many parents, and there are many people who can make a plausible claim to have launched the first index fund, depending on one’s definition. Wells Fargo arguably got there first with its venture for Samsonite. Yet it was a small, unwieldy account rather than a formal fund, and it tracked a cumbersome, equal-weighted NYSE index, leading some of its rivals to claim they got to the promised land first.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The S&P 500, as it was called, despite initially tracking only 425 companies, was calculated by a Datatron computer linked directly to the stock market ticker machines now set up on Wall Street, and could continuously measure the new index. That was a tremendous improvement. By 1962, the S&P 500 was computed every five minutes (and every fifteen seconds by 1986).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1973, Sanjoy Basu, a finance professor at McMaster University in Ontario, published a paper that indicated that companies with low stock prices relative to their earnings did better than the efficient-markets hypothesis would suggest. Essentially, he showed that the value investing principles espoused by Benjamin Graham in the 1930s—which revolved around buying cheap, out-of-favor stocks trading below their intrinsic worth—was a durable investment factor. By systematically buying all cheap stocks, investors could, in theory, beat the broader market over time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Behavioral economists, on the other hand, argue that factors tend to be the product of our irrational human biases. Investors tend to overpay for fast-growing, glamorous stocks, and unfairly shun duller, steadier ones. Smaller stocks do well because we are illogically drawn to names we know well. The momentum factor, on the other hand, works because investors initially underreact to news but overreact in the long run, or often sell winners too quickly and hang on to bad bets for far longer than is advisable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nonetheless, the origin story of index investing is still incomplete. If Wells Fargo’s Management Sciences unit was the original Manhattan Project of index funds, most of the subsequent iterations were important but arguably incremental. They mostly consisted of proliferation, of spreading the approach to new corners of the investment world. Vanguard brought it to the masses, and DFA showed that index investing could be done with a twist. But these were still mostly natural evolutionary steps, building on the initial foundations established by Wells Fargo, American National Bank of Chicago, and Batterymarch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next stage would be the development of the equivalent of the hydrogen bomb to Wells Fargo’s atomic bomb, a sea change in the history of financial markets, and investing with ramifications that we are still grappling to understand today. Ironically, while Wells Fargo’s crew of economic rock stars had helped develop the first index fund, its next major mutation was engineered by a group of finance industry nobodies.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I had no idea that, within a decade, the ETF idea [proposed by Most at their meeting] would ignite a flame that would change not only the nature of indexing but also the entire field of investing”, Bogle admitted. “I can unhesitatingly describe Nathan Most’s visionary creation of the ETF as the most successful financial marketing idea so far during the twenty-first century. Whether it proves to be the most successful investment idea of the century remains to be seen”.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most’s eclectic background also provided the spark behind the invention of what would become known as the ETF. During his travels around the Pacific, he had appreciated the efficiency of how traders would buy and sell warehouse receipts of commodities, rather than the more cumbersome physical vats of coconut oil, barrels of crude, or ingots of gold. This opened up a panoply of opportunities for creative financial engineers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">You store a commodity and you get a warehouse receipt and you can finance on that warehouse receipt. You can sell it, do a lot of things with it. Because you don’t want to be moving the merchandise back and forth all the time, so you keep it in place and you simply transfer the warehouse receipt, he later recalled</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Amex could create a kind of legal warehouse where it could place the S&P 500 stocks, and then create and list shares in the warehouse itself for people to trade. The new warehouse-cum-fund would take advantage of the growth and electronic evolution in portfolio trading and a little-known aspect of mutual funds Stock exchange specialists—the trading firms on the floor of the exchange that match buyers and sellers—would be authorized to be able to create or redeem these shares according to demand. They could take advantage of any differences that might open up between the price of the warehouse and the stock it contained, an arbitrage opportunity that should help keep it trading in line with its assets.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In basic terms, investors can either trade shares of the warehouse between themselves or go to the warehouse and exchange their shares in it for a slice of the stocks it holds. Or they can turn up at the warehouse with a suitable bundle of stocks and exchange them for shares in the warehouse. Moreover, because no money changes hands when shares in the warehouse are created or redeemed, capital gains tax can be delayed until the investor actually sells their shares—a side effect that has proven vital to the growth of ETFs in the United States. Only when an ETF is actually sold will investors have to pay any capital gains taxes due.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hayne Leland, John O’Brien, and Mark Rubinstein—the founders of the eponymous investment advisory firm LOR—were determined to find another big idea to restore their luster. The trio set about devising something they dubbed SuperShares. The essence was an ingenious but fiendishly complex investment product that would slice and dice the entire S&P 500 into return segments for investors to choose from according to their risk appetite, and trade on an exchange. At its core was something called the Index Trust SuperUnit, which in some respects resembled what would later be known as an exchange-traded fund</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On March 9, 1990, the TSE unveiled what would be the world’s first successful exchange-traded fund, the Toronto 35 Index Participation Fund, or TIPS. Although the Canadians might have crossed the line first due to a more relaxed regulator, the design of the first-ever ETF was still inspired by the Amex and State Street Spider team’s frustrating but pioneering work</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seeing Canada copying a US invention and bringing it to life so quickly was grating to SPDR’s supporters. Luckily, they also had a supporter in the SEC’s chairman, Richard Breeden.in December 1992 the SEC finally gave its blessing. Like Vanguard, SPDR didn’t pay sales fees to financial advisors and brokers. That meant they had no incentive to push their clients into the new product. Although it traded like a stock, it didn’t earn banks' underwriting fees either. The situation was so dire that the Amex at one point even considered scrapping it</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not only was SPDR by then a $125 billion behemoth, but it was also comfortably the most heavily traded stock in the world—a source of immense pride to the people who had slogged their way through its creation and troubled early years. SPDR was a product that launched an entire vibrant and still-growing industry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a hefty internal debate, the Amex team decided against trying to patent their invention—with seismic consequences. Given SPDR’s public filings, it was easy for rivals to copy the design. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The index fund revolution had finally won. From its modest, iconoclastic roots, it had now finally established itself in the heart of Wall Street and is now gradually taking over more and more of the investment world. The finance industry may be unpopular, but this has so far been a boon to humankind, with everyone directly or indirectly reaping the benefits through cheaper savings. Just over the past two decades, the cost of a US mutual fund has now nearly halved. Fink compares the impact of ETFs to how Amazon has transformed retail, with lower prices, convenience, and transparency. The asset management industry was never designed for those things. It was designed with opaqueness and complexity, he says.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ETF has supercharged index funds, yet the ease with which almost any financial security can be packaged inside means that it is now allowing investors to make the same costly mistakes that first nurtured the industry in the first place</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2000, there were still just 88 ETFs with just $70 billion of assets, compared to over 500 index mutual funds that managed $426 billion, according to data from the Investment Company Institute. A decade later, the number of ETFs had swelled to 2,621, narrowly surpassing the number of index mutual funds, but in money terms still trailing slightly behind the $1.5 trillion that their more conventional, mainstream counterparts managed. By the end of 2020, there were nearly 7,000 ETFs globally with $7.7 trillion of assets, according to the ICI. That is over twice as many traditional index funds tracked by the ICI, in money terms as finally large as their older cousins, and approaching the number of actively managed mutual funds in the United States.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The vast majority of the money is housed inside the big, mainstream ETFs, such as State Street’s pioneering SPDR, or the equivalent S&P 500 ETFs managed by rivals BlackRock and Vanguard. It is also still primarily a US-based industry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are only about forty-one thousand public companies in the world today. In reality, probably only three to four thousand of those stocks are tradable</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nonetheless, the explosion of indices and index funds of various stripes is emblematic of a worrying trend. The best long-term results come from buying a big, well-diversified portfolio of financial securities, and trading as little as possible. Jack Bogle built a vast financial empire around these two basic principles.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The newest trend is for actively managed ETFs. Essentially, they are traditional funds with the usual medley of analysts, traders, and portfolio managers who use the superior ETF structure—tradable and in the United States tax-advantaged—rather than the conventional legal vehicles that have been the norm for most of the post–World War II era.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is telling that the industry’s Big Three—BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street—and many of their smaller rivals have eschewed these, concerned that these more niche, complex products may tarnish the entire index fund universe. AFTER A RELENTLESS DECADE, there are signs that the index fund launch bonanza is slowing down. Most major tracts of industry real estate are now utterly and likely permanently controlled by a handful of big players, chiefly BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The companies that provide financial market indices were long considered humdrum utilities, often started as adjunct businesses to big financial newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and Japan’s Nikkei. No one really considered them a big revenue stream. Today, creating benchmarks is a wildly profitable industry in its own right, dominated by its own Big Three—MSCI, FTSE Russell, and S&P Dow Jones Indices. Together, they have a market share of about 70 percent. Collectively, they arguably constitute the most underappreciated power brokers of the financial world.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Quite simply, they have morphed from simple snapshots of markets into a force that exerts power over them—largely thanks to the growth of index funds, which in practice delegate their investment decisions to the companies that create the benchmarks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite its dramatic stock market gains over the past decade, S&P Dow Jones Indices—one of the biggest providers of financial benchmarks—had long refrained from adding Tesla to its flagship index, the S&P 500, for one simple reason: To be included, a company has to be consistently profitable, a requirement that Tesla had struggled to meet. But Tesla’s notching up four consecutive quarters of profits by the summer of 2020 finally made it eligible, with the mere possibility of helping fuel the rally.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although Tesla would henceforth become an investable company for all fund managers who benchmark their performance against the S&P 500, they at least have a choice whether to buy or not. The trillions of dollars in passive index strategies that slavishly track the index have no option but to acquire stock in the proportion to the company’s weight in the benchmark, whatever the price or attractiveness of Tesla’s business.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Without looking under the hood, many investors may be surprised to learn that State Street and Vanguard’s US technology ETFs—which together manage over $80 billion—don’t actually include Amazon, Facebook, and Google’s parent Alphabet, simply because they are classified as a retailer and communications companies, respectively, by S&P Dow Jones Indices. In contrast, Apple, primarily a maker of physical devices, and credit card companies Mastercard and Visa are classified as technology stocks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The power of MSCI, FTSE RUSSELL, and S&P Dow Jones Indices is largely over only stock markets. Of even greater and direct importance to countries are their presence and weighting in various influential bond market indices. These may not have the cachet of the brand-name stock market benchmarks bandied about on TV bulletins, but indices like the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate or JPMorgan’s EMBI and GBI-EM are also powerful in their own way</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Given that most index funds are capitalization-weighted, that means that most of the money they take in goes into the biggest stocks (or the largest debtors). Critically, and contrary to popular conception, an index fund does not automatically buy more of a security simply because it has gone up in price, given that it already holds that security. But if the fund takes in new money, then that will go into securities according to their shifting size, and that can in theory disproportionately benefit stocks that are already on the up. For instance, over the past four decades, on average 14 cents of every new dollar put into the Vanguard 500 fund or State Street’s SPDR would have gone into the five biggest companies. A decade ago it was closer to 10 cents. Today, it is over 20 cents—the highest on record.4 Although those bigger companies are, well, bigger, those extra cents can have a disproportional market impact, according to a 2020 study.5 In other words, size can beget size, a dynamic that could contribute to the tendency of financial markets toward bubbles, according to critics</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the Impossibility of Informationally Efficient Markets was a frontal assault on Eugene Fama’s theory, pointing out that if market prices truly perfectly reflected all relevant information—such as corporate data, economic news, or industry trends—then no one would be incentivized to collect the information needed to trade. After all, doing so is a costly pursuit. But then markets would no longer be efficient. In other words, someone has to make markets efficient, and somehow they have to be compensated for the work involved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The old days of have a hunch, buy a bunch, go to lunch are long gone. Once upon a time, simply having an MBA or a CFA might be considered an edge in the investment industry. Add in the effort to actually read quarterly financial reports from companies and you had at least a good shot at excelling. Nowadays, MBAs and CFAs are rife in the finance industry, and algorithms can read thousands of quarterly financial reports in the time it takes a human to switch on their computer. These days, even Ph.D. economists aren’t guaranteed jobs in asset management, unless they have married their degree with a programming language like Python, which would allow them to parse vast digital datasets that are now commonplace, such as credit card data, satellite imagery, and consumer sentiment gleaned from continuously scraping billions of social media posts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The result is that every facet of the money management industry is being altered by the advent of index funds. Many financial advisors no longer bet on the latest trendy stock or rock-star fund manager at Fidelity; they put their clients into a mix of index funds. Private banks in Zürich or Singapore are starting to eschew hedge funds in favor of constructing diversified portfolios of ETFs. Even hedge funds themselves increasingly use ETFs to implement their trades.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although asset management remains a lucrative business, most trends are pointing the wrong away. Fees are under relentless pressure. When Fidelity— which eventually swallowed its misgivings and belatedly jumped into the index fund game—launched the first-ever zero-fee ETF in 2018, it sent tremors through the stocks of rival money managers, as people started to realize that the end game is likely to be cost-free investing, at least for simple, plain-vanilla index funds.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was the subject of an eye-catching paper by Harvard Law professor John Coates, entitled The Problem of Twelve, where he argued that the mega-trend of passive investing threatened to hand unsurpassed power to just a dozen or so people working inside the index fund giants, the proxy advisors, and a handful of traditional investment groups that will likely continue to thrive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the past decade, about 80 cents of every dollar that has gone into the US investment industry has ended up at Vanguard, State Street, and BlackRock. As a result, the combined stake in S&P 500 companies held by the Big Three has quadrupled over the past two decades, from about 5 percent in 1998 to north of 20 percent today. Because not all investors actually vote at annual meetings, Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street account for about a quarter of all shareholder votes, according to a study by Harvard Law School’s Lucian Bebchuk and Boston University’s Scott Hirst.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assuming that past trends continue, they estimate that the Big Three will account for over a third of all voting shareholders within the next decade, and about 41 percent inside the next twenty years. In this ‘Giant Three’ scenario, three investment managers would largely dominate shareholder voting in practically all significant U.S. companies that do not have a controlling shareholder, Bebchuk and Hirst pointed out in a 2019 paper</span></p><p><a href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/John-Coates.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/John-Coates.pdf</span></a></p><p><br /></p>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-44965590990715860592022-02-10T19:32:00.001-05:002022-02-10T19:32:10.209-05:00 What Happened to Goldman Sachs An Insiders Story of Organizational Drift and Its Unintended Consequences by Steven G. Mandis<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">What Happened to Goldman Sachs An Insiders Story of Organizational Drift and Its Unintended Consequences by Steven G. Mandis</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-27fa5155-7fff-e325-9ac3-11b527e60ab1"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two easy and popular explanations about what happened to the Goldman culture. When I was there, some people believed the culture was changing or had changed because of the shifts in organizational structure brought on by the transformation from a private partnership to a publicly-traded company. Goldman had held its initial public offering (IPO) on the NYSE in 1999, the last of the major investment banks to do so. The second easy explanation is that, whatever the changes, they happened since Lloyd Blankfein took over as CEO and were the responsibility of the CEO and the trading-oriented culture some believe he represents.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some at Goldman have even claimed that having many alumni in important positions has disadvantaged the firm</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The philosophy behind the firm’s rise was best expressed by Gus Levy, a senior partner (with a trading background) at Goldman from 1969 until his death in 1976, who is attributed with a maxim that expressed Goldman’s approach: greedy, but long-term greedy.15 The emphasis was on sound decision-making for long-term success, and this commitment to the future was evidenced by the partners’ reinvestment in the firm of nearly 100 percent of the earnings.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another common misperception among the public is that today Goldman primarily provides investment banking services for large corporations because the firm works on many high-profile M&A deals and IPOs; however, investment banking now typically represents only about 10 to 15 percent of revenue. Today, the majority of the revenues come from trading and investing its own capital. The profits from trading and principal investing are often disproportionately higher than the revenue because the businesses are much more scalable than investment banking. Today about 40 percent of Goldman’s revenue comes from outside the United States and it has offices in all major financial centers around the world, with 50 percent of its employees based overseas</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s always a natural tension between business owners who want to make the highest profits possible and clients who want to buy goods and services for as low as possible, to make their profits the highest possible. Being a small private partnership allowed Goldman the flexibility to make its own decisions about what was best in its own interpretation of the long term in order to help address this tension.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman and McKinsey compete for the best and brightest graduates every year, and there are elements of the McKinsey culture that are similar in many ways to Goldman’s, especially to the Goldman I knew when I started. When attending McKinsey training programs, I could have closed my eyes and replaced the word McKinsey with Goldman, and it would have been like my 1992 Goldman training program all over again. McKinsey has an intense focus on recruiting, training, socialization of new members, and teamwork. It also has long-standing, revered, written business principles. Lastly, it has an incredible global network.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shared Principles and Values</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our client's interests always come first. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our assets are our people, capital, and reputation. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our goal is to provide superior returns to our shareholders. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We take great pride in the professional quality of our work. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We make an unusual effort to identify and recruit the very best person for every job. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We offer our people the opportunity to move ahead more rapidly than is possible at most other places. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stress teamwork in everything we do. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The dedication of our people to the firm and the intense effort they give their jobs are greater than one finds in most other organizations.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We consider our size as an asset that we try hard to preserve. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We constantly strive to anticipate the rapidly changing needs of our clients and to develop new services to meet those needs. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our business is highly competitive, and we aggressively seek to expand our client relationships. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business. </span></p></li></ol><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman executives were conscious of sustaining this culture when recruiting and tried to hire the best of the best, but not just for their intelligence, drive, or experience. The partners looked for people who fit a certain profile: people who had all the requisite skills and knowledge were hardworking and driven, and also espoused a value system consistent with Goldman’s</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman’s practice was to hire directly from top business schools rather than from other firms because recent MBAs were more malleable; the plasticity of a young MBA’s character made it easier to inculcate the Goldman ethos.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon after I was hired, I was asked to review résumés from Midwestern schools for candidates to interview. When I was given hundreds of them bound in three-ring folders, I asked the vice president who had given me the assignment, How should I go about choosing?</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He shrugged and told me to take anyone who didn’t have a certain grade point average and SAT score and throw them out, and then get back to him.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I did that, but I was still left with what still seemed like hundreds of résumés. So I asked, Now what do I do?</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take out anyone who doesn’t play a varsity sport or do something really exceptional or substantive in public service, he told me, waving me out of his office.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once again I culled the folders, but still, I had too many. So I went back again.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now throw out any that don’t have both sports and public service, and raise your grade and SAT requirements.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After this round, I came up with the thirty people we would interview to select the one or two who would get an offer.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partners also created stronger networks because of the trust. Building a network involves connecting the dots, or rather connecting Goldman people to each other and to important people outside the firm. Almost a decade before he crafted the firm’s business principles, John Whitehead wrote a set of guidelines for the investment banking services area, one of which was, Important people, like to deal with important people. Are you one? Gaining access to important people requires introductions from people willing to make the call. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Harvard Business School case study about Goldman’s training found that Goldman used the Socratic method to explore questions through discussion and debate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another significant innovation in the late 1980s and early 1990s was the heavy use of the emerging technology of voicemail, adopted much earlier and used more effectively at Goldman than at other firms. Voicemail helped improve coordination and teamwork because multiple people could be given information simultaneously and they could hear the tone of a message. The technology resulted in better execution for clients and gave Goldman a competitive advantage. Goldman continued to rely on voicemail heavily even after it had e-mail capability because e-mail lacked the inflection and expressive capacity of the human voice and was less effective in maintaining the firm’s social network.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman people responded quickly to voicemail (and later e-mail messages) because the culture demanded that they do so. A quick and comprehensive response was and still is the norm; it would be culturally unacceptable not to respond as soon as possible.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AT A GOLDMAN PARTNER MEETING, THE STORY GOES, A SENIOR partner asked the new partners to identify the two men who were most important to the firm’s business. The new partners responded with last names: Goldman, Sachs, and Weinberg. The senior partner then revealed the answer: Senator Carter Glass and Representative Henry Steagall.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Between 1987 and 1994, the firm had downsized six different times in different divisions in response to different earnings</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Equity-holding partners were now called managing directors, as were almost one hundred of the thousands of vice presidents (the more experienced ones). Those who were partners in the firm were internally called partner managing directors, or PMDs. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-partner managing directors are likely to earn $2 million or more each, recruiters say. Additionally, the firm changed its compensation practices. All MDs received participation shares, whose value was tied to the overall profitability of the firm and not to an individual or departmental performance. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Along with limited liability, however, the firm instituted changes to the capital obligations of those leaving the partnership; under the new regime, retiring partners were required to keep their capital in their firm for a longer period, on average six years</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1995, the firm revamped its governance structure, forming two new eighteen-person decision-making groups: the partnership committee and the operating committee. The operating committee focused on the coordination of strategy and operations among the firm’s departments, divisions, and geographies. The partnership committee oversaw the firm’s capital structure as well as the selection of partners. Soon afterward, the firm established an executive committee—the ultimate decision-making group—which was much smaller than its predecessor, the management committee. The executive committee’s charter included all issues that did not require a vote by the full partnership or a partner’s individual consent</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition, two new eighteen-person committees were formed. The six individuals on the executive committee had much more power than the management committee had enjoyed, including the ability to change the leadership</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less than six months after Goldman went public, in 1999 certain provisions of the Glass–Steagall Act were repealed by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, and President Bill Clinton signed the legislation that year. Former Goldman co-senior partner Bob Rubin was secretary of the Treasury at the time, and he later joined Citigroup.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The repeal meant that commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms, and insurance companies could be combined.43 Commercial banks started to buy investment banks, spawning a massive consolidation in the banking industry. Some believed it was inevitable that Goldman would be bought. The firm suddenly looked small compared to its new direct competitors, and, with its market position, brand, and relationships, it would have been a prize. Rather than be taken over, the partners decided to grow.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Morgan was considered a white-shoe firm, referring to white buck shoes—laced white suede or buckskin shoes with red soles, which stereotypically were worn at Ivy. League colleges, while Dean Witter Reynolds was a firm with strong retail distribution: nine thousand stockbrokers serving more than 3 million customers. Dean Witter also owned Discover Card. Generally, white-shoe investment bankers often looked down on retail stockbrokers, whose alma maters typically were not the elite schools.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hedge funds also changed the landscape. Unlike many traditional mutual funds, which had a buy and hold mentality, many hedge funds went in and out of securities with high frequency. They typically borrowed money from investment banks to buy securities, and they shorted securities.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman established Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) to serve institutional and individual investors worldwide.GSAM became a strategic priority, in part, because it was not as capital intensive as proprietary trading and it offered consistent fees, which were a percentage of assets under management. When Goldman went public, establishing the asset management business proved to have been a wise strategic decision for this reason. Institutional investors buying the stocks of investment banks, and research analysts covering investment banks, liked the consistency of earnings and gave a higher valuation to the earnings from asset management divisions than to trading earnings</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In its quest for growth and profits, Goldman also began to adjust its business mix. The prioritized opportunities for growth required more capital: trading, proprietary trading, merchant banking/principal investing, and international. Trading and principal investments grew 20 percent annually from 1996 to 2009, whereas investment banking grew 7 percent.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The changing business mix at Goldman, with so much more revenue beginning to come from trading in particular both reflected and contributed to organizational drift. The balance between banking and trading was changing. Also, international growth started to become a challenge. From 2005 to 2007, trading and principal investing accounted for about 70 percent of revenues, and investment banking had plunged to 15 percent.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How big and important are proprietary trading and principal investing activities at Goldman? Glenn Schorr, a Nomura Securities equity research analyst covering Goldman stock, estimated that the Volcker Rule, which is intended to restrict proprietary trading and principal investing at investment banks, would impact 48 percent of Goldman’s total consolidated revenue. To put this into context, he estimated the impact at 27 percent, 9 percent, and 8 percent of total consolidated revenues of Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and J.P. Morgan, respectively.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the basic principles of the financial system is that risk is rewarded. Exactly how well Goldman partners were rewarded—what they earned or owned—had been a closely guarded secret, but it became public information in the filings for the IPO.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman still has its leading market share, in part because it effectively manages conflicts to its advantage—and it also faces reputational and legal questions and consequences, because conflict management is an art and not science. If Goldman had not managed conflicts, its ability to grow and maintain market share would have been challenged. The management of conflicts maximizes opportunities to access scarce resources.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After Sarbanes–Oxley passed, and in compliance with new requirements of the NYSE, Goldman added two outside directors. Thus, the majority of its board (60 percent) was comprised of outside, independent directors.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether Goldman would have survived without government intervention is debatable[2008 fin. crisis]. In fact, in the days immediately following the collapse of Lehman, it became apparent that both Goldman and Morgan Stanley could have shared the same fate as Lehman.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dissonance is the term used by Columbia University sociologist David Stark to describe the ability of those in an organization to challenge one another, to ask questions, and explain their own views. The dissonance of this type leads to more scrutiny of decisions as well as greater innovation and performance. The financial interdependence of partners during Goldman’s partnership days, as well as the social network of trust among them and the less hierarchical structure, encouraged this, and though the new organizational and incentive structure of the company has limited this residual dissonance, a strong enough social network among executives at the firm still exists that these were key factors that differentiated Goldman during the credit crisis. They helped to break through structural secrecy, and that, combined with more expertise at the top of the firm in trading and risk assessment, enabled Goldman to do a better job of perceiving and managing the risk that led to losses.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goldman was the only firm that had so many risk experts in the highest levels of management. As mentioned earlier, Goldman had learned from its 1994 experience. Value at Risk (VaR) is a widely used measure of the risk of loss on a specific portfolio of financial assets, expressed in terms of a probability of losing a given percentage of the value of a portfolio—in mark-to-market value—over a certain time. For example, if a portfolio of stocks has a one-day 5 percent VaR of $1 million, there is a 0.05 probability that the portfolio will fall in value by more than $1 million over a one-day period.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During an interview for this book, an executive at a competing firm (who had earlier worked at Goldman) explained that his firm simply did not give the same attention to risk management. He explained that Goldman’s biggest advantage was that its top people were real traders and risk takers or had access to and dialogue with such traders, as well as the culture to support investment in the systems and the dialogue. He explained that this was why he hadn’t been surprised when Hank Paulson and the board had bypassed John Thornton and John Thain (to whom Paulson allegedly had verbally promised the CEO position) and picked Blankfein to succeed him as CEO. Thornton and Thain did not have as much real-time and extensive expertise in trading and risk. The firm gained trading expertise at its top with Blankfein, and that helped it navigate the credit crisis.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In late 2006, Goldman recognized the need to de-risk and moved swiftly to do so without warning clients or the government. After a period of mounting concern about Goldman’s overexposure to mortgages, in late 2006 Viniar and a group of executives drafted a memo describing their course of action for reducing that exposure. Goldman’s critics are quick to point to this statement: Distribute as much as possible on bonds created from new loan securitizations and clean previous positions. Matt Taibbi translates this to, Find suckers to buy as much of [the] risky inventory as possible. Taibbi then provides an apt analogy: Goldman was like a car dealership that realized it had a whole lot full of cars with faulty brakes. Instead of announcing a recall, it surged ahead with a two-fold plan to make a fortune: first, by dumping the dangerous products on other people, and second, by taking out life insurance against the fools who bought the deadly cars.32 According to Taibbi, within two months of the memo, Goldman had gone from betting $6 billion on mortgages to betting $10 billion against them—a shift of $16 billion.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite public outcry and even disappointment among clients, Goldman doesn’t lack business. Its brand is still highly rated, and Goldman offers a unique value proposition to clients for several reasons, primarily related to access, information, risk management, and people. Goldman is in the center of a large information flow that it gathers from clients. Goldman uses its risk management capabilities and its culture of teamwork to gain insights and then packages the insights and information, makes timely introductions, and executes smart trades. According to client interviews, the firm will continue to excel and dominate, because, relative to its competitors, it generally provides better advice, information, access, and liquidity. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with trading and principal investing contributing 68 percent of the company’s 2007 revenue, compared with 9 percent from advisory fees, some clients questioned whether they could count on Goldman to provide unbiased advice</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is also strong competition for the best talent. Many talented individuals interested in finance go to private equity firms and hedge funds, which offer attractive opportunities.69 Many smart people are going into technology or other fields. But clients felt that Goldman would probably be considered the best alternative generally, not necessarily in every area of specialization, if one is interested in banking or wants training and credentials.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many at Goldman subscribe to the notion that because the firm serves a higher purpose, they are more driven to excellence and are more dedicated than their peers at other firms. The pursuit of profit is portrayed as virtuous, and hard work is viewed as a kind of, for lack of a better phrase, religious duty.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sense of higher purpose is reinforced by the relationship between Goldman and the government. The White House has often looked to Wall Street experts for advice, and Goldman partners have advised several presidents and cabinet members, leading to an incestuous web between government and Goldman—hence the nickname Government Sachs. Goldman also realized the wisdom of hiring former senior government officials. At the highest levels within Goldman, there was, and is, a conscious effort to build and maintain relationships with important people.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A concerning issue about the organizational drift toward a legal definition of ethics is that Goldman and the other banks have a significant influence or role in determining the legal line. For example, Goldman has reportedly spent over $15 million in lobbying related to Dodd-Frank and less than two-thirds of the regulations have been implemented.2 Securities and investment firms spent more than $101 million lobbying regulators in 2011, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group. That is on top of $103 million spent lobbying lawmakers and regulators in 2010</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following summary should help leaders and managers think about the organizational drift that has, is, and will be happening at their own organizations</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shared values, whether codified or uncodified, tie an organization together. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social networks can create competitive advantages and improve performance. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Financial interdependence is important as a self-regulator. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public disclosure supports an organization’s values and strengthens the organization itself.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Generating dissonance or perplexing situations that provoke innovative inquiry can create competitive advantages and improve performance. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A sense of higher purpose, beyond making money in a materialistic society, can help people make sense of their roles.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An organization’s culture is transmitted from one generation to the next as new group members become acculturated or socialized.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Organizational exceptions may address short-term issues but may cause long-term ones.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ability to make rational decisions is limited, or bounded, by the extent of people’s information.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Firms must think about long-term greed and what it means. Through actions and training, leaders must explain the pressures on short-term thinking and how the firm resolves the conflicts of short- and long-term goals.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leaders must understand that external influences can shape the culture. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An organization needs to understand to what extent models impact behavior, decisions made by business leaders, and organizational culture. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leaders get too much credit and too much blame. Leaders need to uphold the firm’s shared values—and that is a key component to leadership.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An organization’s structure, incentives, and values last longer and have more impact than those of individual leaders.</span></p></li></ul></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-21489259397738158302022-01-18T21:24:00.000-05:002022-01-18T21:24:04.318-05:00 Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School Paperback by John Medina <p> <span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School Paperback by John Medina </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-47e254e8-7fff-6269-6aac-863d7b7ffe01"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #1 - Exercise boosts brainpower</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our brains were built for walking—12 miles a day!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To improve your thinking skills, move.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exercise gets blood to your brain, bringing it glucose for energy and oxygen to soak up the toxic electrons that are leftover. It also stimulates the protein that keeps neurons connecting.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aerobic exercise just twice a week halves your risk of general dementia. It cuts your risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 Percent.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #2 - The human brain evolved, too.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We don’t have one brain in our heads; we have three. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We started with a “lizard brain” to keep us breathing, then added a brain like a cat’s, and then topped those with the thin layer of Jell-O known as the cortex—the third, and powerful, “human” brain.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We took over the Earth by adapting to change itself after we were forced from the trees to the savannah when climate swings disrupted our food supply.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Going from four legs to two to walk on the savannah freed up energy to develop a complex brain.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Symbolic reasoning is uniquely human talent. It may have arisen from our need to understand one another’s intentions and motivations, allowing us to coordinate within a group.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #3 - Every brain is wired differently.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like—it literally rewires it.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The various regions of the brain develop at different rates in different people.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No two people’s brains store the same information in the same way in the same place.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have a great number of ways of being intelligent, many of which don’t show up on IQ tests.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #4 - People don’t pay attention to boring things.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brain’s attentional “spotlight” can focus on only one thing at a time: no multitasking.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are better at seeing patterns and abstracting the meaning of an event than we are at recording detail.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emotional arousal helps the brain learn.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Audiences check out after 10 minutes, but you can keep grabbing them back by telling narratives or creating events rich in emotion.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #5 - Repeat to remember.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brain has many types of memory systems. One type follows four stages of processing: encoding, storing, retrieving, and forgetting.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information coming into your brain is immediately split into fragments that are sent to different regions of the cortex for storage.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the events that predict whether something learned also will be remembered to occur in the first few seconds of learning. The more elaborately we encode a memory during its initial moments, the stronger it will be.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can improve your chances of remembering something if you reproduce the environment in which you first put it into your brain.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #6 - Remember to repeat.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most memories disappear within minutes, but those that survive the fragile period strengthen with time.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Long-term memories are formed in a two-way conversation between the hippocampus and the cortex until the hippocampus breaks the connection and the memory is fixed in the cortex—which can take years.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our brains give us only an approximate view of reality because they mix new knowledge with past memories and store them together as one.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The way to make long-term memory more reliable is to incorporate new information gradually and repeat it in timed intervals.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #7 - Sleep well, think well.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brain is in a constant state of tension between cells and chemicals that try to put you to sleep and cells and chemicals that try to keep you awake.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The neurons of your brain show vigorous rhythmical activity when you’re asleep—perhaps replaying what you learned that day.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People vary in how much sleep they need and when they prefer to get it, but the biological drive for an afternoon nap is universal., </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Loss of sleep hurts attention, executive function, working memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning, and even motor dexterity.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #8 - Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your body’s defense system—the release of adrenaline and cortisol—is built for an immediate response to a serious but passing danger, such as a saber-toothed tiger. Chronic stress, such as hostility at home, dangerously deregulates a system built only to deal with short-term responses.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Under chronic stress, adrenaline creates scars in your blood vessels that can cause a heart attack or stroke, and cortisol damages the cells of the hippocampus, crippling your ability to learn and remember.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Individually, the worst kind of stress is the feeling that you have no control over the problem—you are helpless.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emotional stress has huge impacts across society, on children’s ability to learn in school and on employees’ productivity at work. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #9 - Stimulate more of the senses at the same time.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We absorb information about an event through our senses, translate it into electrical signals (some for sight, others from sound, etc.), disperse those signals to separate parts of the brain, then reconstruct what happened, eventually perceiving the event as a whole.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brain seems to rely partly on past experience in deciding how to combine these signals, so two people can perceive the same event very differently.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our senses evolved to work together—vision influencing hearing, for example—which means that we learn best if we stimulate several senses at once.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smells have an unusual power to bring back memories, maybe because smell signals bypass the thalamus and head straight to their destinations, which include that supervisor of emotions known as the amygdala.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #10 - Vision trumps all other senses.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resources.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What we see is only what our brain tells us we see, and it’s not 100 percent accurate.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The visual analysis we do has many steps. The retina assembles photons into little movie-like streams of information. The visual cortex processes these streams, some areas registering motion, others registering color, etc. Finally, we combine that information back together so we can see.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We learn and remember best through pictures, not through written or spoken words.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #11 - Male and female brains are different.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The X chromosome that males have one of and females have two of—though one acts as a backup—is a cognitive “hot spot,” carrying an unusually large percentage of genes involved in brain manufacture.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women are genetically more complex because the active X chromosomes in their cells are a mix of Moms and dads. Men’s X chromosomes all come from Mom, and their Y chromosome carries less than 100 genes, compared with about 1,500 for the X chromosome.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Men’s and women’s brains are different structurally and biochemically—men have a bigger amygdala and produce serotonin faster, for example—but we don’t know if those differences have significance.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Men and women respond differently to acute stress: Women activate the left hemisphere’s amygdala and remember the emotional details. Men use the right amygdala and get the gist.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rule #12 -</span><span style="color: #9a9a9a; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are powerful and natural explorers.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Babies are the model of how we learn—not by passive reaction to the environment but by active testing through observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Specific parts of the brain allow this scientific approach. The right prefrontal cortex looks for errors in our hypothesis (“The saber-toothed tiger is not harmless”), and an adjoining region tells us to change behavior (“Run!”). </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can recognize and imitate behavior because of “mirror neurons” scattered across the brain.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some parts of our adult brains stay as malleable as a baby’s, so we can create neurons and learn new things throughout our lives.</span></p></li></ul><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-72787601081428041952022-01-15T20:47:00.005-05:002022-01-15T20:47:40.876-05:00 Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-66863012-7fff-d0a4-6862-5c72ade95bd6"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skin in the Game is about four topics in one: a) uncertainty and the reliability of knowledge (both practical and scientific, assuming there is a difference), or in less polite words bull***t detection, b) symmetry in human affairs, that is, fairness, justice, responsibility, and reciprocity, c) information sharing in transactions, and d) rationality in complex systems and in the real world.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The knowledge we get by tinkering, via trial and error, experience, and the workings of time, in other words, contact with the earth, is vastly superior to that obtained through reasoning, something self-serving institutions have been very busy hiding from us.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A collection of people classified as interventionists (to name names of people operating at the time of writing: Bill Kristol, Thomas Friedman, and others)not only lack practical sense, and never learn from history, but they even fail at pure reasoning, which they drown in elaborate semiabstract buzzword-laden discourse. Their three flaws: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) they think in statics not dynamics, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) they think in low, not high, dimensions, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) they think in terms of actions, never interactions. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will see in more depth throughout the book this defect of mental reasoning by educated (or, rather, semi-educated) fools. The first flaw is that they are incapable of thinking in second steps and unaware of the need for them—and about every peasant in Mongolia, every waiter in Madrid, and every car-service operator in San Francisco knows that real life happens to have second, third, fourth, nth steps. The second flaw is that they are also incapable of distinguishing between multidimensional problems and their single-dimensional representations. They can’t get the idea that, empirically, complex systems do not have obvious one-dimensional cause-and-effect mechanisms, and that under opacity, you do not mess with such a system. The third flaw is that they can’t forecast the evolution of those one helps by attacking, or the magnification one gets from feedback.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bureaucracy is a construction by which a person is conveniently separated from the consequences of his or her actions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kant: theory is too theoretical for humans. The more confined our ethics, the less abstract, the better it works. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A saying by the brothers Geoff and Vince Graham summarizes the ludicrousness of scale-free political universalism.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am, at the Fed level, libertarian;</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">at the state level, Republican;</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">at the local level, Democrat;</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and at the family and friends level, a socialist.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If that saying doesn’t convince you of the fatuousness of left vs. right labels, nothing will.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You need to remember that, when you visit a medical office, you will be facing someone who, in spite of his authoritative demeanor, is in a fragile situation. He is not you, not a member of your family, so he has no direct emotional loss should your health experience a degradation. His objective is, naturally, to avoid a lawsuit, something that can prove disastrous to his career. both the doctor and the patient have skin in the game, though not perfectly, but administrators don’t—and they seem to be the cause of the troubling malfunctioning of the system. Administrators everywhere on the planet, in all businesses and pursuits, and at all times in history, have been the plague.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Muslims and Jews have near-identical slaughter rules (all kosher is halal for most Sunni Muslims or was so in past centuries, but the reverse is not true). Now consider this manifestation of the dictatorship of the minority. In the United Kingdom, where the (practicing) Muslim population is only 3 to 4 percent, a very high proportion of the meat we find is halal. Close to 70 percent of lamb imports from New Zealand are halal. Close to 10 percent of Subway stores carry halal-only meat (meaning no pork), in spite of the high costs of losing the business of ham eaters (like myself). The same holds in South Africa, which has about the same proportion of Muslims. There, a disproportionately high share of chicken is halal certified. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE ONE-WAY STREET OF RELIGIONS</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The two asymmetric rules are as follows. First, under Islamic law, if a non-Muslim man marries a Muslim woman, he needs to convert to Islam—and if either parent of a child happens to be Muslim, the child will be Muslim.*3 Second, becoming Muslim is irreversible, as apostasy is the heaviest crime under the religion, sanctioned by the death penalty. The famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, born Mikhael Demetri Shalhoub, came from a Lebanese Christian family. He converted to Islam to marry a famous Egyptian actress and had to change his name to an Arabic one. He later divorced but did not revert to the faith of his ancestors.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Under these two asymmetric rules, one can do simple simulations and see how a small Islamic group occupying Christian (Coptic) Egypt can lead, over the centuries, to the Copts becoming a tiny minority. All one needs is a small rate of interfaith marriages. Likewise, one can see how Judaism doesn’t spread and tends to stay in the minority, as the religion has weaker rules: the mother is required to be Jewish. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So all Islam did was out-stubborn Christianity, which itself won thanks to its own stubbornness. For before Islam, the original spread of Christianity in the Roman empire was largely due to…the blinding intolerance of Christians; their unconditional, aggressive, and recalcitrant proselytizing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If, on the other hand, we merge all states of the USA in one, then the minority rule will prevail all across. This is the reason the U.S.A. works so well. How do books get banned? Certainly not because they offend the average person—most persons are passive and don’t really care, or don’t care enough to request the banning. From past episodes, it looks like all it takes is a few (motivated) activists for the banning of some books or the blacklisting of some people. The great philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell lost his job at the City University of New York owing to a letter by an angry—and stubborn—mother who did not wish to have her daughter in the same room as the fellow with a dissolute lifestyle and unruly ideas.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once a moral rule is established, it will suffice to have a small, intransigent minority of geographically distributed followers to dictate a norm in society. The sad news is that one person looking at mankind as an aggregate may mistakenly believe that humans are spontaneously becoming more moral, better, and more gentle, with the better breath, when this applies to only a small proportion of mankind.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The overall stock markets currently represent more than thirty trillion dollars, but a single order in 2008, only fifty billion, that is, less than two-tenths of a percent of the total, triggered a drop of close to 10 percent, causing losses of around three trillion dollars. As retold in Antifragile, it was an order activated by the Parisian bank Société Générale, which discovered a hidden acquisition by a rogue trader and wanted to reverse the purchase. Why did the market react so disproportionately? Because the order was one-way—stubborn: they had to sell and there was no way to convince the management otherwise. My personal adage is: The market is like a large movie theater with a small door</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contractors are exceedingly free; as risk-takers, they fear mostly the law. But employees have a reputation to protect. And they can be fired.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People of some means have a country house—which is inefficient compared to hotels or rentals—because they want to make sure it is available if they decide they want to use it on a whim. There is a trader’s expression: Never buy when you can rent the three Fs: what you Float, what you Fly, and what you…(that something else). Yet many people own boats and planes and end up stuck with that something else.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By being employees they signal a certain type of domestication.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Someone who has been employed for a while is giving you strong evidence of submission. An employee is—by design—more valuable inside a firm than outside of it; that is, more valuable to the employer than the marketplace.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What matters isn’t what a person has or doesn’t have; it is what he or she is afraid of losing. The more you have to lose, the more fragile you are. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clearly, except for Putin, all the others need to be elected, can come under fire by their party, and have to calibrate every single statement with how it could be misinterpreted the least by the press. Watching Putin made me realize that domesticated (and sterilized) animals don’t stand a chance against a wild predator. Not a single one.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People whose survival depends on qualitative job assessments by someone of higher rank in an organization cannot be trusted for critical decisions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although employees are reliable by design, it remains the case that they cannot be trusted in making decisions, hard decisions, anything that entails serious tradeoffs. The employee has a very simple objective function: fulfill the tasks that his or her supervisor deems necessary, or satisfy some gameable metric.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have been witnessing the same problem in the U.S. attitude toward Saudi Arabia. It is clear since the attack on the World Trade Center (in which most of the attackers were Saudi citizens) that someone in that non-partying kingdom had a hand—somehow—in the matter. But no bureaucrat, fearful of oil disruptions, made the right decision—instead, the absurd invasion of Iraq was endorsed because it appeared to be simpler. Since 2001 the policy for fighting Islamic terrorists has been, to put it politely, missing the elephant in the room, sort of like treating symptoms and completely missing the disease. The same thing happened in 2009 with the banks. I said in Prologue 1 that the Obama administration was complicit with the Bob Rubin trade. We have plenty of evidence that they were afraid of rocking the boat and contradicting the cronies.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Intellectual Yet Idiot (IYI) is a product of modernity, hence has been proliferating since at least the mid-twentieth century, to reach a local supremum today, to the point that we have experienced a takeover by people without skin in the game When plebeians do something that makes sense to themselves, but not to him, the IYI uses the term uneducated. While rich people believe in one tax dollar one vote, more humanistic ones in one man one vote, Monsanto in one lobbyist one vote, the IYI believes in one Ivy League degree one vote, with some equivalence for foreign elite schools and PhDs, as these are needed in the club.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are what Nietzsche called Bildungsphilisters—educated philistines. Beware the slightly erudite who thinks he is an erudite, as well as the barber who decides to perform brain surgery.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michèle Lamont, the author of The Dignity of Working Men, cited by Williams, did a systematic interview of blue-collar Americans and found a resentment of high-paid professionals but, unexpectedly, not of the rich.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For instance, only 10 percent of the wealthiest five hundred American people or dynasties were so thirty years ago; more than 60 percent on the French list are heirs and a third of the richest Europeans were the richest centuries ago. In Florence, it was just revealed that things are even worse: the same handful of families have kept the wealth for five centuries.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You do not create dynamic equality just by raising the level of those at the bottom, but rather by making the rich rotate—or by forcing people to incur the possibility of creating an opening.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A good rule for society is to oblige those who start in public office to pledge never subsequently to earn from the private sector more than a set amount; the rest should go to the taxpayer. This will ensure sincerity in, literally, service—where employees are supposedly underpaid because of their emotional reward from serving society.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there is an implicit bribe in civil service: you act as a servant to industry, say, Monsanto, and they take care of you later on. They do not do it out of a sense of honor: simply, it is necessary to keep the system going and encourage the next guy to play by these rules. The IYI-cum-cronyist former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner—with whom I share the Calabrese barber of the Prologue—was overtly rewarded by the industry he helped bailout. He helped bankers get bailouts, let them pay themselves from the largest bonus pool in history after the crisis, in 2010 (that is, using taxpayer money), and then got a multimillion-dollar job at a financial institution as his reward for good behavior.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The pre-Socratic thinker Periander of Corinth wrote, more than twenty-five hundred years ago: Use laws that are old but food that is fresh. Likewise, Alfonso X of Spain, nicknamed El Sabio, the wise, had as a maxim: Burn old logs. Drink old wine. Read old books. Keep old friends. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The insightful and luckily nonacademic historian Tom Holland once commented: The thing I most admire about the Romans was the utter contempt they were capable of showing the cult of youth. He also wrote: The Romans judged their political system by asking not whether it made sense but whether it worked. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you hear advice from a grandmother or elders, odds are that it works 90 percent of the time. On the other hand, in part because of scientism and academic prostitution, in part, because the world is hard. Consider that a recent effort to replicate the hundred psychology papers in prestigious journals of 2008 found that, out of a hundred, only thirty-nine replicated. Of these thirty-nine, I believe that fewer than ten are actually robust and transfer outside the narrowness of the experiment. Similar defects have been found in medicine and neuroscience;</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One should give more weight to research that, while being rigorous, contradicts other peers, particularly if it entails costs and reputational harm for its author. Someone with a high public presence who is controversial and takes risks for his opinion is less likely to be a bull***t vendor</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cognitive dissonance - the grapes they can’t reach got to be sour</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Loss aversion (a psychological theory by which a loss is more painful than again is pleasant). Men feel the good less intensely than the bad</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Negative advice (via negativa): We know the wrong better than what’s right; The good is not as good as the absence of bad</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skin in the game (literally): We start with the Yiddish proverb: You can’t chew with somebody else’s teeth. Your fingernail can best scratch your itch</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The madness of crowds: Nietzsche: Madness is rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, nations, it is the rule.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mediterranean societies are traditional ones in which the highest-ranking person is the one with the most skin in the game. And if anything characterizes today’s America, it is economic risk-taking, thanks to a happy transfer of martial values to business and commerce in Anglo-Saxon society. But history shows that there were—and still are—societies in which the intellectual was at the top. The Hindus held the Brahman to be first in the hierarchy, the Celts had the druids, the Egyptians had their scribes, and the Chinese had for a relatively brief time the scholar.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can notice a remarkable similarity to the way these intellectuals held power and separated themselves from the rest: through complex, extremely elaborate rituals, mysteries that stay within the caste, and an overriding focus on the cosmetic. Consider the bishop in my parts, the Greek-Orthodox church: it’s a show of dignity. A bishop on rollerblades would no longer be a bishop. There is nothing wrong with the decorative if it remains what it is, decorative, as remains true today. However, science and business must not be decorative.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alexander the great's THE GORDIAN KNOT incident is an example of Never pay for the complexity of presentation when all you need is results.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People who are bred, selected and compensated to find complicated solutions do not have an incentive to implement simplified ones. This is particularly acute in the meta-problem when the solution is about solving this very problem.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If anything, being rich you need to hide your money if you want to have what I call friends. This may be known; what is less obvious is that you may also need to hide your erudition and learning. People can only be social friends if they don’t try to upstage or outsmart one another. Indeed, the classical art of conversation is to avoid any imbalance, as in Baldassare Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier: people need to be equal, at least for the purpose of the conversation, otherwise, it fails. It has to be hierarchy-free and equal in contribution. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your private life conflicts with your intellectual opinion, it cancels your intellectual ideas, not your private life. If your private actions do not generalize, then you cannot have general ideas.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For most Jews today, religion has become ethnocultural, without the law—and for many, a nation. Same for Armenians, Syriacs, Chaldeans, Copts, and Maronites. For Orthodox and Catholic Christians, religion is largely aesthetics, pomp, and rituals. For Protestants, religion is belief without aesthetics, pomp, or law. Further East, for Buddhists, Shintoists, and Hindus, religion is practical and spiritual philosophy, with a code of ethics (and for some, a cosmogony). So when Hindus talk about the Hindu religion, it doesn’t mean the same thing to a Pakistani, and would certainly mean something different to a Persian.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are people who are atheists in actions, religious in words (most Orthodox and Catholic Christians), and others who are religious in actions, religious in words (Salafi Islamists and suicide bombers) but I know of nobody who is atheist in both actions and words, completely devoid of rituals, respect for the dead, and superstitions </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Per Lindy: </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the beard (or hair) is black, heed the reasoning, but ignore the conclusion. When the beard is gray, consider both reasoning and conclusion. When the beard is white, skip the reasoning, but mind the conclusion.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No muscles without strength,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">friendship without trust,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">opinion without consequence,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">change without aesthetics,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">age without values,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">life without effort,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">water without thirst,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">food without nourishment,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">love without sacrifice,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">power without fairness,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">facts without rigor,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">statistics without logic,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">mathematics without proof,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">teaching without experience,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">politeness without warmth,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">values without embodiment,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">degrees without erudition,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">militarism without fortitude,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">progress without civilization,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">friendship without investment,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">virtue without risk,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">probability without ergodicity,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wealth without exposure,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">complication without depth,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fluency without content,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">decision without asymmetry,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">science without skepticism,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">religion without tolerance</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and, most of all:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nothing without skin in the game.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-81909643134270657032022-01-01T12:00:00.002-05:002022-01-01T12:00:45.690-05:00 The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga.<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7fcf6625-7fff-96e7-d645-6c2d7851163a"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler are all giants in the world of psychology. The Courage to Be Disliked follows a conversation between a young man and a philosopher as they discuss the tenets of Alfred Adler’s theories.]</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[All the notes below are the ‘ Philosopher’s comments/answers].</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None of us live in an objective world, but instead in a subjective world that we ourselves have given meaning to. The world you see is different from the one I see, and it’s impossible to share your world with anyone else.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before an effect, there’s a cause. Or, in other words, who I am now (the effect) is determined by occurrences in the past (the causes)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, much of the content closely resembles Adler’s ideas.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To quote Adler again: The important thing is not what one is born with but what use one makes of that equipment. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not even the most hardened criminal becomes involved in crime purely out of a desire to engage in evil acts. Every criminal has an internal justification for getting involved in crime.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Adlerian psychology, we describe personality and disposition with the word lifestyle. In a narrow sense, lifestyle could be defined as someone’s personality; taken more broadly, it is a word that encompasses the worldview of that person and his or her outlook on life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Adlerian psychology, however, lifestyle is thought of as something that you choose for yourself. you did not consciously choose this kind of self. Your first choice was probably unconscious, combined with external factors you have referred to—that is, race, nationality, culture, and home environment. These certainly had a significant influence on that choice. Nevertheless, it is you who chose this kind of self. Adlerian psychology’s view is that it happens around the age of ten.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your lifestyle is not something that you were naturally born with, but something you chose yourself, then it must be possible to choose it over again. Being born in this country, in this era, and with these parents are things you did not choose. And all these things have a great deal of influence. The issue is not the past, but here, in the present. And now you’ve learned about lifestyle. But what you do with it from here on is your responsibility. Whether you go on choosing the lifestyle you’ve had up till now, or you choose a new lifestyle altogether, it’s entirely up to you.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adlerian psychology is a psychology of courage. Your unhappiness cannot be blamed on your past or your environment. And it isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack courage.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Adler’s teleology tells us, No matter what has occurred in your life up to this point, it should have no bearing at all on how you live from now on. That you, living in the here and now, are the one who determines your own life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People cannot simply forget the past, and neither can they become free from it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why You Dislike Yourself</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are afraid of being negated by other people. You’re afraid of being treated disparagingly, being refused, and sustaining deep mental wounds. You think that instead of getting entangled in such situations, it would be better if you just didn’t have relations with anyone in the first place. In other words, your goal is to not get hurt in your relationships with other people</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just find your shortcomings, start disliking yourself, and become someone who doesn’t enter into interpersonal relationships. That way, if you can shut yourself into your own shell, you won’t have to interact with anyone, and you’ll even have a justification ready whenever other people snub you. That it’s because of your shortcomings that you get snubbed, and if things weren’t this way, you too could be loved.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You were so afraid of interpersonal relationships that you came to dislike yourself. You’ve avoided interpersonal relationships by disliking yourself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t be evasive. Being the way I am with all these shortcomings is, for you, a precious virtue. In other words, something that’s to your benefit.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t forget, it’s basically impossible to not get hurt in your relations with other people. When you enter into interpersonal relationships, it is inevitable that to a greater or lesser extent you will get hurt, and you will hurt someone, too. Adler says, To get rid of one’s problems, all one can do is live in the universe all alone. But one can’t do such a thing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All problems are interpersonal relationship problems. This is a concept that runs to the very root of Adlerian psychology. If all interpersonal relationships were gone from this world, which is to say if one were alone in the universe and all other people were gone, all manner of problems would disappear.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feelings of Inferiority Are Subjective Assumptions</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The feeling of inferiority has to do with one’s value judgment of oneself. It’s the feeling that one has no worth, or that one is worth only so much.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We cannot alter objective facts. But subjective interpretations can be altered as much as one likes. And we are inhabitants of a subjective world. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the feelings of inferiority we’re suffering from are subjective interpretations rather than objective facts?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First of all, people enter this world as helpless beings. And people have the universal desire to escape from that helpless state. Adler called this the pursuit of superiority. Adler is saying that the pursuit of superiority and the feeling of inferiority are not diseases but stimulants to normal, healthy striving and growth. If it is not used in the wrong way, the feeling of inferiority, too, can promote striving and growth.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At base, complex refers to an abnormal mental state made up of a complicated group of emotions and ideas and has nothing to do with the feeling of inferiority. It’s crucial to not mix up feeling of inferiority and inferiority complex and to think about them as clearly separate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Adler says, the feeling of inferiority can be a trigger for striving and growth. For instance, if one had a feeling of inferiority with regard to one’s education, and resolved to oneself, I’m not well educated, so I’ll just have to try harder than anyone else, that would be a desirable direction. The inferiority complex, on the other hand, refers to a condition of having begun to use one’s feeling of inferiority as a kind of excuse. So one thinks to oneself, I’m not well educated, so I can’t succeed. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One makes a show of being on good terms with a powerful person and by doing that, one lets it be known that one is special. those who make themselves look bigger on borrowed power are essentially living according to other people’s value systems—they are living other people’s lives.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s the kind of person who likes to boast about his achievements. Someone who clings to his past glory and is always recounting memories of the time when his light shone brightest. All such people can be said to have superiority complexes. As Adler clearly indicates, The one who boasts does so only out of a feeling of inferiority.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sound of the words that inferiority complex and superiority complex were polar opposites, in actuality, they border on each other. It is a pattern leading to a particular feeling of superiority that manifests due to the feeling of inferiority itself becoming intensified.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adler himself pointed out, In our culture weakness can be quite strong and powerful. Adler says, In fact, if we were to ask ourselves who is the strongest person in our culture, the logical answer would be, the baby. The baby rules and cannot be dominated. The baby rules over the adults with his weakness. And it is because of this weakness that no one can control him.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The pursuit of superiority is the mindset of taking a single step forward on one’s own feet, not the mindset of competition of the sort that necessitates aiming to be greater than other people. life is not a competition</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When one is conscious of competition and victory and defeat, it is inevitable that feelings of inferiority will arise. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From Power Struggle to Revenge</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s say you and a friend have been discussing the current political situation. Before long, it turns into a heated argument, and neither of you is willing to accept any differences of opinion until finally, it reaches the point where he starts engaging in personal attacks—that you’re stupid. It’s that he finds you unbearable, and he wants to criticize and provoke you and make you submit through a power struggle. If you get angry at this point, the moment he has been anticipating will arrive, and the relationship will suddenly turn into a power struggle. No matter what the provocation, you must not get taken in.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now let’s say you take control of the quarrel. And then the other man, who was seeking to defeat you, withdraws in a sportsmanlike manner. The thing is, the power struggle doesn’t end there. Having lost the dispute, he rushes on to the next stage. And once the interpersonal relationship reaches the revenge stage, it is almost impossible for either party to find a solution. To prevent this from happening, when one is challenged to a power struggle, one must never allow oneself to be taken in.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Admitting Fault Is Not Defeat</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you are challenged to a fight, and you sense that it is a power struggle, step down from the conflict as soon as possible. Do not answer his action with a reaction. That is the only thing we can do. When you control your anger, you’re bearing it,. let’s learn a way to settle things without using the emotion of anger. Because after all, anger is a tool. A means for achieving a goal. We can convey our thoughts and intentions and be accepted without any need for anger. Believe in the power of language and the language of logic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the rightness of one’s assertions has nothing to do with winning or losing. If you think you are right, regardless of what other people’s opinions might be, the matter should be closed then and there. However, many people will rush into a power struggle and try to make others submit to them. And that is why they think of admitting a mistake as admitting defeat. Admitting mistakes, conveying words of apology, and stepping down from power struggles—none of these things is defeat. The pursuit of superiority is not something that is carried out through competition with other people.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overcoming the Tasks That Face You in Life</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Adlerian psychology, clear objectives are laid out for human behavior and psychology. First, there are two objectives for behavior: to be self-reliant and to live in harmony with society. Then, the two objectives for the psychology that supports these behaviors are the consciousness that I have the ability and the consciousness that people are my comrades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the process of growing up, one begins to have all kinds of relationships. Adler made three categories of the interpersonal relationships that arise out of these processes. He referred to them as tasks of work, tasks of friendship, and tasks of love, and all together as life tasks.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A lot of people think that the more friends you have the better, but I’m not so sure about that. There’s no value at all in the number of friends or acquaintances you have. And this is a subject that connects with the task of love, but what we should be thinking about is the distance and depth of the relationship.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you change, those around you will change too. They will have no choice but to change. Adlerian psychology is a psychology for changing oneself, not a psychology for changing others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">people are extremely selfish creatures who are capable of finding any number of flaws and shortcomings in others whenever the mood strikes them. Adler called the state of coming up with all manner of pretexts in order to avoid the life tasks the life-lie.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freudian etiology is a psychology of possession, and eventually, it arrives at determinism. Adlerian psychology, on the other hand, is a psychology of use, and it is you who decides it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adlerian psychology denies the need to seek recognition from others. There is no need to be recognized by others. Actually, one must not seek recognition. When trying to be recognized by others, almost all people treat satisfying other people’s expectations as the means to that end. And that is in accordance with the stream of thought of reward-and-punishment education that says one will be praised if one takes appropriate action</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In general, all interpersonal relationship troubles are caused by intruding on other people’s tasks or having one’s own tasks intruded on. Carrying out the separation of tasks is enough to change one’s interpersonal relationships dramatically.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Adler says, Children who have not been taught to confront challenges will try to avoid all challenges.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not wanting to be disliked by other people. To human beings, this is an entirely natural desire and an impulse. Kant, the giant of modern philosophy, called this desire inclination; it is one’s instinctive desires, one’s impulsive desires. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freedom is being disliked by other people. It is proof that you are exercising your freedom and living in freedom and a sign that you are living in accordance with your own principles. There is a cost incurred when one wants to exercise one’s freedom. And the cost of freedom in interpersonal relationships is that one is disliked by other people. The courage to be happy also includes the courage to be disliked. When you have gained that courage, your interpersonal relationships will all at once change into things of lightness.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He hit me that time, and that is why our relationship went bad, is a Freudian etiological way of thinking. The Adlerian teleology position completely reverses the cause-and-effect interpretation. That is to say, I brought out the memory of being hit because I don’t want my relationship with my father to get better.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adlerian psychology is formally referred to as individual psychology. In Adlerian psychology, physical symptoms are not regarded separately from the mind (psyche). The mind and body are viewed as one, as a whole that cannot be divided into parts.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forming good interpersonal relationships requires a certain degree of distance. At the same time, people who get too close end up not even being able to speak to each other, so it is not good to get too far apart, either. Adlerian psychology has the view that all problems are interpersonal relationship problems. Interpersonal relations are the source of unhappiness. And the opposite can be said, too—interpersonal relations are the source of happiness. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Community feeling (community includes the universe, from past to future) is the most important index for considering a state of interpersonal relations that is happy. One has to stand on one’s own two feet and take one’s own steps forward with the tasks of interpersonal relations. One needs to think not, What will this person give me? but rather, What can I give to this person? That is commitment to the community.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One must not praise, and one must not rebuke. That is the standpoint of Adlerian psychology. When one person praises another, the goal is to manipulate someone who has less ability than you. It is not done out of gratitude or respect. Adlerian psychology refutes all manner of vertical relationships and proposes that all interpersonal relationships be horizontal relationships. In a sense, this point may be regarded as the fundamental principle of Adlerian psychology.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You convey words of gratitude, saying thank you to this partner who has helped you with your work. You might express straightforward delight: I’m glad. Or you could convey your thanks by saying, That was a big help. This is an approach to encouragement that is based on horizontal relationships. When one hears words of gratitude, one knows that one has made a contribution to another person</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s making the switch from attachment to self (self-interest) to concern for others (social interest) and gaining a sense of community feeling. Three things are needed at this point: self-acceptance, confidence in others, and contribution to others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Accept what is irreplaceable (e.g. one is born with). And have the courage to change what one can change. That is self-acceptance. It is also mentioned in the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the standpoint of Adlerian psychology, the basis of interpersonal relations is founded not on trust (e.g. how bank give loans based on your credibility to pay back) but on confidence. Unconditional confidence is a means for making your interpersonal relationship with a person better and for building a horizontal relationship.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adler goes so far as to warn that those who sacrifice their own lives for others are people who have conformed to society too much. We are truly aware of our own worth only when we feel that our existence and behavior are beneficial to the community</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happiness is the feeling of contribution. That is the definition of happiness.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the goal of climbing a mountain were to get to the top, that would be a kinetic act. To take it to the extreme, it wouldn’t matter if you went to the mountaintop in a helicopter, stayed there for five minutes or so, and then headed back in the helicopter again. Of course, if you didn’t make it to the mountaintop, that would mean the mountain-climbing expedition was a failure. However, if the goal is mountain climbing itself, and not just getting to the top, one could say it is energeial. In this case, in the end it doesn’t matter whether one makes it to the mountaintop or not.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When one attempts to choose freedom, it is only natural that one may lose one’s way. At this juncture, Adlerian psychology holds up a guiding star as a grand compass pointing to a life of freedom.No matter what moments you are living, or if there are people who dislike you, as long as you do not lose sight of the guiding star of I contribute to others, you will not lose your way, and you can do whatever you like. Whether you’re disliked or not, you pay it no mind and live free.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-58255369010939552332021-12-30T10:08:00.004-05:002021-12-30T10:08:32.942-05:00 How To Speak by Patrick Winston<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How To Speak by Patrick Winston</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 14pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The successful formula for good presentation delivery:</span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #686868; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">I = f(K,P,T)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 3pt 0pt 14pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Your </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">mpact is a function of your </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">K</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">nowledge about speaking, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">P</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">ractice, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">T</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">alent — in decreasing order of importance. Winston’s advice focuses on your knowledge about speaking. This is the easiest way to gain the biggest increases in your impact.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">"Your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas. In that order."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t start with a joke. </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you want to do instead is start with an empowerment promise. You want to tell people what they're going to know at the end of the hour that they didn't know at the beginning of the hour. It's an empowerment promise. It's the reason for being here.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's a good idea to cycle on the subject. Go around it. Go round it again. Go round it again. the reason is-- well, there are many reasons, one of which is, at any given moment, about 20% of you will be fogged out no matter what the lecture is. So if you want to ensure that the probability that everybody gets it is high, you need to say it three times.</span></li></ol><p></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #030303; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Put a fence around your idea so that people can not be confused about how it might relate to something else. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This will help people understand what the important points are that define your idea.</span></p></li></ol><div><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Verbal punctuation. Provide a mechanism to help people who “fogged out” to easily rejoin the talk. For example: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">“We have just finished talking about the first heuristic, cycling, I am now going to talk about the second heuristic for helping to make your talks more interesting…”.</span></p></li></ol><div><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Ask Rhetorical Questions. W</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">ait 6 seconds for an answer. It can't be too obvious because then people will be embarrassed to say it, but the answers can't be too hard because then nobody will have anything to say.</span></p></li></ol><div><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Time and Place. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">If it’s in your control: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">mid-morning</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> is the best time. Choose a location that will look full with your expected audience size. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Make sure it is well-lit.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> Don’t let them turn down the lights.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The BlackBoard.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A blackboard lets you draw natural graphics that highlight your points. It also paces you. The speed of writing matches the speed with which people process information. Use a logo that captures the main point and that you can return to. (“I once saw a Sloan professor lecture for a whole hour about a triangle; it was amazing!”) It also provides a target. The best thing to do with your hands? The point at things on the board.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whenever surveys are taken, students always say more chalk, less PowerPoint. And why would that be? Props are also very effective. Why would that be? It has to do with what I would call empathetic mirroring. When you're sitting up there watching me write on the board, all those little mirror neurons in your head, I believe, become actuated, and you can feel yourself writing on the blackboard.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">You want the slides to be condiments to what you're saying, not the main event or the opposite way around. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Props. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When possible, use a prop to illustrate an idea. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The word “prop” comes from the term “theatrical property”. If you watch a play, props are objects used by actors on stage to add realism to the story and to help advance the narrative. You would bring a prop </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to visualize an abstract concept or idea</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, for example. You show something with a prop and then make a connection to the topic of your presentation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Showing how impossibly complex it is. It's something you in the audience can't understand, and that's the point, but you can't have many of these. You can have one per work, one per presentation, one per paper, one per book. That's what hapax legomenon is.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How do you teach people how to think? you provide them with the stories they need to know, the questions they need to ask about those stories, mechanisms for analyzing those stories, ways of putting stories together, ways of evaluating how reliable a story is. And that's what I think you need to do when you teach people how to think.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">In a job interview,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> if you haven't expressed your vision, if you haven't told people that you've done something in five minutes, you've already lost. So you have to be able to do that. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Here, the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">vision</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> is in part, a problem that somebody cares about and something new in your approach. So the problem is understanding the nature of human intelligence.</span></p></li></ul><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How do you express the notion that you've </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">done something</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">? By listing the steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the solution to that problem. You don't have to have done all of those steps. But you can say here's what needs to be done. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">And then you conclude by-- you conclude by enumerating </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">your contributions</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">. It's a kind of mirror of these steps. And it helps to establish that you've done something. So that's a kind of general-purpose framework for doing a technical talk/interview.</span></p></li></ul><div><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How to be famous</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Now, how do you get remembered? Well, there's something I like to call Winston's star.: Symbol, Slogan, Surprise, Salient & Story.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Symbol - If you want your presentation ideas to be remembered, one of the things you need to do is to make sure that you have some kind of symbol associated with your work.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Slogan - the thing you need is some kind of slogan, a kind of phrase that provides a handle on the work.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Surprise. You can do it with one example if you're smart enough to make use of that example appropriately. So that was the surprise. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Salient idea. Now, when I say salient idea, I don't mean important. What I mean is an idea that sticks out. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Story - finally, you need to tell the story of how you did it, how it works, why it's important. So that's a bit on how to not so much get famous, but how to ensure that your work is recognized. </span></p></li></ul><div><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How to conclude</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few recommendations:</span></p><p></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 25pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Deliver on your promise made at the beginning. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Remind them what it was and summarize it.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">By the time you're done, people have adjusted themselves to your voice parameters. They're ready for a joke; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">finish with a joke, and that way, people think they've had fun the whole time</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Don’t say thank you to the audience (for listening to your speech).</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 25pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">End with a salute. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">And by that, I mean, you can say something about how much you value your time at a place. So I could say, well, it's been great fun being here. It's been fascinating to see what you folks are doing here at MIT. I've been much stimulated and provoked by the kinds of questions you've been asking, it's been really great. And I look forward to coming back on many occasions in the future. So that salutes the audience. You can do that.</span></p></li></ol>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-17892521572782881082021-12-29T11:20:00.001-05:002021-12-29T11:20:24.760-05:00 THE NON-DESIGNER’S DESIGN BOOK by ROBIN WILLIAMS<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE NON-DESIGNER’S DESIGN BOOK by ROBIN WILLIAMS</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-29a75388-7fff-3036-fd67-0369ce62a00d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once you can name something, you’re conscious of it. You have power over it. You’re in control. You own it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The four basic principles</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contrast</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The idea behind contrast is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar. If the elements (type, color, size, line thickness, shape, space, etc.) are not the same, then make them very different. Contrast is often the most important visual attraction on a page—it’s what makes a reader look at the page in the first place. It also clarifies the communication.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contrast is one of the most effective ways to add visual interest to your page and to create an organizational hierarchy among different elements. For contrast to be effective, however, it must be strong.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Principle of Contrast states: Contrast various elements of the piece to draw a reader’s eye into the page. If two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. Really different.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contrast can be created in many ways. You can contrast large type with small type; a graceful old-style font with a bold sans serif font; a thin line with a thick line; a cool color with a warm color; a smooth texture with a rough texture; a horizontal element (such as a long line of text) with a vertical element (such as a tall, narrow column of text); widely spaced lines with closely packed lines; a small graphic with a large graphic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contrast has two purposes, and they’re inextricable from each other. One purpose is to create an interest on the page—if a page is interesting to look at, it is more likely to be read. The other is to aid in the organization of the information. A reader should be able to instantly understand the way the information is organized, the logical flow from one item to another.</span></p><br /><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Repetition</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Repeat visual elements of the design throughout the piece. You can repeat colors, shapes, textures, spatial relationships, line thicknesses, fonts, sizes, graphic concepts, etc. This develops the organization and strengthens the unity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Principle of Repetition states: Repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece. The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thick rule (line), a certain bullet, design element, color, format, spatial relationships, etc. It can be anything that a reader will visually recognize.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 284px; overflow: hidden; width: 235px;"><img height="284" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2ajjCl6W72GQaWvC9DUEorROSeX-jiAru1HyGkojHTFuGlgpB0sQxdTEBpPBlSlUdIthhOaf0Gv3qT0EaPWWoDwJrnxMI0B94f2puddquc3NA5k4id-C5esWtKZlcCNXoR5A8WSw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="235" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A repetition of visual elements throughout the design unifies and strengthens a piece by tying together otherwise separate parts. Repetition is very useful on one-page pieces, and is critical in multi-page documents (where we often just call it being consistent).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The purpose of repetition is to unify and to add visual interest. Don’t underestimate the power of the visual interest of a page—if a piece looks interesting, it is more likely to be read.</span></p><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alignment</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page. This creates a clean and sophisticated look.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Principle of Alignment states: Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page. When items are aligned on the page, the result is a stronger cohesive unit. Even when aligned elements are physically separated from each other, there is an invisible line that connects them, both in your eye and in your mind.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 155px; overflow: hidden; width: 259px;"><img height="155" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GQQR-xADYHWFG_jmjH-SIMSY-VfeylSMP35yz50fsX_43JXXK5RvEwPVC0ZzvHP5BKMQ9eMfzqPOZQb9ynoV8gyK8Z1WIdnDZzdKksPDKAcwVJdu0Co0NnQMJvpxZ6e7mgslUq_4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="259" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 149px; overflow: hidden; width: 258px;"><img height="149" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FLoEuRSDhxc3Om1kjZZHj4dli3g9j-J6k8l5Fi2fX_2lLCidxQq75A8ZspYNuI9-ZE6V8maAtR4xHpCjIlMxc12-QxYYbS0fPGnIGqDJ0TaIZCWCOkb0cHHSZHYMkSIHa8UXaxh1" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="258" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get in the habit of drawing lines between elements to determine where the connections are lacking. Take a moment to decide which of the items above should be grouped into closer proximity, and which should be separated.By moving all the elements over to the right and giving them one alignment, the information is instantly more organized.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unity is an important concept in design. To make all the elements on the page appear to be unified, connected, and interrelated, there needs to be some visual tie between the separate elements. The basic purpose of alignment is to unify and organize the page. </span></p><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proximity</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Items relating to each other should be grouped close together. When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. This helps organize information, reduces clutter, and gives the reader a clear structure.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Principle of Proximity states: Group related items together. Move them physically close to each other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated bits.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. Items relating to each other should be grouped together. Be conscious of where your eye is going: Where do you start looking; what path do you follow; where do you end up; after you’ve read it, where does your eye go next? You should be able to follow a logical progression through the piece, from a definite beginning to a definite end.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The basic purpose of proximity is to organize. If the information is organized, it is more likely to be read and more likely to be remembered. As a by-product of organizing the communication, you also create a more appealing (more organized) white space (designers’ favorite thing).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to get it - Squint your eyes slightly and count the number of visual elements on the page by counting the number of times your eye stops. If there are more than three to five items on the page (of course it depends on the piece), see which of the separate elements can be grouped together into closer proximity to become one visual unit.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The amazing color wheel</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The color wheel begins with yellow, red, and blue. These are called the primary colors because they’re the only colors you cannot create. Now, if you take your watercolor box and mix each of these colors with an equal amount of the one next to it, you’ll get the secondary colors. As you’re probably aware from working with crayons and watercolors as a kid, yellow and blue make green; blue and red make purple; red and yellow make orange.To fill in the empty spots in the color wheel, you probably know what to do—mix equal parts of the colors on each side. These are called the tertiary (or third) colors. That is, yellow and orange make, well, yellow-orange. And blue and green make blue-green (which I’ll call aqua).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 95px; overflow: hidden; width: 97px;"><img height="95" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r9vwzZ-aVh5AWUsjWxc8p68CYi1bFdfu4KVOsWaSyF0qS7t7zEEdwL8VUdd2x7vsK2_WDbQOR7k4bRFcf69iDWAi5BazkRujJBgEw0mT4HgD0ERy3uz1CfAc_JAG6jvQMabuZgD-" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="97" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 93px; overflow: hidden; width: 100px;"><img height="93" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AuSbiJIA0iX55ggfn-W52UetA3AvMg-IBnm5nELVmsBKQ_txQ9W10lWSIjMx63DkazNii4a2OLrmUEsIos-2ySCmw2BGKzUtqu7jM5YLoHp_jC639bqALPyk-aVXUrXMiyiEZBm3" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="100" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 95px; overflow: hidden; width: 98px;"><img height="95" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QYPvAxGB44B6l45obcfJL1I1rNgtpm_veUuoWu_EV4wP4I6Kca6DbWYzsHYoFipli-Q0zxcNmpB7diLWgV_lqjleyi1B3fSOvjscEoWtMe2b-KQEGj8XMqF9OwSkH8thUJjiYpPE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="98" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colors directly across from each other, exact opposites, are complements. Because they’re so opposite, they often work best when one is the main color and the other is an accent.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 97px; overflow: hidden; width: 215px;"><img height="97" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9BGQp0lcJNAUU_ijfpEwsE6GF4twZSNELbPswc_fup2h5sqAMzi4fTXoGyw2BliOtnRuQF18mN9mFodGijDYgzm9rhFHZr6qPrg7yJmL5sZBgBQNZwiZGy7AV-MxbuFoDGwHkrjB" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="215" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 110px; overflow: hidden; width: 252px;"><img height="110" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fSlbcok69rOiqcoleCWkSQtfMJlsHPOZsRp-qYi0UD8-K2IrsJVRlVFnhk-tSg9HFVOfhUxC9E1qV-0mNkGROWZaj52LFlRktOJA13CXfjgIgAe1Nh3LW8i5Xuw3Cq4ssyzIYWiq" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="252" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A set of three colors equidistant from each other always creates a triad of pleasing colors. Red, yellow & blue are the primary colors, this combination is called the primary triad.Experiment with the secondary triad of green, orange, and purple—not as common, but an exciting combination for that very reason.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 131px; overflow: hidden; width: 95px;"><img height="131" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sGhljsYu0gGpCNVFfe92Hg_hcZKFvRir0PrViWbjB7FK3cBRwqvF9E0ORSzR5Qvgsp2yRpQEs0Gldss_EhFB0JQYdJ4LDcoI8aaBkEl23-Nu-CpdmgpwXrc9HoedKdWNZvzU1ard" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="95" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 130px; overflow: hidden; width: 146px;"><img height="130" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dSBVyugPhr-NDsBWY1bG4YCGUP7Mu6JYRp86OF1WD_7Xt2335tzEaEwxnmequA78f5mIrJ10nfvtewDCwvDsIHaXo8FTZD8wVN8yOmviXshSPik9zLZW4rtWbws1PnZh9YlbNOjb" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="146" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 130px; overflow: hidden; width: 102px;"><img height="130" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6q3eWvnn4_QolXZ83hlX_h1ucnVE8DCzyZ7ynCreB_SoUdzidALrYqBsjzItNKSda9xxkXqKNE5QLGSUTCruy48ne433IjSm20aO7Pi507wr4XC--5Gz-Gpr6Vz3q3p9P8giNcrw" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="102" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 131px; overflow: hidden; width: 113px;"><img height="131" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/M3JqZ55ctyzVNIXpf56lcGaiwtFmF4tyrYdyov8DbA1W00XNmii1lymGzT4FS67SBzQb-Zsc5gIzfSUQDtdjXeCgg9ehjy0Q-Fqwsi7IbbtHEX9EDK0dWssW-3aW8X19XBzDXNUF" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="113" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Split complement triads - Another form of a triad is the split complement.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 132px; overflow: hidden; width: 117px;"><img height="132" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/OeJfJupQXyu8q-Jp8sDqA52qIqxyLku8p-1BX3cv9XpuVfDM2ZMKo-OnqwPwcVtACVDnOBChU3Kh7epnnn5v2zuLMH7JtPcdFI0u1_g3XFjzVkT4NYu0WD8ObllM9oe3H2fGqeCR" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="117" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 135px; overflow: hidden; width: 110px;"><img height="135" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PQT9riObpkP8Tqb1GOsJWR6aPZArgf8wQ0QklhNqF3_Alkuk4B5_n7yK97QSdznZkv6rbUQQ4EZmE22EQwwmlFr6a44-PmNDaOdWvYV08yKTBM8H0n3o1PDdsf7hSNXbrzlMHxrm" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="110" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 136px; overflow: hidden; width: 109px;"><img height="136" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/11iTbtX3UHxMXjq5LpOsY1k5ir4eBa3L3rSt13M19m6pbGluYh2tLDvLhgeLIFWlRbhNkgrnsCnyltZPl81osnhPbTQk_xkaKBeQICIcFLWOMdcn4qVaCRqxv1BGOcWDrskqNjpq" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="109" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 124px; overflow: hidden; width: 118px;"><img height="124" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3jISiJQyoQY-V0Fa6ooNeVbiSiy4qP54azNn9ZD8UZVZ9CNTwRhyAQUpbP8idLCPXm6SAhCFFwf8gnUCIy8N-w68aaVtlxMFyriyuFRqjXYMUl8j0RdpO6uFBzbx8xsTn-qte360" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="118" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 139px; overflow: hidden; width: 45px;"><img height="139" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Nwijq2WSQO_J9leAotK_WVFfVAhyWH94GXmYz-3ur2mAbWN-HHmJ4XriICcoyYlBWE-IoTOEtrLGrIlClrgTmWW-27mLpZjbV77K8EB4qbQTUNY0FdqQmb7cP-phqznFiruBmJGG" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="45" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Analogous colors - An analogous combination is composed of those colors that are next to each other on the wheel.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monochromatic</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shades and tints - The basic color wheel that we’ve been working with so far involves only the hue, or the pure color. We can hugely expand the wheel and thus our options simply by adding black or white to the various hues.</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The pure color is the hue.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add black to a hue to create a shade.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add white to a hue to create a tint.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 132px; overflow: hidden; width: 291px;"><img height="132" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/N81ClNtgF9I8n5uexeTn0pnjgYGW-LbADUjg8iCbnPzDgeDsTMl0QU1Y9aEuY7M5-tpxTrRrW4dKOrGRe2EMLkgeY9NebLN-7_7AiilNfGLLOtFQiLaHCi3Pu1Pd5BZ5Olh0SlsI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="291" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 131px; overflow: hidden; width: 194px;"><img height="131" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0aAJZiTexfAV3ij2ZrQwLgX-IUGkeMPOCu5jORXjhF2143ouJUSoJVlPNHpDNOyt9UjiSi9ASlwE4Tg4uyLgI7Ivw3hzmWsUbTeMG8fPCXcRRHYEcvxCnnoo9HDV99hxBKEHxepN" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="194" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monochromatic colors - A monochromatic combination is composed of one hue with any number of its corresponding tints and shades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tone refers to the particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of any color. Colors tend to be either on the warm side (which means they have some red or yellow in them) or on the cool side (which means they have some blue in them).The most practical thing to remember is that cool colors recede into the background, and warm colors come forward. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CMYK stands for Cyan (which is a blue), Magenta (which is sort of red/pink), Yellow, and a Key color, which is usually blacK. With these four colors of ink, we can print many thousands of colors, which is why it’s called a four-color process. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use CMYK for projects that are to be printed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use RGB for anything that will be viewed on a screen.Because RGB works through light that goes straight into our eyes, the images on the screen are gorgeous and backlit with an astonishing range of colors. Unfortunately, when you switch to CMYK and then print that with ink on paper, you lose some of that brilliance and range. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">White space! Take note of where your eyes go next time you scan the newspaper. Which ads do your eyes naturally land on, and which ads do you actually read? I’ll bet you see and read at least the headlines of the ads that have more white space.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check out the many templates on CreativeMarket.com for résumés that go beyond Times 12-point centered.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Repetition - Be consistent. Repeat the basic structure of information; that is, if you set the dates in the left column for one area, use that same format for the other areas. If you use an alignment for a certain sort of item, repeat that alignment in other areas. If you use color to indicate something in particular, perhaps pull that color into something else such as a ruled line or bullets.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alignment - As you have noticed, the Principle of Alignment is crucial to the overall presentation of neatness and professionalism.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proximity - Position the headings closer to the related information so the structure is clear. Keep bullets close to their items.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Match the design to the medium - You will have to make different decisions if the resume is to be handed or mailed to somone, posted online, or perhaps posted online but you expect someone to print it. Each of these variants will impact your layout, font choice, page size, color choices, and more. Oh, our world is getting so complicated.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Essentials of Typography</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One space after punctuation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Opening quotation marks are shaped like sixes and closing marks like nines: opening and closing 66 and 99 sixes and nines. In the United States, commas and periods are always inside the quotation marks. Always. Really. (In the U.K., they can go in or out.)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Except for possessive words (such as Mary’s poem or the dog’s bone), an apostrophe means a letter is missing (isn’t or don’t or you’re). Thus in the phrase Rock ’n’ Roll, there should be an apostrophe where the a is missing and also where the d is missing. It should NOT look like this: ‘n’ Wrong!!!! Apostrophes are shaped like 9s.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special characters on the PC & MAC</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 179px; overflow: hidden; width: 245px;"><img height="179" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6l7E46wJI-mtf4-FkO1FU0QlvD-IGca9yAEM1O06UboQHqaYC0ei_zA33HEKM5X7NS-yT-YZoInQrNMiYQnUrFO0eEtKfkwC_4uFuTV_ynLNQ2pu6epqWgLcPMOcpfkN15iRicwG" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="245" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 160px; overflow: hidden; width: 337px;"><img height="160" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IMXiHco-Pw_iBX8vPQEPSauKaLm6wfan-VrA9P4NseAPmreRw_Puz2G6Oa4WDhgCxDKtkayvnGU7BBESgHJui3tAJrxVh_TcuF5VBNiHhLE8I9ryxVNCzz5ekjqyqy-XqGmQPqHt" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="337" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Setting words in ALL CAPS to call attention to them is not always the best solution because all caps are actually more difficult to read than lowercase. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not use the underline button. Ever.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paragraph indent or extra space between paragraphs: An indent means, This is a new paragraph. Extra space between paragraphs also means, This is a new paragraph. Thus you need to pick one: Either indent new paragraphs or use extra space between paragraphs, not both.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> First paragraphs: Following the logic of the above principle, you can understand why the first paragraph following a heading or subhead does not need an indent. Ever.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Setting text in a frame or box: If you do set text inside a box, leave plenty of room on all sides.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use bullets or ornaments in a list, not hyphens:</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A concordant relationship occurs when you use only one type family without much variety in style, size, weight, and so on. It is easy to keep the page harmonious, and the arrangement tends to appear quiet and rather sedate or formal—sometimes downright dull.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A conflicting relationship occurs when you combine typefaces that are similar (but not the same) in style, size, weight, and so on. The similarities are disturbing because the visual attractions are not the same (concordant), but neither are they different (contrasting), so they conflict.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A contrasting relationship occurs when you combine separate typefaces and elements that are clearly distinct from each other. The visually appealing and exciting designs that attract your attention typically have a lot of contrast built in, and those contrasts are emphasized.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are six clear and distinct ways to contrast type: size, weight, structure, form, direction, and color. The rest of this book talks about each of these contrasts in turn. If you have trouble seeing what is wrong with a combination of typefaces, don’t look for what is different between the faces—look for what is similar. It is the similarities that are causing the problem.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The major rule to follow when contrasting type is this: Don’t be a wimp!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sans serif - The word sans means without (in French), so sans serif typefaces are those without serifs on the ends of the strokes. Sans serif typefaces are almost always monoweight, meaning there is virtually no visible thick/thin transition in the strokes; the letterforms are the same thickness all the way around.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Optima is an exceptionally beautiful typeface (sans serif), but you must be very careful about combining it with other faces. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So if you are new to the idea that one font looks different from another, an easy way to choose contrasting structures is to pick one serif font and one sans serif font. Combining serif with sans serif is a time-tested combination with an infinite variety of possibilities. But as you can see in the example below-left, the contrast of structure alone is not strong enough; you need to emphasize the difference by combining it with other contrasts, such as size or weight.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Type slanting upward to the right creates a positive energy. Type slanting downward creates a negative energy. Occasionally you can use these connotations to your advantage.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 46px; overflow: hidden; width: 90px;"><img height="46" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/U1yV8I3BPTOOoYcaNdFjkOqFA0blN1DC6uGY7MFB5mu0nBSJydP8KBd7U3hEFmnVnwMWWv3cr6S73Hma4zWWl0xEN8R3vKCxbLqiBHjAmoxafoKPyMlfTqbAQCHsvU6jLqHK_lT_" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="90" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you’re talking about actual color, remember to keep in mind that warm colors (reds, oranges) come forward and command our attention. Our eyes are very attracted to warm colors, so it takes very little red to create a contrast. Cool colors (blues, greens), on the other hand, recede from our eyes. You can get away with larger areas of a cool color; in fact, you need more of a cool color to create an effective contrast.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 407px; overflow: hidden; width: 324px;"><img height="407" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/clVEkNrixyyvkqW9NrL2rimfHYpLIQUtF4qZ2eX1yN0c84SQ30AnSOd6-bvykGgeE76P0hp5HFUlyRZ8RB_n9KBxIQu2gLiECprzjDIIsXhScwexmYpuAZAFvigQ0NThyLfhcJzm" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="324" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before trying to find a better solution, you must find the problem. To find the problem, name the similarities—not the differences. What is it about the two faces that compete with each other? Are they both all caps? Are they both typefaces with a strong thick/thin contrast in their strokes? How effective is their contrast of weight? Size? Structure?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or perhaps the focus conflicts—is the larger type a light weight and the smaller type a bold weight, making them fight with each other because each one is trying to be more important than the other?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Name the problem, then you can create the solution.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 539px; overflow: hidden; width: 429px;"><img height="539" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/z8iLeiTnOPy7Fj98L1sg7MXjglSBK190AV-i7gz2bD772oq38MYg0yvr_GxJ0WadyqxvfNiMBKLf5wbN79WOq0CL1OLYZbl4FSZYAdlCDegdZMQDMYSo26OfXYo4U5eVHVrKnwzv" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="429" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Don’t. Two scripts will conflict with each other because they have similar forms.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Don’t. Typefaces from the same category have similar structures.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Don’t. They will fight with each other. Decide what is the most important and emphasize that item.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Don’t. Most scripts and italics have the same form—slanted and flowing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Do. You instantly have a strong contrast of structure and color.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Do. You instantly have a contrast of structure and color, but you will still need to work with it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Don’t. Two fancy faces will usually conflict because their fancy features both compete for attention.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Don’t. Your purpose in putting type on a page is to communicate.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Do.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Do. The basic law of breaking the rules is to know what the rules are in the first place. If you can justify breaking the rules—and the result works—carry on!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before & After Magazine - BAMagazine.com. This is one of the most valuable resources you can get. Subscribe to the online magazine to discover hundreds of amazing design tips that can change your world.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Join John McWade’s forum called The Grid to talk with other designers and get terrific feedback and help on your projects. mcwade.com/TheGrid</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CreativeMarket.com: This is like Etsy.com for designers, where you can buy terrific assests inexpensively—fonts, templates, images, and so much more.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Canva.com: Design projects online and print or post them! Canva includes lots of design help for new designers.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">InDesign PDF Magazine: InDesignMag.com for InDesign users, of course!</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MyFonts.com: Affordable fonts.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FontSquirrel.com: Affordable & FREE fonts.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CreateSpace.com: Publish your own book and it’s for sale on Amazon.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CafePress.com and Zazzle.com: Create your own product.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PrintPlace.com: My personal favorite online printing source.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-47458856214878493422021-12-27T12:12:00.005-05:002021-12-27T12:12:30.981-05:00Flawless Consulting (check lists) - A guide to getting your expertise used by Peter Block<p> </p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6075e061-7fff-8dd0-def9-7a9f161f03ab"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Flawless Consulting (check lists) - A guide to getting your expertise used by Peter Block</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img height="492" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BcfNwpvffie7hGDLeWzG8yjTunHUQyV3pYKdqhSnZN41UZgsel-F_QLAVEtifgE_u1U706nDhshfxVUTWGN8btirlZ2nuwnvEdFYNLKhhTHqtwzK0CkX4lLW-PsRH8cC7bC5a4r8" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="478" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="248" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iCQF6EMVdauKMm4LXwzcI_wORdrySfy1XeRWdY2_k-A3DrdehHNx_XBqQnwl8s5YdCs55Yyk7vJXE313AQwRy7BbW-KnetJvhnlPPHvEEAnmyNLswiurPTzMucn5_eXO36O431jw" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="420" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="574" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kLaVwtNI74Li-u8Iboa9VgrVTrcrkCnESfXbbaijXol7THh82RoPb9r00fV9YL4NiLeDZLli33PiMchPOSWnYmizZJoeA2Mymfr2Qs-4O4J5KmCrl3SSD5BZL03KYLaLnZoWV-Y8" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="478" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="325" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0jO0H2dQCAoggRc456iou_s2gA-_bFk0tjXnbraTNyB4CBryYs9qBUZj6AZSkpw_YUQnRTrOI51OwMwa0EA6tHJhRVVXkH4tiXOh072AUrnux__AOENEoRHHZ7KGlo-8pYoaMNq9" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="457" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="461" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FVTlhFr5gDZzwoZZTJMnrRyno8SNGY0UiobmdxlzwecH_ukdIvmqLc2zJ-l9PDCd0C7ENB4fPpDoIuAQhb9LDp36OYWPdWDSQcHBZBFcMnUJz1geNXcS2YG7ND8jHzg1teWeaLW2" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="439" /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 253px; overflow: hidden; width: 457px;"><img height="253" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7xKM0yG20kzjSXCvVwsVF-LyooPC6zofR3GEzHvx6gwRK2Y9eFgzAo93zNMSm7z-8ovcIJI527FgqA71f1aqUcwEyvU-GPLofnOCuYpqpiJg571utDIhAkrbCWs3rvLg2HY_IBYe" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="457" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 602px; overflow: hidden; width: 505px;"><img height="602" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/u6hH7cqsduKnhwSWrfdOmDjPVgyPnDZ8u5a3xNp5Qob-YaunykO_0TgFYZig0M02JS5ookBlA80VhaGqFkHNCuZA57CrjMKcEGgBBk4XR7hB_IbM5bINipaI2aanG39HwepTSZlf" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="505" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 458px; overflow: hidden; width: 471px;"><img height="458" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tKdm21bPAIJ5DDg9AJTISActl6FHCHT8LraPIk6Wiru8E497Sw7T7RgSBzcQ-Cj1CLC4wYaBzjsfNUzHZzJbjPWJu73s3tAFLct2WzIMdnoOmCMeCdvG3LwI3xHTsUoEAMtlVrJv" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="471" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Goal: Assertive and Authentic</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Authentic behavior and assertive behavior are very close together. Aim to be authentic and assertive with a client. Aggressive behavior creates resistance unnecessarily, and nonassertive behavior does both yourself and the client a disservice.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 187px; overflow: hidden; width: 486px;"><img height="187" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AuHG4Um5k14az_wNoloXrN45FDp7JjtgdoZ9ivpyqiNbTZLQoI5c0qMnS3EzVHvMToi1uCXDx-F4BGQmkFSXnVec1KEK0J1N7mQhIMTXqTzgj6mFla41W-tJr6U4ctTPj81xl-Br" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="486" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 106px; overflow: hidden; width: 498px;"><img height="106" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9LhECS9HmfPCkEHihiT2X0UBJZkc5ikomdumBYCJcuB5WH5_Dvn2NDoaIM8njEPNY38wM7yAEY9-5pIOEUx5ePSfEEDG5M5WFSUY6jU40g6N0uUzws1PUiLjI68qR436WaJ56_kO" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="498" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 167px; overflow: hidden; width: 502px;"><img height="167" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ool1IZMlVfVR7CYR0MNAPX1Uhuk61Xg7idp1ZWM6QmrM_L4eKG7WeboqiZt0BSWTTu-MXf2-h8m7Cwsb7Q2Svz10LyfT5U2SUB-Q1W34ZjU7VKNuUkjDUMPEiKcxPuoxJunxdEBk" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="502" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 260px; overflow: hidden; width: 520px;"><img height="260" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UwSoby8pm3XNnQlJD-J1eK8kHIee4_wuptBDl4wgllHcj8-ZQHqKD88MIXwCNE83QsoMySjklkxVqRsJTVs-FIlAONWP491hfM-XhSWM893oEd9OvGhoJs3G9qJK7X2St6jBXdXn" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="520" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 273px; overflow: hidden; width: 521px;"><img height="273" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0qOzSqrzNYnh8StdXVJm2Q_nl_J6CrLVDDvBRGBgMEZlI4sZOdaUGqqtohEbH0y3MmK5y2OKn0SIUcqI8XpsDyusJSqw1lqHz1ovszVW8n_chINy5WRJcHA1-9oRi1NEw7iu8CDP" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="521" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 94px; overflow: hidden; width: 526px;"><img height="94" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5gqGmg5CsjHt6pZsy6QJfUP_5oukm0Z-3L6u0kHym9aHVG2LLdZkk0--GWt_oMiq4cNb-wMEvJGUNTGzZB4In51RzsWOh7TKZ34duKkB5OHUmzF0BVeL_XL48Xl5Qi_-XcsSC55n" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="526" /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 567px; overflow: hidden; width: 519px;"><img height="567" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g3d076T6nvaGg2iiZezRdrPt9BxcJID5ELb2xAugWCKMOrNhzkSUhKhRqLL6-a78qOOmsT_MKzG_U8CnOvq610KpmkUEVjDiRLS4w0cGSypjIKpFHLjB2gkC8tbNL5adFfjlb6KE" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="519" /></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 567px; overflow: hidden; width: 519px;"><br /></span></span></div>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-65775055481264979142021-12-27T12:11:00.003-05:002021-12-27T12:11:33.017-05:00Flawless Consulting - A guide to getting your expertise used by Peter Block<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flawless Consulting - A guide to getting your expertise used by Peter Block</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-563a4a7f-7fff-1e0f-3c32-c3b99b3472fe"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A consultant is a person in a position to have some influence over an individual, a group, or an organization but has no direct power to make changes or implement programs. A manager is someone who has direct responsibility over the action. The moment you take direct responsibility, you are acting as a manager.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each consulting project goes through five phases. The steps in each phase are sequential;</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phase 1: Entry and Contracting</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phase 2: Discovery and Dialogue</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phase 3: Analysis and the Decision to Act</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phase 4: Engagement and Implementation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phase 5: Extension, Recycle, or Termination</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interpersonal Skills </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To function with people, we need to have some interpersonal skills, that is, some ability to put ideas into words, to listen, to give support, to disagree reasonably, to basically maintain a relationship.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Assertiveness</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Supportiveness</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Confrontation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Listening</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Management style</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Group process</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Requirements of Each Consulting Phase</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Negotiating wants</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Coping with mixed motivation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Dealing with concerns about exposure and the loss of control</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Doing triangular and rectangular contracting</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Discovery</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Surfacing layers of analysis</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Dealing with the political climate</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Resisting the urge for complete data</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Seeing the interview as an intervention</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feedback</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Funneling data</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Identifying and working with different forms of resistance</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Presenting personal and organizational data</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Decision</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Running group meetings</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Focusing on here-and-now choices</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Not taking it personally</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A unique and beguiling aspect of doing consulting is that your own self is involved in the process to a much greater extent than if you were applying your expertise in some other way. Your reactions to a client, your feelings during discussions, your ability to solicit feedback from the client—all are important dimensions to consultation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In acting as a consultant, you always operate at two levels. One level is the content—the cognitive part of a discussion between yourself and the client. The content level is the analytical, rational, or explicit part of the discussion, where you are working on what can be called the technical or business situation. At the same time and at another level, both you and the client are generating and sensing your feelings about each other—whether you feel acceptance or resistance, whether you feel high or low tension, whether you feel support or confrontation. So your relationship to the client during each phase is a second level of data that needs attention just as the content does.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are four elements to the affective side of consultant-client interaction that are always operating: responsibility, feelings, trust, and your own needs</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Responsibility: To have a good contract with the client, responsibility for what is planned and takes place has to be balanced—50/50.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feelings: The second element that’s always an issue is to what extent clients are able to own their own feelings. In a way, this is working on balancing responsibility. If the consultant is feeling that the client is defensive or very controlling, or doesn’t listen or doesn’t take responsibility, this is important to know.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust: The third element is trust. When most people work with a consultant as a client, they bring with them not only the prevailing image of the consultant as the expert but also someone to watch out for. You can ask them what doubts they have working with you. In this way, you’re working to build trust.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your Own Needs: The fourth element on the affective side of the consultant-client relationship is that consultants have a right to their own needs from the relationship. You have needs for acceptance and inclusion by the client, and you</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">require some validation that what you have is valuable and worth offering.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Problem Solving Requires Valid Data</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Valid data encompass two things: (1) objective data about ideas, events, or situations that everyone accepts as facts and (2) personal data. Personal data are also “facts,” but they concern how individuals feel about what is happening to them and around them.</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Effective Decision Making Requires Free and Open Choice</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Effective Implementation Requires Internal Commitment</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE CONSULTANT’S GOALS</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goal 1: Establish a Collaborative Relationship</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two reasons for consultants to strive for collaborative relationships with their clients. One is that a collaborative relationship promises maximum use of people’s resources—both the consultant’s and the client’s. The second reason is consultants are always functioning as models of how to solve problems</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goal 2: Solve Problems So They Stay Solved</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goal 3: Ensure Attention Is Given to Both the Technical/Business Problem and the Relationships. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consultants, however, are in a unique position to address the people or process issues productively. Client commitment is the key to consultant leverage and impact.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ed Schein has identified three ways consultants work with line managers: in an expert role, a pair-of-hands role, or a collaborative role. (his book - Process Consulting Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pair-of-Hands Role</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The consultant takes a passive role.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manager/client makes the decisions on how to proceed</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manager selects the methods for discovery and analysis</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Control rests with the manager</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Collaboration is not really necessary</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two-way communication is limited.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manager specifies change procedures for the consultant to implement.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manager’s role is to judge and evaluate from a close distance.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The consultant’s goal is to make the system more effective by the application of specialized knowledge.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Collaborative Role</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The consultant and the manager work to become interdependent.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Decision making is bilateral.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data collection and analysis are joint efforts.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Control issues become matters for discussion and negotiation.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Collaboration is considered essential.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Communication is two-way.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Implementation responsibilities are determined by discussion and agreement</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The goal is to solve problems so they stay solved</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">STAGING THE CLIENT’S INVOLVEMENT, STEP BY STEP</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 1: Define the Initial Problem</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 2: Decide Whether to Proceed with the Project</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 3: Select the Dimensions to Be Studied</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 4: Decide Who Will Be Involved in the Project</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 5: Select the Method</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 6: Do Discovery</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steps 7 Through 9:Funneling the Data and Making Sense of It</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 10: Provide the Results</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 11: Make Recommendations</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Step 12: Decide on Actions</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be Authentic</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Authentic behavior with a client means you put into words what you are experiencing with the client as you work. This is the most powerful thing you can do to have the leverage you are looking for and to build client commitment.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a brief description of the requirements of each phase.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contracting</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Negotiate wants</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Cope with mixed motivation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Surface concerns about exposure and loss of control.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Understand triangular and rectangular contracts.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Discovery and Inquiry</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Layers of inquiry.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Political climate.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Resistance to sharing information</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. The interview as a joint learning event</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feedback and the Decision to Act</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Funneling data.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Presenting personal and organizational data.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Managing the meeting for action.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Focusing on the here and now.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Don’t take it personally.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Engagement and Implementation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Bet on engagement over mandate and persuasion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Design more participation than presentation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Encourage difficult public exchanges.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Put real choice on the table.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Change the conversation to change the culture</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Pay attention to place.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Accountability is the deepest frustration of doing consulting.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contracting checkpoint.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sequence of steps covers the business of the contracting meeting. There are three major sections to the meeting: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(1) understanding the problem and exchanging wants, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(2) closing the meeting by checking on client concerns and commitment, and </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(3) getting unstuck when an agreement is difficult. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each step is essential and should never be skipped. If you cover the steps and still don’t get the contract you wanted, you have done all you can and consulted flawlessly. Use checklist 3 to help you prepare for a contracting meeting.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Questions that the virtual world can handle are the more cognitive and nonpersonal ones—for example:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What is the presenting problem?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What is the history of this situation?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Who are the players involved?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What is the business case for our proceeding?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• How much time will this take?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Who should be on the design team?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What goals and outcomes are you looking for?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The questions that are more relational and personal and not handled well by the virtual world are:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• How do you feel about working with me?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What is your contribution to creating the problem we are concerned with?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• How well does this group work together?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• How do you feel about the amount of control and vulnerability you have over this project?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What doubts and reservations do you have that anything will change here?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• What have you learned about yourself in this process?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THREE STEPS FOR HANDLING RESISTANCE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are three steps for handling resistance:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Identify in your own mind what form the resistance is taking. The skill is to pick up the cues from the manager and then describe to yourself what you see happening.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. State, in a neutral, unpunishing way, the form the resistance is taking. This is called “naming the resistance.” The skill is to find the neutral language.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Be quiet. Let the line manager respond to your statement about the resistance.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trust What You See More Than What You Hear</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pay attention to the nonverbal messages from the client. Is the client</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Constantly moving away from you?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Tied up in knots like a pretzel?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Pointing a finger and clenching the other fist?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Shaking his head each time you speak?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">• Bent over toward you as if they are royalty?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to concentrate on four things beyond the technical considerations:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Keep simplifying and narrowing the inquiry so it focuses more and more on the next steps the client can take and what is under their control.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Use everyday language. The words you use should help the transfer of information, not hinder it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Give a great deal of attention to your relationship with the client. Include the client at every opportunity in deciding how to proceed. Deal with resistance as it arises, even if it doesn’t have an impact on your results.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Treat data on how the client organization is functioning as valid and relevant information. Also, assess how the group you are working with is being managed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-21988346688374251512021-12-26T15:40:00.001-05:002021-12-26T15:40:24.693-05:00 MADE TO STICK - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by CHIP HEATH & DAN HEATH<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">MADE TO STICK - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by CHIP HEATH & DAN HEATH</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-64ff8f76-7fff-5e2f-0223-810550d2f84f"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sticky = understandable, memorable, and effective in changing</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">thought or behavior.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we pored over hundreds of sticky ideas, we saw, over and over,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the same six principles at work. SUCCES</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 1: SIMPLICITY</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Golden Rule is the ultimate model of simplicity: a one-sentence statement so profound that an individual could spend a lifetime learning to follow it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 2: UNEXPECTEDNESS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can use surprise—an emotion whose function is to increase</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">alertness and cause focus—to grab people’s attention. But surprise</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">doesn’t last. For our idea to endure, we must generate interest and curiosity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 3: CONCRETENESS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We must explain our ideas in terms of human actions, in terms of sensory information, because our brains are wired to remember concrete data.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Put people into the story.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A story is powerful because it provides the context missing from abstract prose. It’s back to the Velcro theory of memory, the idea that the more hooks we put into our ideas, the better they’ll stick.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 4: CREDIBILITY</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need ways to help people test our ideas for themselves—a “try before you buy” philosophy for the world of ideas.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 5: EMOTIONS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are wired to feel things for people, not for abstractions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRINCIPLE 6: STORIES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hearing stories acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Curse of Knowledge. Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has “cursed” us. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others because we can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Finding the core” means stripping an idea down to its most critical</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">essence. To get to the core, we’ve got to weed out superfluous and</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tangential elements. But that’s the easy part. The hard part is weeding out ideas that may be really important but just aren’t the most important idea.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simple messages are core and compact. Proverbs are simple yet profound. Cervantes defined proverbs as “short sentences (compact) drawn from long experience (core)..”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surprise gets our attention. Some naturally sticky ideas propose</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">surprising “facts”: The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space! Interest keeps our attention. Conspiracy theories keep people ravenously collecting new information. Gossip keeps us coming back to our friends for developments.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you want your ideas to be stickier, you’ve got to break someone’s guessing machine and then fix it. ensure that your unexpected ideas produce insight is to make sure you target an aspect of your audience’s guessing machines that relates to your core message.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This “gap theory” of interest seems to explain why some domains</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">create fanatical interest: They naturally create knowledge gaps.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aesop authored some of the stickiest stories in world history. We’ve all heard his greatest hits: “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs,” “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” Sour grapes”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Power of Details as it boosted the credibility of the argument</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When it comes to statistics, our best advice is to use them as input, not output. Use them to make up your mind on an issue. Don’t</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">make up your mind and then go looking for the numbers to support</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">yourself—that’s asking for temptation and trouble.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1954, a psychologist named Abraham Maslow surveyed the research</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in psychology about what motivates people. You may remember this list as Maslow’s Pyramid or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.</span></p><br /><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Transcendence: help others realize their potential</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-actualization: realize our own potential, self-fulfillment, peak experiences</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aesthetic: symmetry, order, beauty, balance</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learning: know, understand, mentally connect</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Esteem: achieve, be competent, gain approval, independence, status</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Belonging: love, family, friends, affection</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Security: protection, safety, stability</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Physical: hunger, thirst, bodily comfort</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Subsequent research suggests that the hierarchical aspect of Maslow’s theory is bogus—people pursue all of these needs pretty much simultaneously</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our group affiliation may be based on race, class, religion, gender, region, political party, industry, or countless other dimensions of difference. A related idea comes from James March, a professor at Stanford University, who proposes that we use two basic models to make decisions. </span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first model involves calculating consequences. We weigh our alternatives, assessing the value of each one, and we choose the alternative that yields us the most value. This model is the standard view of decision-making in economics classes: People are self-interested and rational.</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second model is quite different. It assumes that people make decisions based on identity. They ask themselves three questions: Who am I? What kind of situation is this? And what do people like me do in this kind of situation? Notice that in the second model people aren’t analyzing the consequences or outcomes for themselves. There are no calculations, only norms, and principles.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Making an Idea Stick: The Communication Framework </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For an idea to stick, for it to be useful and lasting, it’s got to make the audience:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Pay attention: UNEXPECTED</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Understand and remember it: CONCRETE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Agree/Believe: CREDIBLE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Care: EMOTIONAL</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Be able to act on it: STORY</span></p><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-89585094472591720842021-12-22T20:20:00.000-05:002021-12-22T20:20:26.158-05:00 The Elements of Style by Oliver Strunk <p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Elements of Style by Oliver Strunk </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d5fe4baa-7fff-0051-ce8a-4e022537feb1"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charles's friend </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3a. Restrictive clauses, by contrast, are not parenthetic and are not set off by commas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Do not join independent clauses with a comma. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If two or more clauses grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mary Shelley's works are entertaining; they are full of engaging ideas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Do not break sentences in two. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was an interesting talker. A woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the examples, the first period should be replaced by a comma and the following word begun with a small letter. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rules 3, 4, 5, and 6 cover the most important principles that govern punctuation. They should be so thoroughly mastered that their application becomes second nature. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A colon tells the reader that what follows is closely related to the preceding clause. The colon has more effect than the comma, less power to separate than the semicolon, and more formality than the dash </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your dedicated whittler requires three props: a knife, a piece of wood, and a back porch. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His first thought on getting out of bed — if he had any thought at all — was to get back in again. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. The number of the subject determines the number of the verb. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A common blunder is the use of a singular verb form in a relative clause following "one of..." or a similar expression when the relative is the subject. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of those people who are never ready on time </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the ablest scientists who have attacked this problem </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use a singular verb form after each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With none, use the singular verb when the word means "no one" or "not one." </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A plural verb is commonly used when none suggests more than one thing or person. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A singular subject remains singular even if other nouns are connected to it by with, as well as, in addition to, except, together with, and no less than. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some nouns that appear to be plural are usually construed as singular and given a singular verb. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Politics is an art, not a science. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Republican Headquarters is on this side of the tracks. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In general, avoid "understood" verbs by supplying them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think Horace admires Jessica more than I >> think Horace admires Jessica more than I do. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use the simple personal pronoun as a subject.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blake and myself stayed home. >> Blake and I stayed home.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">II </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elementary Principles of Composition </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12. Choose a suitable design and hold to it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13. Make the paragraph the unit of composition. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As long as it holds together, a paragraph may be of any length — a single, short sentence or a passage of great duration. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">14. Use the active voice. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive: </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground. >> Dead leaves covered the ground.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15. Put statements in positive form.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was not very often on time. >> He usually came late.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">16. Use definite, specific, concrete language.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A period of unfavorable weather set in.>> It rained every day for a week.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17. Omit needless words.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the question as to whether >> whether (the question whether)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18. Avoid a succession of loose sentences.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This rule refers especially to loose sentences of a particular type: those consisting of two clauses, the second introduced by a conjunction or relative.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19. Express coordinate ideas in similar form.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions similar in content and function be outwardly similar.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20. Keep related words together.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The writer must, therefore, bring together the words and groups of words that are related in thought and keep apart those that are not so related.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21. In summaries, keep to one tense.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the summary is in the present tense, antecedent action should be expressed by the perfect; if in the past, by the past perfect.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">22. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deceit or treachery she could never forgive.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">III </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Few Matters of Form </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colloquialisms. If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation marks.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a wonderful show! >> It was a wonderful show.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exclamations. Do not attempt to emphasize simple statements by using a mark of exclamation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a wonderful show!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Headings.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Omit the period after a title or heading. A question mark or an exclamation point may be used if the heading calls for it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not use a hyphen between words that can better be written as one word: water-fowl >> waterfowl.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IV </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Words and Expressions Commonly Misused </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And / or. A device, or shortcut, that damages a sentence and often leads to confusion or ambiguity.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">stealing and/or cheating? >> stealing or cheating or both?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among. Between. When more than two things or persons are involved, among is usually called for; When, however, more than two are involved but each is considered individually, between is preferred.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Currently. In the sense of now with a verb in the present tense, currently is usually redundant; emphasis is better achieved through a more precise reference to time.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data. Like strata, phenomena, and media, data is a plural and is best used with a plural verb.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Different than. Here logic supports established usage: one thing differs from another, hence, different from. Or, other than, unlike.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Due to. Loosely used for through, because of, or owing to, in adverbial phrases. In correct use, synonymous with attributable to:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each and every one. Pitchman's jargon. Avoid, except in dialogue.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It should be a lesson to each and every one of us.>> It should be a lesson to every one of us (to us all).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Etc.At the end of a list introduced by such as, for example, or any similar expression, etc. is incorrect. In formal writing, etc. is a misfit. An item important enough to call for etc. is probably important enough to be named.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finalize. A pompous, ambiguous verb.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get. The colloquial have got for have should not be used in writing. The preferable form of the participle is got, not gotten.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hopefully. Such use is not merely wrong, it is silly. it offends the ear of many others, who do not like to see words dulled or eroded, particularly when the erosion leads to ambiguity, softness, or nonsense.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However. Avoid starting a sentence with however when the meaning is "nevertheless." The word usually serves better when not in first position. When however comes first, it means "in whatever way" or "to whatever extent."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Importantly. Avoid by rephrasing</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In regard to. Often wrongly written in regards to. But as regards is correct, and means the same thing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Insightful. The word is a suspicious overstatement for "perceptive."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was an insightful remark you made.>>That was a perceptive remark you made.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Interesting. An unconvincing word; avoid it as a means of introduction.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Irregardless. Should be regardless.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less. Should not be misused for fewer.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like. Not to be used for the conjunction as.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Along these lines, that a writer who aims at freshness or originality had better discard it entirely.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Literally. Often incorrectly used in support of exaggeration or violent metaphor. literally dead with fatigue >>almost dead with fatigue</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaningful. A bankrupt adjective. Choose another, or rephrase.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most. Not to be used for almost in formal composition.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nice. A shaggy, all-purpose word, to be used sparingly in formal composition.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ongoing. Newfound adjectives, to be avoided because they are inexact and clumsy</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the most. Avoid this feeble formula.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-oriented. A clumsy, pretentious device, much in vogue.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partially. Not always interchangeable with partly. The log was partially submerged.>> The log was partly submerged.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">people is used when referring to a collective group or indeterminate number, and persons serves better when referring to individuals (or a number of individuals). The word people, is so very general, that it cannot be connected with a determinate number; as for instance, four, five, or six people; but that of persons may.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personalize. A pretentious word, often carrying bad advice. a highly personalized affair >> a highly personal affair.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personally. Often unnecessary.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Possess.Such usage is not incorrect but is to be guarded against.She possessed great courage.>> She had great courage</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presently. Has two meanings: "in a short while" and "currently." Because of this ambiguity it is best restricted to the first meaning: "She'll be here presently" ("soon," or "in a short time").</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prestigious. Often an adjective of last resort.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Relate. Not to be used intransitively to suggest rapport.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Respective. Respectively. These words may usually be omitted with advantage.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Secondly, thirdly, etc. >> Modern usage prefers second, third, and so on.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shall vs. Will: Shall. Will. In formal writing, the future tense requires shall for the first person, will for the second and third. The formula to express the speaker's belief regarding a future action or state is I shall; I will expresses determination or consent.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in modern English we usually prefer ‘will’ for affirmative and negative sentences. However, we still use ‘shall’ to form questions with ‘I’ and ‘we’, especially in British English.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So. Avoid, in writing, the use of so as an intensifier: "so good"; "so warm"; "so delightful."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Than. Any sentence with than (to express comparison) should be examined to make sure no essential words are missing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm probably closer to my mother than my father. (Ambiguous.) >> I'm probably closer to my mother than to my father.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanking you in advance. Should be avoided. In making your request, write "Will you please," or "I shall be obliged."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether to use that and which depends on whether the clause it introduces is restrictive or non-restrictive. A restrictive clause means that the information in the clause is necessary to understand the preceding noun. For a restrictive clause, use that.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brad’s sweater [noun] that has fancy elbow pads [restrictive clause] was a birthday gift from his sister.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this sentence, we understand that Brad has multiple sweaters, so it’s important to distinguish the one with the fancy elbow pads from the others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stacy’s truck [noun], which is painted red [non-restrictive clause], has a dent in the back bumper.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here, the information about Stacy’s truck being red is not necessary to the sentence. Stacy only has one truck, so the extra information doesn’t help identify it. Therefore, we use which and separate the non-restrictive clause with commas. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The foreseeable future. A cliche, and a fuzzy one.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The truth. is.... The fact is.... A bad beginning for a sentence.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They. He or She. Do not use they when the antecedent is a distributive expression such as each, each one, everybody, every one, many a man. Use the singular pronoun.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone in the community, whether they are a member of the Association or not, is invited to attend. >> Everyone in the community, whether he is a member of the Association or not, is invited to attend.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try. Takes the infinitive: "try to mend it," not "try and mend it."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unique. Means "without like or equal." Hence, there can be no degrees of uniqueness.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The balancing act was very unique.>> The balancing act was unique.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Utilize. Prefer use.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He utilized the dishwasher.>> He used the dishwasher</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Verbal. Oral agreement is more precise than verbal agreement</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Very. Use this word sparingly.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While. Avoid the indiscriminate use of this word for and, but, and although. In general, the writer will do well to use while only with strict literalness, in the sense of "during the time that."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Would. Commonly used to express habitual or repeated action. ("He would get up early and prepare his own breakfast before he went to work.") But when the idea of habit or repetition is expressed, in such phrases as once a year, every day, each Sunday, the past tense, without would, is usually sufficient, and, from its brevity, more emphatic.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once a year he would visit the old mansion. >> Once a year he visited the old mansion.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">V </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An Approach to Style (With a List of Reminders) </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Place yourself in the background.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write in a way that draws the reader's attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the author.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Write in a way that comes naturally.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write in a way that comes easily and naturally to you, using words and phrases that come readily to hand.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Work from a suitable design.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Write with nouns and verbs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. In general, however, it is nouns and verbs, not their assistants, that give good writing its toughness and color.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Revise and rewrite.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Do not overwrite.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Do not overstate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Avoid the use of qualifiers.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rather, very, little, pretty — these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Do not affect a breezy manner.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Use orthodox spelling. Do not write nite for night, thru for through, pleez for please,</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11. Do not explain too much.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12. Do not construct awkward adverbs. Words that are not used orally are seldom the ones to put on paper.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">14. Avoid fancy words.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15. Do not use dialect unless your ear is good.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">16. Be clear. since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And although there is no substitute for merit in writing, clarity comes closest to being one.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17. Do not inject opinion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unless there is a good reason for its being there, do not inject opinion into a piece of writing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18. Use figures of speech sparingly.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity (e.g. don’t use abbreviation without listing its full name)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20. Avoid foreign languages</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-7171592566310185212021-12-21T21:05:00.000-05:002021-12-21T21:05:03.975-05:00 Presentation Zen 3 simple ideas on presentation design and delivery by Garr Reynolds<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation Zen 3 simple ideas on presentation design and delivery by Garr Reynolds</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8e5f8b21-7fff-0ad9-0aea-1cdc9bdc8dda"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Introduction</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite books is Daniel H. Pink’s best-seller, </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Whole New Mind </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Riverhead Trade)</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Particularly valuable in </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Whole New Mind </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are the “six senses” or the six “right-brain directed aptitudes,” which Pink says are necessary for successful professionals to possess in the more interdependent world we live in. The six aptitudes are design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Mastering and leveraging these aptitudes has become necessary for professional success and personal fulfillment in today’s world. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best designs, however, are so well done that the observer never even consciously notices them. We take note of the messages that the design helped make utterly clear, but not the color palette, typography, concept, etc. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Story </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best and most effective professors are the ones who tell true stories and give real examples. From my students’ point of view, the best professors don’t just go through the material in a book. They put their own personality, character, and experiences into the material in the form of a narrative, which is illuminating, engaging, and memorable. Stories can be used for good—for teaching, sharing, illuminating, and, of course, honest persuasion.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Symphony </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What we need are people who can recognize the patterns and are skilled at seeing the nuances and simplicity that may exist in a complex problem. Symphony is about applying our whole mind—logic, analysis, synthesis, intuition—to make sense of our world (that is, our topic), find the big picture, and determine what is important and what is not before the day of a talk. It’s also about deciding what matters and letting go of the rest. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empathy </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empathy is about putting yourself in the position of others. Empathy allows a presenter, even without thinking about it, to notice when the audience is “getting it” and when they are not. The empathetic presenter can make adjustments based on his or her reading of a particular audience. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Play </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the Conceptual Age, says Pink, work is not just about seriousness, but about play as well. While each presentation situation is different, in many public speaking situations playfulness and humor can go a long way toward making a presentation palatable </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaning </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Communication is about getting others to adopt your point of view, to help them understand why you’re excited (or sad, or optimistic, or whatever else you are). </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them. Create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true, not just accurate. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Second, don’t use cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Third, no dissolves, spins, or other transitions. Keep it simple. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fourth, create a written document. A leave-behind. Put in as many footnotes or details as you like. Then, when you start your presentation, tell the audience that you’re going to give them all the details of your presentation after it’s over, and they don’t have to write down everything you say. Remember, the presentation is to make an emotional sale. The document is the proof that helps the intellectuals in your audience accept the idea that you’ve sold them on emotionally. </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, we need a higher degree of visual literacy and an understanding of the great power that imagery has for conveying important messages. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like a Japanese bento, great slide presentations contain appropriate content arranged in the most efficient, graceful manner without superfluous decoration. The presentation of the content is simple, balanced, and beautiful. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation Zen is an approach, not an inflexible list of rules to be followed by all in the same way. There are many paths to designing and delivering presentations. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The key principles of Presentation Zen are: Restraint in preparation. Simplicity in design. Naturalness in delivery. These principles can be applied to both technical and non-technical presentations. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The dull, text-filled slide approach is common and normal, but it is not effective. The problem is not one of tools or techniques—it is a problem of bad habits. Although some tools are better than others, it is possible to present effectively with the aid of multimedia tools. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the Conceptual Age, solid presentation skills are more important than ever before. Presenting well is a whole-mind skill. Good presenters target people’s left-brain and right-brain sensibilities. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Live talks enhanced by multimedia are about storytelling and have more in common with the art of documentary film than the reading of a paper document. Live talks today must tell a story enhanced by imagery and other forms of appropriate multimedia. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve learned some ineffective habits over the years. The first step to change is letting go of the past.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preparation</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An effective presentation is made of three component parts: the story (p1), the supportive media (p2), and the delivery (p3) of these. The value of a presentation is the product of these three factors—the p cubed value. Don’t let your media (p2) get in the way of your delivery (p3). Complex information should be provided as a handout, not on the screen. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.pechakucha.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.pechakucha.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. PechaKucha is an example of the changing attitudes toward presentation and a wonderfully creative and unconventional way to make a presentation with the aid of slides. The PechaKucha method of presentation design and delivery is very simple. You must use 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds, as you tell your story in sync with the visuals. If nothing else, the PechaKucha method is good training and good practice. Everyone should try PechaKucha—it’s a good exercise for getting your story down even if you do not use this exact method for your own live talk. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preparing, designing, and delivering a presentation is a creative act, and you are a creative being. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creativity requires an open mind and a willingness to be wrong. Approach the task with the beginner’s mind. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Restrictions, constraints and limitations are not the enemy; they are a great ally and can lead to greater creativity. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consider the PechaKucha method at least as a form of exercise to help you refine your message. You can find a PechaKucha Night event near you at: www.pechakucha.com. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you prepare a presentation, exercise restraint and always keep these three words in mind: simplicity, clarity, brevity.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planning Analog</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The presentation would have been greatly improved if the presenter had simply kept two questions in mind while preparing for the talk: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 7pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is my point? </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why does it matter? </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Projected slides should be as visual as possible and support your points quickly, efficiently, and powerfully. The verbal content, the verbal proof, evidence, and appeal/emotion come mostly from your spoken word. But your handouts are completely different. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slow down your busy mind to see your problem and goals more clearly. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find time alone to see the big picture. Take a “forest bath.” </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For greater focus, try turning off the computer and going analog. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use paper and pens or a whiteboard to record and sketch out your ideas. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key questions: What’s your main (core) point? Why does it matter? </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your audience remembers only one thing, what should it be? </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preparing a detailed handout keeps you from feeling compelled to cram everything into your visuals</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crafting the story</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Heath brothers were interested in what makes some ideas effective and memorable and others utterly forgettable. Some stick, and others fade away. Why? What the authors found is that “sticky” ideas have six key principles in common: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories. And yes, these six compress nicely into the acronym SUCCESs. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic elements to include in your story: </span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Identify the problem. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(This could be a problem, for example, that your product solves.) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Identify causes of the problem. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Give actual examples of the conflict surrounding the problem.) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Show how and why you solved the problem. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(This is where you provide resolution to the conflict.)</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kamishibai </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is a form of visual and participatory storytelling that combines the use of hand-drawn visuals with the engaging narration of a live presenter. The origins of </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kamishibai </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can be traced back to various picture storytelling traditions in Japan.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are five tips from </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kamishibai </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that we can apply to our presentations today:</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visuals should be big, bold, clear, and easy to see.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allow graphic elements to fill the frame and bleed off the edges.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use visuals in an active way, not a decorative one. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aim to carefully trim back the details.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make your presentation—visuals and narration—participatory.</span></p></li></ol><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make your ideas sticky by keeping things simple, using examples and stories, looking for the unexpected, and tapping into people’s emotions. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A presentation is never </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">just </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about the facts. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brainstorm your topic away from the computer, and chunk (group) the most important bits. Identify the underlying theme, and be true to that theme (core message) throughout the creation of the presentation. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make a storyboard of your ideas on paper—and then use software to lay out a solid structure that you can see. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Show restraint at all times, and bring everything back to the core message.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 7pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Zen aesthetic values include (but are not limited to) the following: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 7pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplicity </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Subtlety </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elegance </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggestion (rather than literal description) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Naturalness (i.e., nothing artificial or forced) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empty space (or negative space) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stillness, tranquility </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eliminating the nonessential </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All of these principles can be applied to slide design, Web design, and so on. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(What it comes down to, in personal endeavors, is four basic principles: learn from everyone; follow no one; watch for patterns, and work like hell.) </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplicity is powerful and leads to greater clarity, yet it is neither simple nor easy to achieve. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not about making it easy for us, it’s about making things easy for </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">them</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplicity can be obtained through the careful reduction of the nonessential. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you design slides, in addition to simplicity, keep the following concepts in mind: subtlety, balance, and understated elegance. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good designs have plenty of empty space. Think “subtract” not “add.” </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although simplicity is the goal, it is possible to be too simple. Your job is to find the balance most appropriate to your situation</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presentation Design: Principles and Techniques</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few interconnected design principles that are fundamental to good slide design. The first two—signal-to-noise ratio and picture superiority effect—are broad concepts with practical applications to slide design. The third—empty space—helps us look at slides in a different way and appreciate the power of what is not included to make visual messages stronger. The final four principles are grouped together as they are fundamental design principles and especially important to know for people new to design. These basic principles are: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One way to achieve cinematic slides is to have your images fill the screen. A full-screen image gives the illusion that the slide is bigger than it is. Another effective technique is to use visual elements that bleed off the screen out of frame. Our brains will naturally fill in gaps, or complete shapes that are partially out of frame. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quotes can indeed add credibility to your story. Weave a simple quote into your narrative to support your point, or as a springboard from which you can launch your next topic. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eye gaze in </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">presentation visuals may have similar influences on the viewers’ attention. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contrast is one of the most powerful design concepts because, really, any design element can be contrasted with another. You can achieve contrast in many ways—for example, through the manipulation of space (near and far, empty and filled), through color choices (dark and light, cool and warm), by typeface selection (serif and sans serif, bold and narrow), by the positioning of elements (top and bottom, isolated and grouped), and so on. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The principle of repetition simply means the reuse of the same or similar elements throughout a design. Repetition of certain design elements in a slide or among a deck of slides will bring a clear sense of unity, consistency, and cohesiveness. Where contrast is about showing differences, repetition is about subtly using elements to make sure a design is viewed as part of a larger whole. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alignment is about obtaining unity among elements of a single slide. Even elements that are quite far apart on a slide should have a visual connection, something that is easier to achieve with the use of grids. When you place elements on a slide, try to align them with an existing element. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The principle of proximity is about moving things closer or farther apart to achieve a more organized look. The principle says that related items should be grouped together so they will be viewed as a group, rather than as several unrelated elements. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sans serif is often the preferred typeface style for billboards and a great deal of the signage we see around us. Similarly, sans serif typefaces are best for projected slides, although this is a big generalization. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design matters. But, design is not about decoration or ornamentation. Design is about making communication as easy and clear for the viewer as possible. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep the principle of signal-to-noise ratio in mind to remove all nonessential elements. Remove visual clutter. Avoid 3D effects. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People remember visuals better than bullet points. Always ask yourself how you can use a strong visual element—including quantitative displays—to enhance your narrative. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empty space is not nothing; it is a powerful something. Learn to see and manipulate empty space to give your slide designs greater organization, clarity, and interest. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use high-quality photos that make an impact and are easily seen and understood. Consider using full-bleed images and layer-type elements on top in the simplest, most balanced arrangement possible. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use the principle of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">contrast </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to create strong dynamic differences among elements that are different. If an element is different, make it </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">very </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">different. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use the principle of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">repetition </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to give your slides unity and organization by making sure certain elements recur throughout your slides. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use the principle of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">alignment </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to visually connect elements on a slide. Invisible gridlines are very useful for achieving good alignment. Using a grid gives your slides a clean, well-organized look. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use the principle of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">proximity </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to ensure that related items are grouped together. People tend to interpret items together or near to each other as belonging to the same group.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sample Visuals: Images & Text</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A good rule of thumb when judging your own visuals is to ask ourselves: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(1) Does the visual get attention or bring the eye of the viewer in to the screen? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(2) Is the visual easy to understand quickly, and does it help the viewer understand your verbal message? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(3) Does the visual—including the display of data—help the viewer remember your message? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(4) Will the visual help your audience not only to understand and remember your message, but will it even help to change the thinking or behavior of your audience long after your talk is finished. Number (4) may not apply in every case, but numbers (1)–(3) are crucial in almost every situation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are seven techniques for being more effective and engaging in a webinar. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Be Relevant. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Webinar audiences want information and education. they come for solid take-away value they can use to tackle their questions, challenges, problems, and aspirations. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Use More Slides. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In an in-person presentation, your slides are a visual aid; in a webinar, they </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the visuals. Use more slides than you normally would, so you can keep viewers’ interest and provide visual reinforcement. It’s very tempting for webinar attendees to multitask (by listening to the audio in the background while checking email or doing other work), so keep the visuals changing frequently. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Build Your Slides. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Build complex slides as you’re talking about them. If you’re showing a graph, start with the axes, then labels, then the bars or lines, then the highlighted points. If you’re showing a model, build it up step by step. It’s easy to do this in PowerPoint using the Animation tool </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Signpost Your Content. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Insert “signpost” slides into your slide deck to clearly explain the structure and flow of your content. Start with an overview slide, then one slide before each main point, then finish with a summary slide. This helps your audience mentally grasp the webinar progress and flow, which reduces the risk of confusion and distraction. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Make Them Active. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make your webinars active and interactive. Your audience is attending a live event, so involve them in it. Early in your webinar, ask them to do something simple. This makes them take notice, involves them right from the start, and demonstrates that this isn't just another boring presentation. For example, you could conduct a poll, pose a puzzle, ask them to write something, or ask some people to speak out loud. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Shift Energy. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As with any other presentation, design segments that shift energy during the webinar </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Start Before You’re Ready. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Webinars can be unsettling and nerve-wracking, even for experienced presenters. The only solution to this is practice. Take the pressure off yourself by starting small. Start with small groups, not large audiences. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you design your slides or other visuals to look like depends completely on your unique situation, content, and audience, but keep the following in mind: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 7pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create visuals that are simple and feature clear design priorities and elements that guide the viewer’s eye. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design for the back of the room. Make it easy for everyone to see all elements on your visual no matter where they may be sitting in the room. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use a visual theme, but avoid tired, overused software templates. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use images and text in interesting ways, but always remember to balance your elements. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Limit bullet points or avoid them completely. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use high-quality graphics. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Build (animate) complex graphics to support your narrative. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think “maximum effect with minimum means.” </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn to see empty space, and learn to use it in a way that brings greater clarity to visuals.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Delivery</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like a conversation, presentation requires your full presence at that time and place. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like a master swordsman, you must be completely in the moment without thoughts of the past, the future, winning, or losing. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mistakes may happen, but do not dwell on past mistakes or worry about future ones. Be only in this moment, sharing and conversing with the audience in front of you. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You will make it look easy and natural by preparing and practicing like mad. The more you rehearse, the more confident you’ll become, and the easier it will seem to the audience. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although you must plan well, being fully in the moment also means that you remain flexible, totally aware, and open to the possibilities as they arise. The goal is not necessarily to be perfect, but rather to make a sincere contribution in the moment for those who have come to hear you.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You need solid content and logical structure, but you also have to make a connection with the audience. You must appeal to both the logical and the emotional sides of your audience members. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your content is worth talking about, then bring energy and passion to your delivery. Every situation is different, but there is never an excuse to be dull. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t hold back. If you have a passion for your topic, then let people know it. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make a strong start with PUNCH. Include content that is personal, unexpected, novel, challenging, or humorous to make a connection from the beginning. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Project yourself well by dressing the part, moving with confidence and purpose, maintaining good eye contact, and speaking in a conversational style but with elevated energy. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try not to read a presentation or rely on notes. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember the concept of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hara hachi bu. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is better to leave your audience satisfied yet yearning for a bit more, than to leave them stuffed and feeling that they have had more than enough.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Curiosity Is Infectious </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you see that? </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look here! </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is amazing! </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you think happens next? </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wasn’t that surprising? </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>This is the kind of language that engages the listener. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Engagement involves tapping the audience members’ emotions. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep the lights on; the audience must always be able to see you. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remove any barriers between you and the audience. Avoid podiums and lecterns, if possible. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use a wireless mic and remote control for advancing slides so you can move around freely and naturally. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 7pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be positive, upbeat, humorous, and develop rapport with the audience. You must believe in your content or you cannot sell it.</span></p></li></ul><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-9138207478275865652021-12-20T09:56:00.000-05:002021-12-20T09:56:09.143-05:00 The Power of Story Workbook Jennifer Aaker, General Atlantic Professor of Marketing @standford.edu<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Power of Story Workbook Jennifer Aaker General Atlantic Professor of Marketing @standford.edu</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-10192f68-7fff-606b-9217-4dc8524cfa01"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stories can be a powerful tool for persuasion, critical for understanding customers, working with team members and building brands. Stories help us in decision-making by clarifying what is signal vs. noise. Stories are powerful tools for leaders, who often need to act as editors—shaping the stories told by employees and customers—to align everyone under a shared vision. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">stories can be told in a short, six-word form (e.g., Ernest Hemingway: For sale: baby shoes, never worn). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consider the following different types of six-word stories (and their humorous versions): </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simple description </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The summer I learned work ethic. / Mind of its own. Damn lawnmower. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Evocative description </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Active imagination as a small child. / Was beside myself; cloning machine worked. </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shows change </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A first: finding and losing love./ Longed for him. Got him. Shit. (Margaret Atwood) </span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sensational </span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Realizing I would die one day./ Tick tock tick tock tick tick. (Neal Stephenson)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other 6 word stories:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not quite. Aspiring to be quite.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tonight he packs, tomorrow I pine.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Married the wrong girl, fixed it.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting old. Ringtones piss me off.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think of stories as assets. It is as much a way of life - an organizing frame – as it is a tool. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Men who can tell a good story are seen as more attractive and higher status</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why was Solomon recognized as the wisest man in the world? Because he knew more stories than anyone else. Scratch the surface in a typical boardroom and we’re all just cavemen with briefcases, hungry for a wise person to tell us stories - - Alan Kay,VP of the Walt Disney Company</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember the most effective stories blend fact and emotion. How can you make your user the hero of their own story?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Signature Story - Signature stories are strategic. An intriguing, authentic and involving story with a strategic message that drives growth by enhancing the brand, organization and/or business strategy.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climax - Find the climax first. Why? It’s the best part of the story to hear—which typically means it’s the easiest part of the story to write. You can then decide whether to use the story’s climax to grab attention or end the story with a bang.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conflict - The conflict should be the main problem you’re highlighting in the story. Make sure that the conflict ties into the spine of the story and is properly set up in the beginning. Remember to solve the conflict and demonstrate why it’s significant by the end of the story.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flow - You can choose to tell the story in the way that has the most impact; chronological time is irrelevant. Just make sure your story flows. Focus on answering the questions on people’s minds. Note—you’ll likely iterate on flow in the story structure at least three times.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Delivery - Write out the story and read it out loud. Ruthlessly edit your story to take out the stuff that really doesn’t matter, even if you fall in love with it. Get to the point quickly, but not without stretching out some detail to build suspense and pacing. Give yourself the time to revise, and practice your delivery. Rehearse until you wouldn’t change a single word.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Detail - Provide 2 + 2, not 4. Don’t tell us what the story is about or what the takeaway is; rather, guide us through the story, providing us with the details that we need to come to our own conclusions. DETAIL Let the story speak for itself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Audience - Know who you’re talking to and understand what moves them. This will make it easier to craft your story. Tailor your story to fit the needs of your target audience. A story’s theme should speak to a specific audience.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brevity - Brevity allows the audience to make inferences and makes the audience feel respected. Brevity mystifies.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">End - Stop the story when you have said enough to convey your message. You don’t always need to answer all the questions in your story. This leaves them asking for more.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clarity - Keeping your goals clear increases your odds of success and momentum. Seek examples of clarity in the wild and learn from the best.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Picture - Step back from your story and ask the obvious questions: What does it mean? Why is it important? How does it change the perspective of the person hearing it or reading it? Your story will gain a greater audience and have more impact if it is unique or unusual. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other inspiration books on storytelling</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Story Factor by. Annette Simmons</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Power of Personal Storytelling by Jack Maguire</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Art of Storytelling by John Walsh</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Dragonfly Effect by Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Story Telling as Best Practice by Andy Goodman</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Improving your Storytelling by Doug Lipman</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Story by Robert McKee</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We Feel Fine by Jonathan Harris & Sep Kamvar</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Cultivate Comedy Mindset</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpuyGdesd8" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpuyGdesd8</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/k1mxpr/comedy-central-presents-rap" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.cc.com/video-clips/k1mxpr/comedy-central-presents-rap</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://youtu.be/zK3XH5Ocjag" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://youtu.be/zK3XH5Ocjag</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SHqRhMvFmnk" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SHqRhMvFmnk</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xgGkt6l-WTM" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xgGkt6l-WTM</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/engagement-surprise/n12324" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/engagement-surprise/n12324</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5qryIjyQJE" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5qryIjyQJE</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pinZNYxQeo" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pinZNYxQeo</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FLGEr1zJYo" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FLGEr1zJYo</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CMS9xnBRkc" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CMS9xnBRkc</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YDTfEhChgw" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YDTfEhChgw</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WLrYE9HScY&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WLrYE9HScY</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOnF8Q2u3fU" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOnF8Q2u3fU</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev4b-19Czzs" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev4b-19Czzs</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4rSKCXqEw0&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4rSKCXqEw0</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FLGEr1zJYo&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FLGEr1zJYo</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuymvEZ1pkU" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuymvEZ1pkU</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxigLdW48LE" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxigLdW48LE</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfYzlSNHapA" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfYzlSNHapA</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hPZnSfgO1Q" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hPZnSfgO1Q</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In9XbjyCbnY" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In9XbjyCbnY</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaImprOY31k" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaImprOY31k</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQyz0ouDvyk&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQyz0ouDvyk</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msu_rknsuMs" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msu_rknsuMs</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_utzLojCIE" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_utzLojCIE</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozNKwaqdlA8&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozNKwaqdlA8</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-pT1dCmL0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-pT1dCmL0</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4SYIfhzMmU" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4SYIfhzMmU</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBJiugdPAZ8" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBJiugdPAZ8</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgX2HY2iyVQ" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgX2HY2iyVQ</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtiMJDtF_cA" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtiMJDtF_cA</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6xaj2fC1jI" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6xaj2fC1jI</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELXE7xvVHo" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELXE7xvVHo</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMeXGE_a8Gg" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMeXGE_a8Gg</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhu7rs3Ihas" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhu7rs3Ihas</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CL8gMuAo&nohtml5=False" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CL8gMuAo</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://youtu.be/CaBI5bYc38k" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/CaBI5bYc38k</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4At-YkjedgA" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4At-YkjedgA</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOaIFgse4Hw" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOaIFgse4Hw</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://powerofstory.stanford.edu/readings" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://powerofstory.stanford.edu/readings</span></a></p><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-52526302594672547572021-12-19T14:48:00.004-05:002021-12-19T14:48:30.649-05:0012 RULES FOR LIFE An Antidote for Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3db504b8-7fff-44e4-d611-49211b177e85"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 RULES FOR LIFE An Antidote for Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 1 STAND UP STRAIGHT WITH YOUR SHOULDERS BACK</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If a contagious avian disease sweeps through a neighborhood of well-stratified songbirds, it is the least dominant and most stressed birds, occupying the lowest rungs of the bird world, who are most likely to sicken and die.</span><span style="color: #0066ff; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4 </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is equally true of human neighborhoods when bird flu viruses and other illnesses sweep across the planet. The poor and stressed always die first, and in greater numbers. They are also much more susceptible to non-infectious diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. When the aristocracy catches a cold, as it is said, the working class dies of pneumonia.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re in the number ten position, then standing up straight and appearing dominant might only attract the attention of those who want, once again, to put you down. And fair enough. But standing up straight with your shoulders back is not something that is only physical, because you’re not only a body. You’re a spirit, so to speak—a psyche—as well. Standing up physically also implies and invokes and demands standing up metaphysically. Standing up means voluntarily accepting the burden of Being. Your nervous system responds in an entirely different manner when you face the demands of life voluntarily. You respond to a challenge, instead of bracing for a catastrophe. You see the gold the dragon hoards, instead of shrinking in terror from the all-too-real fact of the dragon. You step forward to take your place in the dominance hierarchy, and occupy your territory, manifesting your willingness to defend, expand and transform it. That can all occur practically or symbolically, as a physical or as a conceptual restructuring.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s winner-take-all in the lobster world, just as it is in human societies, where the top 1 percent have as much loot as the bottom 50 percent. That same brutal principle of unequal distribution applies outside the financial domain—indeed, anywhere that creative production is required. The majority of scientific papers are published by a very small group of scientists. A tiny proportion of musicians produces almost all recorded commercial music. Similarly, just four classical composers (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky) wrote almost all the music played by modern orchestras. Thus, a small fraction of the music composed by a small fraction of all the classical composers who have ever composed makes up almost all the classical music that the world knows and loves. This principle is sometimes known as Price’s law, after Derek J. de Solla Price, the researcher who discovered its application in science in 1963. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I counsel my clients to eat fat and protein-heavy breakfast as soon as possible after they awaken (no simple carbohydrates, no sugars, as they are digested too rapidly, and produce a blood-sugar spike and rapid dip). This is because anxious and depressed people are already stressed, particularly if their lives have not been under control for a good while. Their bodies are therefore primed to hypersecrete insulin if they engage in any complex or demanding activity. If they do so after fasting all night and before eating, the excess insulin in their bloodstream will mop up all their blood sugar. Then they become hypoglycemic and psycho-physiologically unstable.22 All day. Their systems cannot be reset until after more sleep.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open. It means deciding to voluntarily transform the chaos of potential into the realities of habitable order. So, attend carefully to your posture. Quit drooping and hunching around. Speak your mind. Walk tall and gaze forthrightly ahead. Dare to be dangerous. Encourage the serotonin to flow plentifully through the neural pathways desperate for its calming influence.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People, including yourself, will start to assume that you are competent and able. Emboldened by the positive responses you are now receiving, you will begin to be less anxious. You will then find it easier to pay attention to the subtle social clues that people exchange when they are communicating. Your conversations will flow better, with fewer awkward pauses. This will make you more likely to meet people, interact with them, and impress them. Doing so will not only genuinely increase the probability that good things will happen to you—it will also make those good things feel better when they do happen.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 2 TREAT YOURSELF LIKE SOMEONE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chaos and order are two of the most fundamental elements of lived experience—two of the most basic subdivisions of Being itself. Order, the known, appears symbolically associated with masculinity (as illustrated in the aforementioned yang of the Taoist yin-yang symbol). This is perhaps because the primary hierarchical structure of human society is masculine, as it is among most animals, including the chimpanzees who are our closest genetic and, arguably, behavioral match. Chaos—the unknown—is symbolically associated with the feminine. This is partly because all the things we have come to know were born, originally, of the unknown, just as all beings we encounter were born of mothers. Chaos is mater, origin, source, mother; materia, the substance from which all things are made.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chaos, the eternal feminine, is also the crushing force of sexual selection. Women are choosy maters. Most men do not meet female human standards. It is for this reason that women on dating sites rate 85 percent of men as below average in attractiveness. Women’s proclivity to say no, more than any other force, has shaped our evolution into the creative, industrious, upright, large-brained (competitive, aggressive, domineering) creatures that we are.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Star of David is, for example, the downward-pointing triangle of femininity and the upward-pointing triangle of the male. It’s the same for the yoni and lingam of Hinduism</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we wish to take care of ourselves properly, we would have to respect ourselves—but we don’t, because we are—not least in our own eyes—fallen creatures. In my clinical practice, I encourage people to credit themselves and those around them for acting productively and with care, as well as for the genuine concern and thoughtfulness they manifest towards others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t underestimate the power of vision and direction. These are irresistible forces, able to transform what might appear to be unconquerable obstacles into traversable pathways and expanding opportunities. Strengthen the individual. Start with yourself. Take care of yourself. Define who you are. Refine your personality. Choose your destination and articulate your Being. As the great nineteenth-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche so brilliantly noted, “He whose life has a why can bear almost any how</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You must determine where you are going so that you can bargain for yourself so that you don’t end up resentful, vengeful, and cruel. You have to articulate your own principles so that you can defend yourself against others’ taking inappropriate advantage of you, and so that you are secure and safe while you work and play. You must discipline yourself carefully. You must keep the promises you make to yourself, and reward yourself so that you can trust and motivate yourself. You need to determine how to act toward yourself so that you are most likely to become and to stay a good person.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 3 MAKE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT THE BEST FOR YOU</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Success: that’s the mystery. Virtue: that’s what’s inexplicable. To fail, you merely have to cultivate a few bad habits. You just have to bide your time. And once someone has spent enough time cultivating bad habits and biding their time, they are much diminished.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s something to consider: If you have a friend whose friendship you wouldn’t recommend to your sister, or your father, or your son, why would you have such a friend for yourself? You might say: out of loyalty. Well, loyalty is not identical to stupidity. Loyalty must be negotiated, fairly and honestly. Friendship is a reciprocal arrangement. You are not morally obliged to support someone who is making the world a worse place. Quite the opposite. You should choose people who want things to be better, not worse. It’s a good thing, not a selfish thing, to choose people who are good for you. It’s appropriate and praiseworthy to associate with people whose lives would be improved if they saw your life improve.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michelangelo’s great perfect marble David cries out to its observer: “You could be more than you are.” When you dare aspire upward, you reveal the inadequacy of the present and the promise of the future. Don’t think that it is easier to surround yourself with good healthy people than with bad unhealthy people. It’s not. A good, healthy person is an ideal. It requires strength and daring to stand up near such a person. Have some humility. Have some courage. Use your judgment, and protect yourself from too-uncritical compassion and pity. Make friends with people who want the best for you.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 4 COMPARE YOURSELF TO WHO YOU WERE YESTERDAY, NOT TO WHO SOMEONE ELSE IS TODAY</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No matter how good you are at something, or how you rank your accomplishments, there is someone out there who makes you look incompetent. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life is a zero-sum game. Worthlessness is the default condition. What but willful blindness could possibly shelter people from such withering criticism? It is for such reasons that a whole generation of social psychologists recommended “positive illusions” as the only reliable route to mental health.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It takes careful observation, and education, and reflection, and communication with others, just to scratch the surface of your beliefs. Everything you value is a product of unimaginably lengthy developmental processes, personal, cultural, and biological. You don’t understand how what you want—and, therefore, what you see—is conditioned by the immense, abysmal, profound past.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Part of the knowledge so generated is what is encapsulated in the fundamental teachings of our cultures, in ancient writings such as the Tao te Ching, or the aforementioned Vedic scriptures, or the Biblical stories. The Bible is, for better or worse, the foundational document of Western civilization (of Western values, Western morality, and Western conceptions of good and evil). It’s the product of processes that remain fundamentally beyond our comprehension.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You no longer have to be envious, because you no longer know that someone else truly has it better. You no longer have to be frustrated, because you have learned to aim low, and to be patient. You are discovering who you are, and what you want, and what you are willing to do. You are finding that the solutions to your particular problems have to be tailored to you, personally and precisely. You are less concerned with the actions of other people because you have plenty to do yourself. Attend to the day, but aim at the highest good. Now, your trajectory is heavenward. That makes you hopeful</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 5 DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN DO ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU DISLIKE THEM</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, by his own account: “A man who has been the indisputable favorite of his mother keeps for life the feeling of a conqueror, that confidence of success that often induces real success. Children must be shaped and informed, or they cannot thrive. This fact is reflected starkly in their behavior: kids are utterly desperate for attention from both peers and adults because such attention, which renders them effective and sophisticated communal players, is vitally necessary.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Violence, after all, is no mystery. It’s peace that’s the mystery. Violence is the default. It’s easy. It’s peace that is difficult: learned, inculcated, earned. Two-year-olds, statistically speaking, are the most violent of people.</span><span style="color: #0066ff; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">99 </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They kick, hit and bite, and they steal the property of others. They do so to explore, to express outrage and frustration, and to gratify their impulsive desires. More importantly, for our purposes, they do so to discover the true limits of permissible behavior. How else are they ever going to puzzle out what is acceptable? Infants are like blind people, searching for a wall. They have to push forward, and test, to see where the actual boundaries lie. Consistent correction of such action indicates the limits of acceptable aggression to the child.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scared parents think that a crying child is always sad or hurt. This is simply not true. Anger is one of the most common reasons for crying. Anger-crying is often an act of dominance and should be dealt with as such.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Summary of Principles </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disciplinary principle </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1: limit the rules. Principle </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2: use minimum necessary force. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 parents should come in pairs</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. parents should understand their own capacity to be harsh, vengeful, arrogant, resentful, angry, and deceitful.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Parents have a duty to act as proxies for the real world. It is the primary duty of parents to make their children socially desirable. That will provide the child with opportunity, self-regard, and security. It’s more important even than fostering individual identity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 6 SET YOUR HOUSE IN PERFECT ORDER BEFORE YOU </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">CRITICIZE THE WORLD</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stop acting in that particular, despicable manner. Stop saying those things that make you weak and ashamed. Say only those things that make you strong. Do only those things that you could speak of with honor. You can use your own standards of judgment. You can rely on yourself for guidance. You don’t have to adhere to some external, arbitrary code of behavior (although you should not overlook the guidelines of your culture. Life is short, and you don’t have time to figure everything out on your own. The wisdom of the past was hard-earned, and your dead ancestors may have something useful to tell you).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t blame capitalism, the radical left, or the iniquity of your enemies. Don’t reorganize the state until you have ordered your own experience. Have some humility.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 7 PURSUE WHAT IS MEANINGFUL (NOT WHAT IS EXPEDIENT)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are expedient works only for the moment? It’s immediate, impulsive, and limited. What is meaningful, by contrast, is the organization of what would otherwise merely be expedient into a symphony of Being.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaning is what manifests itself when the many levels of Being arrange themselves into a perfectly functioning harmony, from atomic microcosm to cell to organ to individual to society to nature to cosmos, so that action at each level beautifully and perfectly facilitates action at all, such that past, present, and future are all at once redeemed and reconciled. Meaning is when everything there is coming together in an ecstatic dance of single-purpose—</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">the glorification of reality so that no matter how good it has suddenly become, it can get better and better and better more and more deeply forever into the future.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meaning is the ultimate balance between, on the one hand, the chaos of transformation and possibility and on the other, the discipline of pristine order, whose purpose is to produce out of the attendant chaos a new order that will be even more immaculate, and capable of bringing forth a still more balanced and productive chaos and order</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 8 TELL THE TRUTH—OR, AT LEAST, DON’T LIE</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">See the truth. Tell the truth. Truth will not come in the guise of opinions shared by others, as the truth is neither a collection of slogans nor an ideology. It will instead be personal. Your truth is something only ou can tell, based as it is on the unique circumstances of your life. Apprehend your personal truth. Communicate it carefully, in an articulate manner, to yourself and others. This will ensure your security and your life more abundantly now, while you inhabit the structure of your current beliefs. This will ensure the benevolence of the future, diverging as it might from the certainties of the past.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 9 ASSUME THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE LISTENING TO MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON’T</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Psychotherapy is genuine conversation. Genuine conversation is exploration, articulation, and strategizing. When you’re involved in a genuine conversation, you’re listening, and talking— but mostly listening. Listening is paying attention. It’s amazing what people will tell you if you listen. Sometimes if you listen to people they will even tell you what’s wrong with them. Sometimes they will even tell you how they plan to fix it. Sometimes that helps you fix </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">something wrong with yourself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">True thinking is rare—just like true listening. Thinking is listening to yourself. It’s difficult. To </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">think, you have to be at least two people at the same time. Then you have to let those people disagree. Thinking is an internal dialogue between two or more different views of the world. True thinking is complex and demanding. It requires you to be an articulate speaker and careful, judicious listener, at the same time. It involves conflict. So, you have to tolerate conflict. Conflict involves negotiation and compromise. So, you have to learn to give and take and to modify your premises and adjust your thoughts—even your perceptions of the world.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, listen, to yourself and to those with whom you are speaking. Your wisdom then consists not of the knowledge you already have, but the continual search for knowledge, which is the highest form of wisdom. It is for this reason that the priestess of the Delphic Oracle in ancient Greece spoke most highly of Socrates, who always sought the truth. She described him as the wisest living man because he knew that what he knew was nothing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 10 BE PRECISE IN YOUR SPEECH</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The extensible boundaries of ourselves also expand to include other people—family members, lovers, and friends.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chaos emerges in a household, bit by bit. Mutual unhappiness and resentment pile up. Everything untidy is swept under the rug, where the dragon feasts on the crumbs. But no one says anything, as the shared society and negotiated order of the household reveals itself as inadequate, or disintegrates, in the face of the unexpected and threatening. Everybody whistles in the dark, instead. Communication would require admission of terrible emotions: resentment, terror, loneliness, despair, jealousy, frustration, hatred, boredom. Moment by moment, it’s easier to keep the peace.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When things fall apart, and chaos re-emerges, we can give structure to it, and re-establish order, through our speech. If we speak carefully and precisely, we can sort things out, and put them in their proper place, and set a new goal, and navigate to it—often communally, if we negotiate; if we reach consensus. If we speak carelessly and imprecisely, however, things remain vague. The destination remains unproclaimed. The fog of uncertainty does not lift, and there is no negotiating through the world.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Say what you mean, so that you can find out what you mean. Act out what you say, so you can find out what happens. Then pay attention. Note your errors. Articulate them. Strive to correct them. That is how you discover the meaning of your life. That will protect you from the tragedy of your life. How could it be otherwise? Confront the chaos of Being. Take aim against a sea of troubles. Specify your destination, and chart your course. Admit to what you want. Tell those around you who you are. Narrow, and gaze attentively, and move forward, forthrightly.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 11 DO NOT BOTHER CHILDREN WHEN THEY ARE SKATEBOARDING</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boys are suffering, in the modern world. They are more disobedient—negatively—or more independent—positively—than girls, and they suffer for this, throughout their pre-university </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">educational career. They are less agreeable and less susceptible to anxiety and depression, at least after both sexes hit puberty. Boys’ interests tilt towards things; girls’ interests tilt towards people. Boys like competition, and they don’t like to obey, particularly when they are adolescents. During that time, they are driven to escape their families and establish their own independent existence</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If they’re healthy, women don’t want boys. They want men. They want someone to contend with; someone to grapple with. If they’re tough, they want someone tougher. If they’re smart, they want someone smarter. They desire someone who brings to the table something they can’t already provide. This often makes it hard for tough, smart, attractive women to find mates: there just aren’t that many men around who can outclass them enough to be considered desirable (who are higher, as one research publication put it, in “income, education, self-confidence, intelligence, dominance, and social position”).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The spirit that interferes when boys are trying to become men is, therefore, no more friend to a woman than it is to a man.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RULE 12 PET A CAT WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER ONE ON THE STREET</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dogs are like people. They are the friends and allies of human beings. They are social, hierarchical, and domesticated. They are happy at the bottom of the family pyramid. They pay for the attention they receive with loyalty, admiration, and love. Dogs are great.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cats, however, are their own creatures. They aren’t social or hierarchical (except in passing). They are only semi-domesticated. They don’t do tricks. They are friendly on their own terms. Dogs have been tamed, but cats have made a decision. They appear willing to interact with people, for some strange reasons of their own. To me, cats are a manifestation of nature, of Being, in an almost pure form. Furthermore, they are a form of Being that looks at human </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">beings and approves.</span></p><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-77470826751091041152021-12-18T09:09:00.004-05:002021-12-18T09:09:18.846-05:00 The Four Truths of the Storyteller by Peter Guber<p><span style="font-family: courier;"> The Four Truths of the Storyteller by Peter Guber</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">For the leader, storytelling is action-oriented—a force for turning dreams into goals and then into results.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Reflecting on the lessons and ideas from our conclave, I’ve distilled four kinds of truth found in an effective story.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Truth to the Teller</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Authenticity, as noted above, is a crucial quality of the storyteller. He must be congruent with his story—his tongue, feet, and wallet must move in the same direction. The consummate modern shaman knows his own deepest values and reveals them in his story with honesty and candor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Truth to the Audience</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">There’s always an implicit contract between the storyteller and his audience. It includes a promise that the listeners’ expectations, once aroused, will be fulfilled. Fulfilling this promise is what I mean by “truth to the audience.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Truth to the audience has a number of practical implications for the craft of storytelling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">First, you’ll want to try your story out on people who aren’t already converted, to get a realistic sense of how your real audience might respond. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Second, you’ll need to identify your audience’s emotional needs and meet them with integrity. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Third, you’ll want to tell your story in an interactive fashion, so people will feel they’ve participated in shaping the story experience. “Everyone wants to be a star, or at least to feel that the story is talking to or about him personally,”Encourage your people to join your journey, your quest, and reach the goal that lies at its end.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">The ending of a great narrative is the first thing the audience remembers. The litmus test for a good story is not whether listeners walk away happy or sad. Rather, it’s whether the ending is emotionally fulfilling, an experience worth owning, a great “aha!”</span></li></ol><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Truth to the Moment</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">A great storyteller never tells a story the same way twice. Instead, she sees what is unique in each storytelling experience and responds fully to what is demanded. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Truth to the Mission</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">A great storyteller is devoted to a cause beyond self. That mission is embodied in his stories, which capture and express values that he believes in and wants others to adopt as their own. Thus, the story itself must offer a value proposition that is worthy of its audience.</span></p><p><br /></p>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-82023935530571739232021-12-16T09:59:00.003-05:002021-12-16T09:59:49.426-05:00 The magic of thinking by DR DAVID J SCHWARTZ<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The magic of thinking by DR DAVID J SCHWARTZ</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a7634ff-7fff-c49f-4162-d9c4b61ddc5f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A person is a product of his own thoughts. Believe Big. Launch your success offensive with an honest, sincere belief that you can succeed. Believe big and grow big.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are the three guides to acquiring and strengthening the power of belief:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Think success, don’t think failure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. Successful people are not supermen.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of us make two basic errors with respect to intelligence:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. We underestimate our own brainpower.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. We overestimate the other fellow’s brainpower.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is vitally important: the thinking that guides your intelligence is much more</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">important than how much intelligence you may have.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three easy ways to cure intelligence excusitis are:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Never underestimate your own intelligence, and never overestimate the intelligence of others.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Remind yourself several times daily, “My attitudes are more important than my intelligence.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Remember that the ability to think is of much greater value than the ability to memorize facts.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, to think confidently, act confidently. Act the way you want to feel. Below are five confidence-building exercises.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Be a front seater</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Practice making eye contact.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Walk 25 percent faster</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Practice speaking up.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Smile big.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are four ways to help you develop a big thinker’s vocabulary.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Use big, positive, cheerful words and phrases to describe how you feel.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Use bright, cheerful, favorable words and phrases to describe other people.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Use positive language to encourage others. Compliment people personally at every opportunity, Everyone you know craves praise.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Use positive words to outline plans to others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is how you can develop your power to see what can be, not just what is. I call these the “practice adding value” exercises.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Practice adding value to things.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Practice adding value to people.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Practice adding value to yourself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try this three-stage program to strengthen your creativity through asking and listening:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Encourage others to talk.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Test your own views in the form of questions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Concentrate on what the other person says.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use these three ways to harness and develop your ideas:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Don’t let ideas escape. Write them down.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Next, review your ideas.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Cultivate and fertilize your idea.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few simple “do’s” to help make your social environment first class:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Do circulate in new groups.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Make new friends, join new organizations, enlarge your social orbit.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Do select friends who have views different from your own.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People rate you for quality, often subconsciously perhaps. Develop an instinct for quality. It pays. And it costs no more, often costs less, than second class.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grow these three attitudes. Make them your allies in everything you do.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Grow the attitude of I’m activated.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Grow the attitude of You are important.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Grow the attitude of Service first.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a three-step procedure that will help you to develop the power of enthusiasm.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Dig into it deeper. To get enthusiastic, learn more about the thing you are not enthusiastic about.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2, In everything you do, life it up. Enthusiasm, or lack of it, shows through in everything you do and say.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Broadcast good news. You and I have been in many situations when someone burst in and said: “I’ve got good news.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You must feel important to succeed. Helping others to feel important rewards you because it makes you feel more important. Try it and see. Here’s how to do it:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Practice appreciation. Make it a rule to let others know you appreciate what they do for you.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Practice calling people by their names.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Don’t hog glory, invest it instead.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a quick recap, grow attitudes that will carry you forward to success.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Grow the “I’m activated” attitude. Results come in proportion to the enthusiasm invested.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Grow the “You are important” attitude. People do more for you when you</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">make them feel important.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Grow the “Service first” attitude, and watch money take care of itself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, here is an exceptionally important observation: In at least nine cases out of ten, the “likability” factor is the first thing mentioned. And in an overwhelmingly large number of cases, the “likability” factor is given far more weight than the technical factor.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Successful people follow a plan for liking people.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Learn to remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Be a comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you. Be an old-shoe kind of individual.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-going so that things do not ruffle you.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Don’t be egotistical. Guard against the impression that you know it all.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so people will get something of value from their association with you.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Study to get the “scratchy” elements out of your personality, even those of which you may be unconscious.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest basis, every misunderstanding you have had or now have. Drain off your grievances.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Practice liking people until you learn to do so genuinely.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone’s achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Give spiritual strength to people, and they will give genuine affection to you.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are six ways to win friends by exercising just a little initiative:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Introduce yourself to others at every possible opportunity—at parties, meetings, on airplanes, at work, everywhere.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Be sure the other person gets your name straight.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Be sure you can pronounce the other person’s name the way he pronounces it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Write down the other person’s name, and be mighty sure you have it spelled correctly; understandably people have a thing about the correct spelling of their own names! If possible, get their address and phone number, also.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Drop a personal note or make a phone call to the new friends you feel you want to know better. This is an important point. Most successful people follow through on new friends with a letter or a phone call. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. And last but not least, say pleasant things to strangers. It warms you up and gets you ready for the task ahead.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Almost without exception, the more successful the person, the more he practices conversation generosity, that is, he encourages the other person to talk about himself, his views, his accomplishments, his family, his job, his problems. Conversation generosity paves the way to greater success in two important ways:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Conversation generosity wins friends.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Conversation generosity helps you learn more about people.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are two things to do to help you avoid the costly mistake of waiting until conditions are perfect before you act.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Expect future obstacles and difficulties. Every venture presents risks, problems, and uncertainties.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Meet problems and obstacles as they arise. The test of a successful person is not the ability to eliminate all problems before he takes action, but rather the ability to find solutions to difficulties when he encounters them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GROW THE ACTION HABIT</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Practice these key points:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Be an activationist. Be someone who does things. Be a doer, not a don’ter.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect. They never will be. Expect future obstacles and difficulties and solve them as they arise.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Remember, ideas alone won’t bring success. Ideas have value only when you act upon them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Use action to cure fear and gain confidence. Do what you fear, and fear disappears. Just try it and see.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Start your mental engine mechanically Don’t wait for the spirit to move you. Take action, dig in, and you move the spirit.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Think in terms of now. Tomorrow, next week, later, and similar words often are synonymous with the failure word, never. Be an “I’m starting right now” kind of person.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Get down to business—pronto. Don’t waste time getting ready to act. Start acting instead.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Seize the initiative. Be a crusader. Pick up the ball and run. Be a volunteer. Show that you have the ability and ambition to do.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Get in gear and go!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The difference between success and failure is found in one’s attitudes toward setbacks, handicaps, discouragements, and other disappointing situations.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Five guideposts to help you turn defeat into victory are:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Study setbacks to pave your way to success. When you lose, learn, and then go on to win next time.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Have the courage to be your own constructive critic. Seek out your faults and weaknesses and then correct them. This makes you a professional.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Stop blaming luck. Research each setback. Find out what went wrong. Remember, blaming luck never got anyone where they wanted to go.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Blend persistence with experimentation. Stay with your goal but don’t beat your head against a stone wall. Try new approaches. Experiment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Remember, there is a good side in every situation. Find it. See the good side and whip discouragement.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now in a quick recap, put these success-building principles to work:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Get a clear fix on where you want to go. Create an image of yourself ten years from now.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Write out your ten-year plan. Your life is too important to be left to chance. Put down on paper what you want to accomplish in your work, your home, and your social departments.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Surrender yourself to your desires. Set goals to get more energy. Set goals to get things done. Set goals and discover the real enjoyment of living.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Let your major goal be your automatic pilot. When you let your goal absorb you, you’ll find yourself making the right decisions to reach your goal.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Achieve your goal one step at a time. Regard each task you perform, regardless of how small it may seem, as a step toward your goal.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Build thirty-day goals. Day-by-day effort pays off.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Take detours in your stride. A detour simply means another route. It should never mean surrendering the goal.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Invest in yourself. Purchase those things that build mental power and efficiency. Invest in education. Invest in idea starters.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two special things you can do to develop your progressive outlook:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think improvement in everything you do.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think high standards in everything you do.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be a more effective leader, put these four leadership principles to work:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Trade minds with the people you want to influence. It’s easy to get others to do what you want them to do if you’ll see things through their eyes. Ask yourself this question before you act: “What would I think of this if I exchanged places with the other person?”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Apply the “Be-Human” rule in your dealings with others. Ask, “What is the human way to handle this?” In everything you do, show that you put other people first. Just give other people the kind of treatment you like to receive. You’ll be rewarded.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Think progress, believe in progress, push for progress. Think improvement in everything you do. Think high standards in everything you do. Over a period of time subordinates tend to become carbon copies of their chief. Be sure the master copy is worth duplicating. Make this a personal resolution: ‘At home, at work, in community life, if it’s progress I’m for it.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Take time out to confer with yourself and tap your supreme thinking power. Managed solitude pays off. Use it to release your creative power. Use it to find solutions to personal and business problems. So spend some time alone every day just for thinking. Use the thinking technique all great leaders use: confer with yourself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the words of Publilius Syrus:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A wise man will be master of his mind,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A fool will be its slave.</span></p><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-22411122447519481972021-12-15T06:20:00.002-05:002021-12-15T06:20:46.427-05:00<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving by Barbara Minto</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-14250838-7fff-0ea0-b14b-4ec68a81f19f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minto is the originator of the MECE principle pronounced "ME-see", a grouping principle for separating a set of items into subsets that are mutually exclusive (ME) and collectively exhaustive (CE).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MECE underlies her Minto Pyramid Principle,[3] which suggests that people's ideas should be communicated in a pyramid format in which summary points are derived from a constituent and supporting sub-points:</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grouping together low-level facts they see as similar</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drawing insight from having seen the similarity</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forming a new grouping of related insights, etc.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minto argues that one "can’t derive an idea from a grouping unless the ideas in the grouping are logically the same, and in a logical order</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can very easily communÏcate to a reader the ideas arranged in a pyramidal form by simply starting at the top and moving down each leg of the pyïamid. The statement of the major ideas causes the reader to question the writer's basis for making the point, and the next level down in the pyramid answers that question. You thèn continue the question/answer dialogue until yûu have communicated all the idεas to the reader. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART ONE - LOGIC IN WRITING</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The mind automatically sorts information into distinctive pyramidal groupings in order to comprehend it. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Any grouping of ideas is easier to comprehend if it arrives presorted into its pyramid. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This suggests that every written document should be deliberately structured to form a pyramid of ideas. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Magical Number Seven There is a limit to the number of ideas you can comprehend at any one time. It is hard to remember all items in the list:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GRAPES, MILK, POTATOES, EGGS, CARROTS, ORANGES, BUTTER, APPLES, SOUR CREAM. However, it is easier to remember, if it is ordered like a group and now a person needs to remember 3 groups of 3 -4 items per group.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 228px; overflow: hidden; width: 544px;"><img height="228" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/PiOH80TuUsb5dYDPD1i82XhU0eJZE9CGgBzuwk6U4V0-RhC5goC2YGP8pjye-I-LUIlDtASpQ7qjJlcSfziNXlLRLOd7RaKrTLCIvy1lbjMF-DbGIIDxSme_YeGLP1UQ1Skk3Hf7" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="544" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Controlling the sequence in which you present your ideas is the single most important act necessary to clear writing. The clearest sequence is always to give the summarizing idea before you give the individual ideas being summarized. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The clearest written documents will be those that consistently present their inforn1ation from the top down, in a pyramidal structure, even though the original thinking will have been done from the bottom up. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 258px; overflow: hidden; width: 413px;"><img height="258" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DghVvcH3BAtVfp3gBabxGDMbm6MOGxBZrWP0TyZOC9Q8W9dhAjLastmmUCldCyQkcqkMI5zcl5qa53h6ZNM7HsfB0eH0oXTPD5Lmy8ytL5gw3qKH21X0YluVCI8qn0V2bREPZU6O" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="413" /></span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grouping of sentences into a paragraph that brings or reasons out an idea</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grouping paragraphs into a section that brings out a key idea/key line</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grouping of sections to bring out the main theme (a memo).</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They must obey three rules: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Ideas at any level in the pyramid must always be summaries of the ideas grouped below them. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Ideas in each grouping must always be the same kind of idea. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Ideas in each grouping must always be logically ordered.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Essentially it says that there are only four possible logical ways in which to order a set of ideas: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deductively (major premise, minor premise, conclusion) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chronologically (first, second, third) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structurally (Boston, New York, Washington) </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comparatively (first most important, second most important, etc.) </span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If it was formed by reasoning deductively, the ideas go in argument order; </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">if by working out cause-and-effect relationships, in time order; </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">if by commenting on an existing structure, the order dictated by the structure; and </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">if by categorizing, order of importance. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sìnce these four activities- reasoning deductively, working out cause-and-effect relationships, dividing a whole into its parts, and categorizing are the only analytical activities the mind can perform, these are the only orders it can impose. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consequently, you cannot hope just to sit down and start arranging your ideas into a pyramid. You have to discover them first. But the pyramid dictates a set of substructures that can serve to speed the discovery process. These are: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The vertical relationship between points and subpoints </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The horizontal relationship within a set of subpoints </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The narrative flow of the introduction. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you put into each box in the pyramid structure is an idea. I define an idea as a statement that raises a question in the reader's mind because you are telling him something he does not know. (primary purpose in communicating / thinking will always be to tell people what they don’t know). You as the writer are now obliged to answer that question horizontally on the line below. In your answer, however, you will still be telling the reader things he does not know. So you will raise further questions that must again be answered on the line below. You will continue to write, raising and answering questions, until you reach a point at which you judge the reader will have no more logical questions. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In deciding what to say on the line below;v, not only must the points you include answer the question raised by the point above, they must also answer it logically That is, they must present a clear inductive or deductive argument, one or the other, but not both at once. These are the only two types of logical relationships possible in a grouping.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since this history will be in the form of a narrative of events, it should follow the classic narrative pattern of development. That is, it should begin by establishing for the reader the time and place of a Situation. In that situation, something will have occurred (known as the Complication) that caused hirn to raise (or would cause him to raise) the Question to which your document will give him the Answer. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The existence of these three substructures-i.e., the vertical question/answer dialogue, the horizontal deductive or inductive logic, and the narrative introductory flow-helps you discover the ideas you need to build a pyramid. Knowing the vertical relationship, you can determine the kind of message the ideas grouped below must convey (i.e., they must answer the question). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">THE TOP-DOWN APPROACH </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I. Draw a box. This represents the box at the top of your pyramid. Write down in it the subject you are discussing if you know it. If not, move on to step two.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Decide the Question. Visualize your reader. To whom are you writing, and what question do you want to have answered in his mind about the Subject when you have finished writing? State the Question, if you know it, or go on to step four.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Write down the Answer; if you know it, or note that you can answer it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Identify the Situation. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Develop complication</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Recheck the QnA</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 7px; overflow: hidden; width: 17px;"><img height="7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IW9OEcLuQ3CIEEoRE3EdMrnx9W6cxYh5hvJ5uRaUOdbNWlhUyLuZCseK-sJAyRiQ5AxiH_gbxPFB77qyrz8o5GHdL0hW8ah-44uyh-DC5AY0Qw68Tp6qyMiH8IVwKl8hCA5T7SsU" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="17" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 260px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="260" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Nytj6wzqRrmd6SMq4I_vp27_dgJtb-rgvUNK3s_OUsrtSA23GCjvuiY1SRD0uPLkFEIlE-UkkRzlrcLY6bRgX5r3W77QS1e3emajFH6RGYXhBs8W7nQdmBXqwX_EAwhzzqXMOEGl" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions from beginning users of the pyramid. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Always try top-down first. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Use the Situatiol1 as the starting point for thinking through the introduction. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Don't omit to think through the introduction.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Always put historical chronology in the introduction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The body can contain only ideas (i.e., state1nents that raise a question in the reader's mind because they present hints with new thinking) and ideas can relate to each other only logically. This means that you can talk about events only if you are spelling out cause-and-effect relationships since these had to be discovered through analysis.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Limit the introduction to what the reader will agree is true.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Given a choice, use induction rather than a deduction to formulate the argument on the Key Line level.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You want to build on the reader's interest in the subject by telling him a story about it. Every good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. That is, it establishes a situation, introduces a complication, and offers a resolution. The resolution will always be your major point since you always write either to resolve a problen1 or to answer a question already in the reader's 1nind. Psychologically speaking, of course, this approach enables you to tell him things with which you know he will agree, prior to your telling him things with which he may disagree. Easy reading of agreeable points is apt to render him more receptive</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to your ideas than confused plodding through a morass of detaiL</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 260px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="260" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Vxwm1uLR84we4eJly90PcQVoDjEXitr3yJo2grzqMshgSxpGwnjhE8Abby6udEpUS7d0nxwn0pjhDryRh2GAQcd4vSZ9RLzuiRkyfUMPIbAEUV4mhht_kuNqK6F-s_zuEkJvMNU6" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can work out the ideas from the bottom up by following a 3-step process.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">l. List all the points you think you want to make.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Work out the relationships between them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Draw conclusions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why that order?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation-con1plication-solution form of the introduction is essential. Hoverer, the order of the parts can be varied to reflect the tone you want to establish in the document. Following is a basic structure rewritten in four different orders.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Order of SCR can be altered if needed</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Standard- Situation-complication-solution</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Direct - solution-situation-complication</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concerned - complication-situation-solution.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aggressive - question-situation-complication</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember that the Key Line points should be expressed as ideas.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How Long a Story?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How long should an introduction be? How long should a man's legs be? (Long enough to reach the ground.) The introduction should be long enough to ensure that you and the reader are "standing in the same place" before you take him by the hand and lead him through your reasoning.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To emphasize the theory behind writing good introductions:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.. Introductions are meant to remind rather than to inform. This means that nothing should be included that would have to be proved to the reader for him to accept the statement of your points·-i.e., no exhibits.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. The introduction should always contain the three elements of a story. These are the Situation, the Complication, and the Solution. The first three elements need not always be placed in classic narrative order, but they do always need to be included, and they should be woven into story form.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. The length of the introduction depends on the needs of the reader and the demands of the subject.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SOME COMMON PATTERNS</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">note that you generally tend to ·write to answer only one of four questions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I. What should we do7</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. How should we/will we/did we do it?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Should we do it?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Why did it happen?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But let me explain the four patterns I have seen repeated most often in business:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J. Giving direction (What should we do? or How should we do it?)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Seeking approval to spend money (Should we do it?)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Explaining "How to" (How should we do it?)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Choosing among alternatives (What should we do?)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When ask to present alternative 3 options, you state the major reason you selected C and the major reason you dropped both A and B. In some cases, there is no clear alternate option, list each option that prefers alternate objectives (e.g. Option A is good, for steady sales, option b good for quick profits, option c good for labor peace)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deduction presents a line of reasoning that leads to a "therefore" conclusion, and the point above is a summary of that line of reasoning, resting heavily on the final point. Induction defines a group of facts or ideas to be the same kind of thing, and then makes a statement (or inference) about that sameness. The deductive points derive from each other; the inductive points do not.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 246px; overflow: hidden; width: 464px;"><img height="246" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zO8JcIdDa6KBKUvlvM8UZ9NYIj5pV3OqdWNw16qoBUNz3YC3tdoBwm6wO7sEc3bYVlycEJUcJX4reUy2GnAk2amKlhdSc8Az1mfkwhr0zW5C_gykHzunnWioWKtz3BZKAArWVJEI" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="464" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The inductive method is easier for the reader. The deductive method is saying/asking why. But the inductive method is saying ‘how’. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 127px; overflow: hidden; width: 337px;"><img height="127" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pdEQsyXUgOVcLqDmpBSsGRG7txPQDe3GU5nj2elxwHSLGDBM4DaoHLLGjs_lkBAJb7V-vEdFSZaHw1IfMUGjMIlJdHOyH6LJ6MFytLcvVYmXNyX-KZusCPa5F8Df5o25Jt6M1FIV" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="337" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 114px; overflow: hidden; width: 209px;"><img height="114" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZmtgG6rppMouo8Ry4LZA4m-0m8ogfumuafBEcGI8V4ZWDys0Xf16RRkkHfhJ7XNfMC-Kxr5evSGRzYz49gQogVukU7IqL7qY25XcFATKvES--U-obOXel8A_gn9r7CpTCMQcFqQr" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="209" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Problen1 analysis is always deductive. you will have a set of findings and conclusions to support what is going wrong, and another set to support what is causing it. The only rules to bear in mind in chaining deductive argun1ents are that (a) you cannot have more than four points in a deductive argument, and (b) you cannot chain together more than two "therefore" points.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inductive reasoning is much more difficult to do well than is deductive reasoning since it is a more creative activity. In inductive reasoning, the mind notices that several different things (ideas, events, facts) are similar in some way, bring them together in a group, and comment on the significance of their similarity.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">two major skills one must develop to think creatively in the inductive form:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">>Defining the ideas in the grouping</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">>Identifying the misfits among them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The key technique is to find one word that describes the kind of idea in your grouping. This word will always be a plural noun (a) because any "kind of" thing will always be a noun, and (b) because you will always have n1ore than one of the "kind of" ideas in your grouping.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Inductive arguments group similar ideas.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 9px; overflow: hidden; width: 3px;"><img height="9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3T1uv6k0Q3fpnk97ta0Y7_5G1ruFLW_cH3YM-k1Bklk2bfV-UjxYQ9D9f3SLz-2QuvGqzT4IgqbQu5T-vciZ6mVsRQETfqJp5zZO4TGyVcEBGON2cRrOO3C3L6bH8Vj80wImyQD4" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="3" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 147px; overflow: hidden; width: 425px;"><img height="147" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/IFn3X4mm0nUMYuzAlGJSn9K0Q8M2qnwlHjjAao9z2abYMHaOcvZJ9IoNDo78o6iFpwrq2kYZH3kKXGbbexTZneCI7aBD2QPs9yJ9b3qj-_fG8R9Aqz0gXhkEC-FFyN627-cw8I8T" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="425" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In deductive groupings, of course, finding the logical order is no problem, since it is the order imposed by the structure of the argument. In inductive groupings, however, you have a choice of how to order. Thus, you need to know how to make the choice, and how to judge that you have n1ade the right choice.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The mind can perform only three analytical activities of this nature</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. It can determine the causes of an effect.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. It can divide a whole into its parts</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. It can classify like-things together.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time order would seem to be the simplest order of all to understand, for it is certainly the most pervasively used as the basis for a grouping of ideas. Actually, I recommend limiting your groupings to no more than four or five points.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">( For example, to note that of the Ten commandments are "sins against Cod" and some are Sins against man" communicates an insight</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">missed by simply displaying a standard list of the Ten.)</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With any grouping of inductive ideas that you are reviewing for sense, always begin by running your eye quickly down the list. Do you find an order (time, structure, degree)? If not, can you identify the source of the grouping and thus impose one (process, structure, class)? If you have a long list, can you see similarities that allow you to make sub-groupings, and in1pose an order on those? Once you know a grouping of ideas is valid and complete, you are in a position to draw a logical inference from it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the major values of formally summarizing a grouping is that it inevitably stimulates further thinking. Because once you have derived an insight, you are free intellectually to carry it forward in one of two ways:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> By commenting further on it (deduction)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">> By finding others like it (induction)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creating a Structure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you divide a whole into its parts-whether it be a physical whole or a conceptual</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one-you 1nust 1nake sure that the pieces you produce cHe:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mutually exclusive of each other</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Collectively exhaustive in terms of the whole.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 152px; overflow: hidden; width: 357px;"><img height="152" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Z5bQimkHEdcq18zFI8DNWtBBsmDpAW-9OkMjOkHz6JveO86wcBBmKb3FJkQIGwfgZfmxcihLr3ZGzskRres81Y59nYc9SUv2uKCExX3cT8t1tn1xrchIf701OSKjITz-B9QnD-Ks" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="357" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mutually exclusive means that what goes on in the Tire Division is not duplicated in Housewares, and what goes on in Sports Equipment is distinct from both. In other words, no overlaps. Collectively exhaustive means that what goes on in all three divisions is everything that goes on in the Akron Tire and Rubber company. In other words, nothing is left out.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are basically three ways to divide the activities of an organization-by the activities themselves, by the location in which the activities take place or by sets of activities directed to a particular product, market, or equipment.</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you divide to emphasize the activities, they reflect a process and thus go in time order.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you divide to emphasize location, they go in structural order, reflecting the realities of geography</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you divide to emphasize activities relating to a single product/market, you have classified, and thus the ideas go in degree order; by whatever measure you decide is relevant for ranking (e.g., sales, volume, investment size).</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 298px; overflow: hidden; width: 473px;"><img height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dLPbi15n1YJHRqaCEyQ7X6vvg83yl73oZ_pPpoB70PxunWb4sdKKmIIaj03l6cjDRGEhDOoVal0Rnm6hVM_SdL7VKHCzcJ3WVxKq9h8yaI6CvnYB_m-BZOFc8tx_hVoxF_oHQ6Vz" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="473" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The great majority of ideas in business writing are statements of actions </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 5.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">~i.c., </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">statements described by such plural nouns as steps, recommendations, objectives, or changes.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exhibit 30 shows examples of typically vague wordings, each translated into an end-product statement of what the author actually meant</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 315px; overflow: hidden; width: 425px;"><img height="315" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rFdMcUI4AMVQxTg3PcQPjYHj21bIp5ZbpjdlWbmwCeIs9G5gLx_kuLAMQ4ZhZBFn6PzTX_i6F1m9lWzZnYz0PyRNMKUR8jdrC6nJr6fbwMlEPZS0Xsoi9LyGgGjnki-la1JJFF25" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="425" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 61px; overflow: hidden; width: 200px;"><img height="61" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/W0BcMRgRa1m2kMdwpY4g6ryUHp78RT1q82nsILCHM1PFMOCHRlufnbc7W5-fCVZoi2S10v8D3hzXTc6oBj3L2P09dGmmAao32JnZV4vkHqrqmzttF3s5Hj7vnOeEKoS3DflrUbSi" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="200" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> >>></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 98px; overflow: hidden; width: 309px;"><img height="98" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sXjvaNhFrm55dxoZKrPMVG4KQont2T_eKDB_iOlBD8-eXFy-WlRx7yg8W40veX7iUzkzdKpvFl7etzbknSBuLgBCt2RsxoYNOH5MXTsfRe9aeg1-ksZ1rz5hZXGCrXO4WqVNFtS1" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="309" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LOGIC IN PROBLEM-SOLVING</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Problem-oriented documents generally spring front a desire to answer a variation on one of the three most common questions, depending on what is known in advance by the reader:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I! What should we do? (if the solution is not known)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I! Should we do it? (if a solution has been suggested)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I! How should we do it? I How will you do it? (if the solution is known and accepted).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 56px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="56" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sH-gsqw6Z9uWtqT7b_wxBI2CsF5KiBqUtgGNKXrAjiYwrX8gg43uayBq-ZxELVfTJkTA_oOjqxZlkwyoxmG8U7HSdFH557LweDT19EMepEawPh8bEEynmvT4THzv7pAn7r00zPyc" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 693px; overflow: hidden; width: 470px;"><img height="693" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dj4lRVxBbU6n7-Nk34nzASXAlFWLUJfKpMv5_HhSi0GMk2WEWAQr_P1UcnXedfQ-nuy9PstWeaY4oZvcianomrcEkOSACg-7-AC4eJp4wQhtLzq2edEp-GwgKUHR92XQO2ce-zLf" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="470" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Problem analysis generally proceeds in a standard way:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 8pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 43px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="43" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hizkuUMQdN8V251gKYo2jNIdmEDvmqwIWPA4Gv5zFoaM821JIwGI-_Nt4HrWYMDC8yzgRH9HZpQiWKFT7hp0L6TugJ5qOatDFX8-nxgqIRau49OCg7A-K1pz0Y6qgFZoyrnT8ePb" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">from Chapter 6, imposing Logical Order; that there are only three possible ways to structure anything: divide, trace cause and effect, or classify. You use one or more of these techniques in developing a diagnostic framework to get at the likely causes of a problem.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In deciding what to put on individual text slides, you will want to keep these guidelines in mind:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Present and support one idea at a time.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Use statements, not captions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sales outlook VS Sales outlook is favorable. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The latter form leaves no room for the audience to make a wrong assumption about the essence of the point you are making.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:3. Keep the text brief </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try to put no more than about 6 lines or roughly 30 words on a single slide.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Use simple words and numbers.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$4.9 million is easier to grasp than £4,876,987</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Make the type-size readable. The number 32 is a dependable guideline here.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Design the slides to be interesting to look at.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Use "build" slides to heighten interest.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 849px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="849" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KXdfmmdU9HEkUjmY7uGkPXujsZSc3fGsJ-tXcBrkTpI3Q3TIOOAKC4gOZO7aCCosUc8abyS4e-mqWwqweLgkiGIZjDeRGw1VICzxo3O47CPS6Um2zzenjNLvbnr-fV4Qd4XAxVGz" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 460px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="460" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pQ6g0Przv493ipR2Zki1c5WWZFA9OoxDV7Wq1mPnEk7MvokI8Z6GrU9FHnY3uRrEefiKR8xfpBuGEFPrx1R6nfN58DJ9idBWKn6r2p5gXaK9FHw0LDo_WeMMH3AaOlRpAEOQi78O" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 427px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="427" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bcKzWBIlVcCq-286wKsRgAYL_wNB6ziPDKXy5D0SL2wx_waYrdrAIiDy0TggrTPndkD0uYMqR0YHOXaljTZ5dhBARPdir-CX5PYohlC0Jq8ItV5yG-j5rYza_atEwqNOx7jGq7NM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 423px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="423" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EVB1rGqXbs7dHv4-rAh9OS8G-WNdjeSVCJrenVI7cLB7L5yxT2xu_t2GtanvNJedLtqQ3jzcc15YP2osCwzvpemlGKfcxCKvQsmNWNdjNzb3ESFxroLwri3SarodPT_9ymuKSw7V" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 451px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="451" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/DF8l8VBCEh54-lLSeZ46kmHMnNwzREBQg6yHuaiPcD4eqL5q-DDk4tE66AOSi9Bgcw1CsaCIFal3mKjIIEqPOQQKJiTP3fs5EbnNtiqZpUYJ4Hjotx8tbStaSs0jxpOVWN_vGzfX" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 312px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="312" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eE0mALInCrZZmdXoShTBGI1GQdfbCnl4H1eWBvp8wUsN45CIM6b_5F1EZ8FMkMwUbSvoYssxFdWSPg-gpgqQY6faxjesolONfZ9-JFKEDeVXx4AsDUnYA7GwSY2KJuxbNPQkhT59" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 476px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="476" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/tJmt09F97RV2MZbwVBT0NJidFKFbi7oEloQ1VvsFENm_3pV90aaDczIIT8j4rRzmS7e_7CU9nyS6SJ9KaSlNniQRMOUtOj3IcZqz3WF-QT_UxRqFLX4v9YYtNP_hiAHOnF-AwKcj" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 105px; overflow: hidden; width: 260px;"><img height="105" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VcXcwqN51-dHRt7rEeBWZN6NhdeL6dD3-AJNmWozr5rcEErTG9p4Lj_93YbfI4_gW4IT-s2GSAzyurGIHaW94sITXybxWCOIgHGzOA0Zf2zqkzRDJ9filjfol3q8nS5swaYyZcgh" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="260" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 276px; overflow: hidden; width: 545px;"><img height="276" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GX-3CblSiRYSszZsdVVXt4nJLu8IKMilK8hizn5aFt1BA7-1RydJz62U_P5G4AltIuUpyE359f9P3bLTZrQ70zpoqTqVMHcPH2J4gs5zNMHJHwV-EQjyRBty6GGLaCRMgwZRe3kX" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="545" /></span></span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 7.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 510px; overflow: hidden; width: 547px;"><img height="510" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/z4sfhDDVlzvpVbTb038441tr-7VpeMTv68Uqd3VddCxuSxaBdZut4rkdGAJ4n_Bu4pZRyv68RH_Ky1xxGS8kmBB_0d3nlLGu43mHmKX_iDDaFwZGmTATOuPPCqupgllCMjVf0zP-" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="547" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.edgef.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Pyramid-Principle-Cliff-Notes-PPT.pdf</span></p><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-71829591891071719662021-12-13T21:04:00.001-05:002021-12-13T21:04:13.402-05:00 The Elements of Style BY Oliver Strunk <p><b> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Elements of Style BY Oliver Strunk </span></b></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3dd37a41-7fff-396d-8446-82262c61154f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elementary Rules of Usage </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write, Charles's friend </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thus write, red, white, and blue, gold, silver, or copper </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Do not join independent clauses with a comma </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mary Shelley's works are entertaining; they are full of engaging ideas. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Do not break sentences in two. </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In other words, do not use periods for commas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I met them on a Cunard liner many years ago. Coming home from Liverpool to New York. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was an interesting talker. A woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In both these examples, the first period should be replaced by a comma and the following word begun with a small letter. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your dedicated whittler requires: a knife, a piece of wood, and a back porch. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His first thought on getting out of bed — if he had any thought at all — was to get back in again. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rear axle began to make a noise — a grinding, chattering, teeth-gritting rasp. </span></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. The number of the subject determines the number of the verb. </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="375"></col><col width="219"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 31.5pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Words that intervene between subject and verb do not affect the number of the verb. The bittersweet flavor of youth — its trials, its joys, its adventures, its challenges — are not soon forgotten. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The bittersweet flavor of youth — its trials, its joys, its adventures, its challenges — is not soon forgotten. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="449"></col><col width="145"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 31.5pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A common blunder is the use of a singular verb form in a relative clause following "one of..." or a similar expression when the relative is the subject. One of the ablest scientists who has attacked this problem </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the ablest scientists who have attacked this problem </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 18pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of those people who is never ready on time </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of those people who are never ready on time </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use a singular verb form after each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody thinks he has a unique sense of humor. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although both clocks strike cheerfully, neither keeps good time. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With none, use the singular verb when the word means "no one" or "not one." </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None of us is perfect. </span></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A plural verb is commonly used when none suggests more than one thing or person. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">None of us are perfect. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But certain compounds, often cliches, are so inseparable they are considered a unit and so take a singular verb, as do compound subjects qualified by each or every. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The long and the short of it is ... </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bread and butter was all she served. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give and take is essential to a happy household. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every window, picture, and mirror was smashed. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Use the proper case of pronoun. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The personal pronouns, as well as the pronoun who, change form as they function as subjects or objects. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Walking slowly down the road, he saw a woman accompanied by two children. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The word walking refers to the subject of the sentence, not to the woman. To make it refer to the woman, the writer must recast the sentence. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He saw a woman, accompanied by two children, walking slowly down the road. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Elementary Principles of Composition </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12. Choose a suitable design and hold to it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13. Make the paragraph the unit of composition. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">14. Use the active voice </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15. Put statements in positive form. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion. </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="354"></col><col width="229"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was not very often on time. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He usually came late. </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible way to use one's time. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She thought the study of Latin a waste of time. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hence, as a rule, it is better to express even a negative in a positive form. </span></p><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="163"></col><col width="58"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 12pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not honest </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">dishonest </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not important </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">trifling </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">did not remember </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">forgot </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">did not pay any attention to </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ignored </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">did not have much confidence in </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">distrusted </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Placing negative and positive in opposition makes for a stronger structure. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not charity, but simple justice. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Negative words other than not are usually strong. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-left: 27pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her loveliness I never knew / Until she smiled on me. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statements qualified with unnecessary auxiliaries or conditionals sound irresolute. If your every sentence admits a doubt, your writing will lack authority. Save the auxiliaries would, should, could, may, might, and can for situations involving real uncertainty. </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="301"></col><col width="293"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 18pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you would let us know the time of your arrival, we would be happy to arrange your transportation from the airport. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you will let us know the time of your arrival, we shall be happy to arrange your transportation from the airport. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">16. Use definite, specific, concrete language. </span></p><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="473"></col><col width="121"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 20.25pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. A period of unfavorable weather set in. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It rained every day for a week. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17. Omit needless words </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vigorous writing is concise. Many expressions in common use violate this principle. </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="133"></col><col width="156"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the question as to whether </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span>whether (the question whether) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there is no doubt but that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">no doubt (doubtless) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">used for fuel purposes </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">used for fuel </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he is a man who </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in a hasty manner </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hastily </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this is a subject that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this subject </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her story is a strange one. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her story is strange. </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the reason why is that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">because </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="168"></col><col width="171"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">owing to the fact that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">since (because) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in spite of the fact that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">though (although) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">call your attention to the fact that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">remind you (notify you) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was unaware of the fact that </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was unaware that (did not know) </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the fact that he had not succeeded </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">his failure </span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the fact that I had arrived </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my arrival </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18. Avoid a succession of loose sentences. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19. Express coordinate ideas in similar form </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions similar in content and function be outwardly similar. The likeness of form enables the reader to recognize more readily the likeness of content and function. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20. Keep related words together. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The position of the words in a sentence is the principal means of showing their relationship. Confusion and ambiguity result when words are badly placed. </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="296"></col><col width="256"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 9pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He noticed a large stain in the rug that was right in the center. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He noticed a large stain right in the center of the rug. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21. In summaries, keep to one tense. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">22. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end </span></p><br /><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="309"></col><col width="285"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 18pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways. </span></p></td><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 0pt 4pt 0pt 4pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since that time, humanity has advanced in many ways, but it has hardly advanced in fortitude. </span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>An Approach to Style </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Place yourself in the background. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write in a way that draws the reader's attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the author. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Write in a way that comes naturally. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write in a way that comes easily and naturally to you, using words and phrases that come readily to hand. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Work from a suitable design. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before beginning to compose something, gauge the nature and extent of the enterprise and work from a suitable design. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Write with nouns and verbs. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Revise and rewrite. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Revising is part of writing </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Do not overwrite. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Do not overstate. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you overstate, readers will be instantly on guard, and everything that has preceded your overstatement as well as everything that follows it will be suspect in their minds because they have lost confidence in your judgment or your poise. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Avoid the use of qualifiers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rather, very, little, pretty — these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Do not affect a breezy manner </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This, although conventional, is compact, informative, unpretentious. The writer has dug up an item of news and presented it in a straightforward manner. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Use orthodox spelling. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In ordinary composition, use orthodox spelling. Do not write nite for night, thru for through, pleez for please, unless you plan to introduce a complete system of simplified spelling and are prepared to take the consequences. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11. Do not explain too much. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is seldom advisable to tell all. Be sparing </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12. Do not construct awkward adverbs. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adverbs are easy to build. Take an adjective or a participle, add -ly, and behold! you have an adverb. But you'd probably be better off without it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dialogue is a total loss unless you indicate who the speaker is. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">14. Avoid fancy words. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15. Do not use dialect unless your ear is good. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not attempt to use dialect unless you are a devoted student of the tongue you hope to reproduce. If you use dialect, be consistent. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">16. Be clear. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clarity is not the prize in writing, nor is it always the principal mark of a good style. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">17. Do not inject opinion. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unless there is a good reason for its being there, do not inject opinion into a piece of writing. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">18. Use figures of speech sparingly. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The simile is a common device and a useful one, but similes coming in rapid-fire, one right on top of another, are more distracting than illuminating. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do not use initials for the names of organizations or movements unless you are certain the initials will be readily understood. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20. Avoid foreign languages. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The writer will occasionally find it convenient or necessary to borrow from other languages </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 4pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Young writers will be drawn at every turn toward eccentricities in language </span></p><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-48214400265023888202021-12-11T19:48:00.000-05:002021-12-11T19:48:12.580-05:00<p><span style="font-family: courier;">Writing That Works by Kenmeth Roman and Joel Raphaelson</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Make the organization of your writing clear</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">End with a summary. And keep in mind that a summary is not a conclusion. Your summary </span><span style="font-family: courier;">should introduce no new ideas; it should summarize, as briefly as possible, the most important </span><span style="font-family: courier;">points you have made.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Use short paragraphs, short sentences — and short words</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Prefer this… …<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>to this</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Now <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Currently</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Start <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>initiate</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Show <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Indicate</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Finish <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Finalize</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Speed up, move along <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Expedite</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Use <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Utilize</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Place, put <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Position</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Make your writing active — and personal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Good writers choose the active voice over the passive voice whenever possible — and it’s </span><span style="font-family: courier;">possible most of the time. Active verbs add energy to your writing. That’s why they’re called </span><span style="font-family: courier;">active.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Passive, impersonal </span><span style="font-family: courier; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;">Active, personal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It is recommended <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We recommend</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">He should be told <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Get Alice to tell him</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It is respectfully requested that you send a representative to our conference.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">All of us here hope that you’ll send a representative Won’t you please send a </span><span style="font-family: courier;">representative …</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Avoid vague adjectives and adverbs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Vague <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Precise</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Very overspent <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Overspent by $10,000</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Slightly behind schedule <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One day late</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Use down-to-earth language</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Buzzword <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Down-to-earth</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">To interface Discuss, <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>meet, work with</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">To impact <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To affect, to do to</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Modality <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Style, method</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Resource constrained <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not enough people(or money)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Incent <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Motivate</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Skill set <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Skills, abilities</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Solution set <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Solutions</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Resultful <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Effective, achieve results</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Meaningful <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Real, actual, tangible</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Judgmentally <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I think</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Net net <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Conclusion</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Suboptimal <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Less than ideal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Push the envelope <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Test the limits</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Scope down (from microscope) <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Look at more closely</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Scope out (from telescope) <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Take a long view</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Workshopping <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Trying out, working on</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Be specific</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Our adult program was a great success. We attracted more students from more places </span><span style="font-family: courier;">than ever before.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">>>>>Our enrollment doubled to 560. Students came from Wyoming and twenty-seven other </span><span style="font-family: courier;">states, and from Germany and Canada.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">7. Choose the right word</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">8. Make it perfect</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">No typos, no misspellings, no errors in numbers or dates.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">9. Come to the point</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">10. Write simply and naturally — the way (we hope) you talk</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Stiff <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Natural</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The reasons are fourfold <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There are four reasons</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Importantly <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The important point is</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Visitation <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Visit</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">11. Strike out words you don’t need</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Don’t write <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Write</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Advance plan <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Plan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Take action <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Act</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Equally as <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Equally</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Hold a meeting <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Meet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Study in depth <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Study</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">New innovations <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Innovations</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Consensus of opinion <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Consensus</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">At this point in time <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Now</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Until such time as <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Until</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">In the majority of instances <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In most cases, usually</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">On a local basis <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Locally</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Basically unaware of <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Did not know</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The overall plan <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The plan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">In the area of <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Roughly</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">With regard to <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>About</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">In view of, on the basis of <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Because</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">In the event of <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">For the purpose of, in order to <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Despite the fact that <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Although</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Inasmuch as <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Since</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">13. Don’t write like a lawyer or a bureaucrat</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">14. Keep in mind what your reader doesn’t know</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Watch your abbreviations. Will they be an indecipherable code to some readers?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">15. Punctuate carefully</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Most dictionaries offer lucid help on common problems of punctuation, such as the </span><span style="font-family: courier;">difference between a colon and a semicolon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">16. Understate rather than overstate</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Never exaggerate, unless you do so overtly to achieve an effect, and not to deceive.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">17. Write so that you cannot be misunderstood</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">18. Use plain English even on technical subjects</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">ow to Write Effective E-Mail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Make the subject heading clear — and compelling</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Cut to the point</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Avoid e-mail tag</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It’s forgetting to set the context that causes so much e-mail tag. If the writer sends a message </span><span style="font-family: courier;">and the reader has to ask for clarification, the e-mail points of contact have been doubled. Be clear about the purpose of your message. What do you want the reader to do? If you expect a response, you may want to set a deadline so that the response is not at the reader’s inclination, which maybe never.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Set the right tone of voice</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to Write a Memo</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Put a title on every memo</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Address memos only to the person who must take action</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Make your structure obvious</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. End with a call to action</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Send handwritten notes</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Be careful with humor — or anger</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to Write a Business Letter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Get the name and address right</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Think carefully about the salutation</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Consider beginning with a title</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Make your first sentence work hard</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Stop when you’re through</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Be specific about the next steps</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">7. Use an appropriate sign-off</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to Handle Some Common Kinds of Letters</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Letters that ask for something</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Says what we want and that we’ll pay</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Explains why</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Thanks!</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to say no</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Seriously considers reader’s request, gives full reasons for turning it down </span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Even the turndown is sympathetic</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Leaves door open</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to answer complaints</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Accepts the complaint at face value</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Says what he’s going to do about it</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Apologizes</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Asks for continued business</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The logic of business communication</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">The format carries the audience on a flow of logic:</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Objective</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Background</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Facts</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Conclusions</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Recommendations</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Next steps</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to Organize a Presentation</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Keep things simple — keep them on target</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Tell your audience where you’re going</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Talk about them, not about us</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Think headlines, not labels</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Involve the audience</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Finish strong</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Speeches That Make a Point</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Frame the subject with a point of view</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Start fast</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Write your speech to be spoken</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Leave them thinking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. No speech was ever too short</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">How to Write a Report</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Make it clear why you’re writing the report</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Give your report a structure</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Purpose — why the reader should pay attention</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Summary — no surprise endings</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Findings — what facts can you marshal?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Conclusions — what patterns do you see?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Recommendations — what action do you propose?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Next steps — costs, timing, issues to be resolved</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. State the facts fully and accurately</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Separate opinion from fact</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Recommendations That Persuade</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Think of it as selling — not as presenting</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Tell people where you are going</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Lead people through with headings</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Recommend — and do it early</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Emphasize the benefits of your recommendation</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">What the pros do</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Get people to open the envelope</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">ADVANCE NOTICE</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">PLEASE OPEN AT ONCE: DATED MATERIALS INSIDE</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">WE HAVE A FREE GIFT FOR YOU</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">RECEIVE FOUR ISSUES FREE</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">7.8% INTEREST ON AND ON (</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Find the audience, then the message</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Favor long letters over short ones</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Most amateurs assume people won’t read more than a page or two at most. The fact is that long letters generally pull better than short ones — if you:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Grab the reader’s attention at the beginning</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Load the letter with relevant facts</span></li><li><span style="font-family: courier;">Have an attractive offer</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Make it inviting to read</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Don’t let the reader off the hook</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Writing a Resume — and Getting an Interview</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Summarize what you have to offer (or what you want)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Think about the reader</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Identify the sort of job you’re looking for</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Pique the interest of the reader</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Address an individual, never a title by itself</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Be specific and factual</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Be personal, direct, and natural</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">7. Propose a specific next step</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">8. Send different letters to different readers</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">9. Follow up an interview in writing</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Making It Easy to Read</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">1. Start with a heading</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">2. Keep paragraphs short</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">3. Use typographic devices for clarity and emphasis</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">To stress key ideas, put them into indented paragraphs. This emphasizes them by setting them apart. Italics can add even greater emphasis</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">4. Numbered, lettered, or bulleted points help your reader follow your thinking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">5. Use uppercase and lowercase.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">6. Break up large masses of type</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">7. Use space to separate paragraphs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">8. Handle numbers consistently</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">9. Make charts easy to handle — and interesting</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">10. Number your pages, even in early drafts</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-88354227529604939992021-12-10T19:37:00.001-05:002021-12-10T19:37:41.675-05:00This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth<p><span style="font-family: courier;">This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">[This book is about cyber attacks/hacks carried out by state-nation globally]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">For years classified national intelligence estimates considered Russia and China to be America’s most formidable adversaries in the cyber realm. China sucked up most of the oxygen, not so much for its sophistication but simply because its hackers were so prolific at stealing American trade secrets. The former director of the NSA, Keith Alexander, famously called Chinese cyber espionage the greatest transfer of wealth in history. The Chinese were stealing every bit of American intellectual property worth stealing and handing it to their state-owned enterprises to imitate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Russians had used the NSA’s stolen code as a rocket to propel its malware around the globe. The hack that circled the world would cost Merck and FedEx, alone, $1 billion. On June 27, 2017, Russia fired the NSA’s cyber weapons into Ukraine in what became the most destructive and costly cyberattack in world history. By the time I visited Kyiv in 2019, the tally of damages from that single Russian attack exceeded $10 billion, and estimates were still climbing. Shipping and railway systems had still not regained full capacity. All over Ukraine, people were still trying to find packages that had been lost when the shipment tracking systems went down. They were still owed pension checks that had been held up in the attack. The records of who was owed what had been obliterated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The biggest secret in cyberwar—the one our adversaries now know all too well—is that the same nation that maintains the greatest offensive cyber advantage on earth is also among its most vulnerable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It was also clear that the NSA didn’t need to crack those encryption algorithms when it had acquired so many ways to hack around them. The NSA successfully convinced Canadian bureaucrats to advocate for a flawed formula for generating the random numbers in encryption schemes that NSA computers could easily crack. The agency was even paying major American security companies, like RSA, to make its flawed formula for generating random numbers the default encryption method for widely used security products. When paying companies off didn’t do the trick, the NSA’s partners at the CIA infiltrated the factory floors at the world’s leading encryption chip makers and put backdoors into the chips that scrambled data. And in other cases still, the agency hacked its way into the internal servers at companies like Google and Yahoo to grab data before it was encrypted. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The documents were littered with references to NSA backdoors in nearly every piece of commercial hardware and software on the market. The agency appeared to have acquired a vast library of invisible backdoors into almost every major app, social media platform, server, router, firewall, antivirus software, iPhone, Android phone, BlackBerry phone, laptop, desktop, and operating system.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Zero-days are the most critical tool in a hacker’s arsenal. Discovering one is like discovering the secret password to the world’s data. A first-rate zero-day in Apple’s mobile software allows spies and hackers with the requisite skills to exploit it, to remotely break into iPhones undetected, and glean access to every minutia of our digital lives. A series of seven zero-day exploits in Microsoft Windows and Siemens’ industrial software allowed American and Israeli spies to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. Chinese spies used a single Microsoft zero-day to steal some of Silicon Valley’s most closely held source code. In the United States, government hackers and spies hoarded zero-days for the sake of espionage, or in the event, they might need to do what the Pentagon calls D5—deny, degrade, disrupt, deceive, or destroy—an adversary’s critical infrastructure in the event of war one day. Zero-days had become a critical component of American espionage and war planning. Government spies determined the best way to guarantee long-term access to data was a zero-day exploit. They were willing to pay hackers far more for that access And once they shelled out six figures for those zero-days, they weren’t about to blow their investment and access by disclosing the flaw’s existence to anyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Different agencies all wanted ways into the same systems, which played well from a bottom-line perspective, but not so much from the American taxpayer’s. His company was selling the same zero-day exploits two, three, four, times over to different agencies. The money provided plenty of incentive. In the mid-1990s, government agencies paid contractors roughly $1 million for a set of ten zero-day exploits.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">With the breakup of the Soviet Union, you had a lot of people with skills, without jobs, Sabien explained. But the most talented hackers, he told me, were based in Israel, many of them veterans of Israel’s Unit 8200.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">There was one well-known exploit in HP printers that for years, Sabien told me, was utilized by government agencies all over the world. The exploit allowed anyone with knowledge of its existence to scrape any files that passed through HP’s printers and offered spies a foothold in their target’s network, where IT administrators would least suspect.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">From its founding in 1952, the nation’s preeminent spy agency, the NSA—No Such Agency or Never Say Anything, in the old joke—was America’s chief eavesdropper and codebreaker. For the NSA’s first three decades, the agency’s sole mission was snatching intelligence as it flew through the atmosphere. At Fort Meade thousands of brilliant PhDs, mathematicians, and codebreakers would cull through messages, decrypting, translating, and analyzing them for critical nuggets that informed America’s next move in the Cold War.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It was no longer the case that Americans used one set of typewriters, while our adversaries used another. Thanks to globalization, we now all rely on the same technology. A zero-day exploit in the NSA’s arsenal could not be tailored to affect only a Pakistani intelligence official or an al-Qaeda operative. American citizens, businesses, and critical infrastructure would also be vulnerable if that zero-day were to come into the hands of a foreign power, cybercriminal, or rogue hacker.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Increasingly, the only way to acquire the same capabilities the agency once developed in-house was to buy them from hackers and contractors. And once the intel agencies started allocating more of their budgets for zero-day exploits and attack tools off the private market, there was even less incentive to turn over the underlying zero-day flaws to vendors for patching. Instead, they started upping the classification levels and secrecy around these programs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">A highly secretive Israeli spyware company called NSO Group that I had only heard of in passing whispers. NSO did not have a corporate website. I could find only a passing mention of it in a single entry on Israel’s Ministry of Defense website, in which the company claimed to have developed cutting-edge spyware.NSO’s surveillance technology was originally developed by graduates of Israel’s Intelligence Unit 8200. What NSO offered law enforcement was a powerful workaround, a tool to keep from going blind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">By hacking the endpoints of the communication—the phones themselves—NSO’s technology gave authorities access to data before and after it was encrypted on their target’s device. They called the tool Pegasus, and like the mythological winged horse it was named for, it could do the seemingly impossible: capture vast amounts of previously inaccessible data—phone calls, text messages, email, contacts, calendar appointments, GPS location data, Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype conversations—from the air without leaving a trace. Pegasus could even do what NSO called room tap: gather sounds and snapshots in and around the room using the phone’s microphone and video camera. It could deny targets access to certain websites and applications, grab screenshots off their phones, and record their every search and browsing activity. The leaked contracts showed that NSO had already sold tens of millions of dollars worth of hardware, software, and interception capabilities to two eager customers in Mexico and the UAE, and were now marketing Pegasus to other customers in Europe and the Middle East.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It appeared that NSO was the one company in this space that still managed to keep a low profile, even as its spyware was clearly some of the best on the market. NSO’s prices alone were a good sign that the Israelis’ spyware was top-shelf; the company was now charging double Hacking Team’s asking price. They charged a flat $500,000 installation fee, then another $650,000 to hack just ten iPhones or ten Android phones. Their clients could hack an additional hundred targets for $800,000; fifty extra targets cost $500,000; twenty, $250,000; and ten extra cost $150,000. But what this got you, NSO told customers, was priceless: you could remotely and covertly collect information about your target’s relationships, location, phone calls, plans, and activities—whenever and wherever they are. And, their brochures promised, Pegasus was a ghost that leaves no traces whatsoever.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Legion Yankee was among the murkiest—and most prolific—of the more than two dozen Chinese hacking groups that NSA hackers tracked, as they raided the intellectual property, military secrets, and correspondence from American government agencies, think tanks, universities, and now the country’s most vibrant technology companies.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Chinese cyber theft took two tacks. The majority of hacking crusades were conducted by China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Second and Third Departments. It was clear from their targets that various PLA units were assigned to hack foreign governments and ministries in specific geographic locales or to steal intellectual property in distinct industries that benefited China’s state-owned enterprises and economic plans. The other approach was less direct and more episodic. Increasingly, high-ranking Chinese officials at China’s Ministry of State Security started outsourcing attacks on high-profile targets—political dissidents like the Dalai Lama, Uighur and Tibetan ethnic minorities, and high-profile defense contractors in the United States—to freelance hackers at Chinese universities and internet companies.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The state identified these hackers for their skills, which often far exceeded those of their PLA counterparts. Plus, if anyone ever traced back the attacks to these individuals, Beijing could claim ignorance. It was Putin’s playbook through and through. The Kremlin had successfully outsourced cyberattacks to Russian cybercriminals for years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">No American company had ever publicly called out Beijing for a cyberattack, even as Chinese hackers were pillaging American intellectual property in what Keith Alexander, the NSA director at the time, later called the greatest transfer of wealth in history. Three years after Google’s attack, James Comey, then head of the FBI, put it this way: There are two kinds of big companies in the United States. There are those who’ve been hacked by the Chinese, and those who don’t know they’ve been hacked by the Chinese.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Guardian dropped Snowden’s first NSA leaks that month, detailing an NSA program called Prism. One NSA slide appeared to show that Microsoft, and the other tech companies, gave the NSA direct access to their servers. Some leaks described Prism as a team sport between the tech companies, the NSA, the FBI, and the CIA. The trust that Microsoft had spent years building was in danger of evaporating. It started bleeding customers, ranging from Germans, who likened Prism to the Stasi, to the entire government of Brazil. Foreigners demanded that they move their data centers overseas, where—the illusion went—their data would be safe from the prying eyes of the U.S. government. Analysts projected that U.S. tech companies could lose a quarter of their revenues over the next few years to foreign competitors in Europe and South America. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The U.S. Office of Personnel Management—the very agency that stores the most sensitive data for the one million or so federal employees and contractors, including detailed personal, financial, and medical histories, Social Security numbers, even fingerprints—revealed that it had been hacked by Chinese hackers on a scale the government had never seen before. The Chinese had been inside OPM’s systems for more than a year by the time they were discovered in 2015.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">For years, I’d heard some of the best exploits on the market hailed from Argentina. Every year small teams of college students from over a hundred countries convene at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), the oldest and most prestigious contest of its kind. Two decades ago, American teams from Berkeley, Harvard, and MIT dominated the top ten finalists. These days the winners were Russian, Polish, Chinese, South Korean, and Taiwanese. In 2019 a team from Iran beat Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton, which didn’t even break into the top twenty. America’s pool of cyber talent was shrinking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">We arrived in one piece at an old open-air oil factory on the outskirts of town. More than a thousand young Argentine hackers were lined up around the block. Some looked as young as thirteen, like teenagers at the skate park. Interspersed among them were foreigners—some Asian, some European or American, several Middle Easterners. They were here to recruit, perhaps, or broker the latest and greatest in Argentine spy code. Ekoparty (Latin America’s largest hacking conference) was a mecca for hackers all over South America, and more recently zero-day brokers who came from all over the world in search of digital blood diamonds. This was my best chance of glimpsing the world’s new exploit labor market. The agenda listed hacks of encrypted medical devices to e-voting systems, cars, app stores, Androids, PCs, and the Cisco and SAP business apps that could enable attackers to take remote control of computers at the world’s biggest multinationals and government agencies. The United States still had the biggest offensive cyber budgets, but compared to conventional weapons, exploits were cheap. Foreign governments were now willing to match American prices for the best zero-days and cyberweaponry. The Middle East’s oil-rich monarchies would pay just about anything to monitor their critics. And in Iran and North Korea, which could never match the United States in conventional warfare, leaders saw cyber as their last hope of leveling the playing field. If the NSOs, Zerodiums, and Hacking Teams of the world wouldn’t sell them their wares, well, they could just hop on a plane to Buenos Aires.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Three years after the United States and the Israelis reached across Iran’s borders and destroyed its centrifuges, Iran launched a retaliatory attack, the most destructive cyberattack the world had seen to date. On August 15, 2012, Iranian hackers hit Saudi Aramco, the world’s richest oil company—a company worth more than five Apples on paper—with malware that demolished thirty thousand of its computers, wiped its data and replaced it all with the image of the burning American flag. All the money in the world had not kept Iranian hackers from getting into Aramco’s systems. Iran’s hackers had waited until the eve of Islam’s holiest night of the year—The Night of Power, when Saudis were home celebrating the revelation of the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad, to flip a kill switch and detonate malware that not only destroyed Aramco’s computers, data, and access to email and internet but upended the global market for hard drives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">What oil is to the Saudis, so finance is to the American economy. A little more than a month after the Aramco attacks, Iranian hackers put U.S. banks in their crosshairs. Executives at Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Fifth Third Bank, Capital One, and the New York Stock Exchange could only watch helplessly as, one by one, their banking sites crumbled or were forced offline by a deluge of Iranian internet traffic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Most of the US infrastructure is in private hands, Michael Chertoff, the former secretary of homeland security, told me at the time. The government is not going to be able to manage this like the air traffic control system. Just a few months earlier, Panetta had delivered the first major warning of a cyberattack by a U.S. defense secretary, an attack he said would be as destructive as the terrorist attack of 9/11. America was once again in a pre 9/11 moment: An aggressor nation or extremist group could use these kinds of cyber tools to gain control of critical switches, Panetta told an audience on the USS Intrepid in New York. They could derail passenger trains, or even more dangerous, derail passenger trains loaded with lethal chemicals. They could contaminate the water supply in major cities or shut down the power grid across large parts of the country.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">By now, Russian hackers were so deeply embedded in the American grid and critical infrastructure, they were only one step from taking everything down. This was Putin’s way of signaling the United States. If Washington intervened further in Ukraine, if it pulled off a Stuxnet-like attack in Russia, they would take us down. Our grid was no less vulnerable than Ukraine’s; the only difference is we were far more connected, far more dependent, and in far greater denial.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">And there they were: the crown jewels, the code for twenty of the NSA’s most coveted zero-day exploits, exploits they had spent months building and honing, tools that netted the best counterintelligence the agency could get. But these weren’t just espionage tools, they had the power to inflict incalculable destruction. Some of the exploits were wormable, meaning that anyone could pick them up and bolt-on code that would self-replicate malware around the world. The cyberweapon of mass destruction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The NSA, meanwhile, had been shaken to its core. The agency regarded as the world’s leader in breaking into foreign computer networks had failed to protect its own As hackers and security experts began to parse through the latest leaks, one TAO exploits stood above the rest: EternalBlue, the exploit that could invisibly penetrate millions upon millions of Windows machines and leave barely a speck of digital dust behind. When researchers scanned the web, tens of thousands of infected machines the world over pinged back. Now, with the NSA’s tools in everyone’s hands, the number of infected systems would explode. One week later, the number of infected machines topped 100,000. Two weeks later, 400,000 victims were infected.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Three years after the NSA lost control of its tools, the long tail of EternalBlue was everywhere. The underlying Microsoft bugs were no longer zero-days—a Microsoft patch had been available for two years—and yet EternalBlue had become a permanent feature in cyberattacks on American towns, cities, and universities, where local IT administrators oversee tangled, cross-woven networks made up of older, expired software that stopped getting patched long ago. Not a day went by in 2019, Microsoft’s security engineers told me when they did not encounter the NSA’s cyberweapons in a new attack. As it turned out, the shadow of the NSA’s stolen exploits was longer and stranger than any of us knew. Months before the Shadow Brokers first leaked the NSA’s tools in 2016—and more than one year before North Korea and Russia used them to wreak global havoc—China had discovered the NSA’s exploits on their own systems, snatched them, and used them for their own stealth attacks. It took three years for anyone to sort this out. If the NSA knew China was hacking American allies using its tools, that intelligence never made it into the hallowed halls of the VEP, where deliberators might have seized the opportunity to get the bugs fixed long before the Shadow Brokers, North Korea, or Russia could use them for chaos.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">By 2019, ransomware attacks were generating billions of dollars for Russian cybercriminals and were becoming more lucrative. Even as cybercriminals raised their ransom demands to unlock victims’ data from three figures to six, to millions of dollars, local officials—and their insurers—calculated it was still cheaper to pay their digital extortionists than to rebuild their systems and data from scratch. The ransomware industry was booming and—with all that loot pouring into Russia—intelligence officials found it inconceivable that the Kremlin was not aware of, exploiting, or coercing criminals’ access for their own political ends.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">As of this writing, foreign states and cybercriminals are hitting American networks from so many sides that, from my quarantined perch, it has become nearly impossible to keep track. </span><span style="font-family: courier;">Our adversaries are basically seeing that we have systems of interest that are vulnerable. The tools to exploit them have been thrown in their lap, and they’re willing to take some modest level of risk to use them because of the anonymity of the internet. You’re only going to see a growing level of these attacks as time goes on.</span></p><div><br /></div>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-22590267084865759822021-11-29T20:46:00.001-05:002021-11-29T20:46:18.881-05:00The World For Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources by Javier Blas & Jack Farchy<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a0da654a-7fff-177e-aa81-d0c1c01a7be7"><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.54286; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 6pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The World For Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources by</span> <span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Javier Blas & Jack Farchy</span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little noticed and little scrutinized, commodity traders have become essential cogs in the modern economy. the commodity traders’ control over the flow of the world’s strategic resources has also made them powerful political actors. To grasp the interplay of money and power in the modern world, to see how oil and metals flow out of resource-rich countries and cash flows into the pockets of tycoons and kleptocrats, you need to understand the commodity traders. They usually say they are apolitical, motivated by profit rather than the pursuit of power. But there is little doubt that, as Vitol’s deals with Libya’s rebels show, they have shaped history. They are the last swashbucklers of global capitalism: willing to do business where other companies don’t dare set foot, thriving through a mixture of ruthlessness and personal charm.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A large share of the world’s traded resources is handled by just a few companies, many of them owned by just a few people. The five largest oil trading houses handle 24 million barrels a day of crude and refined products, such as gasoline and jet fuel, equivalent to almost a quarter of the world’s petroleum demand. The seven leading agricultural traders handle just under half of the world’s grains and oilseeds. Glencore, the largest metals trader, accounts for a third of the world’s supply of cobalt, a crucial raw material for electric vehicles. Today, Glencore is the largest metals trader, a top-three oil trader, and the world’s largest wheat trader. In agriculture, Cargill is king. The US company, the world’s largest trader of grains, carries itself with the quiet self-assurance of the generations of Midwest wealth on which it was built</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the most part, the commodity traders are privately owned companies, with less obligation to disclose information about their activities than their publicly listed counterparts. Many have traditionally viewed their superior access to information as a competitive edge – and so have gone to great lengths to avoid giving out any information about themselves. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The focus of this book is the companies and individuals whose business is buying and selling physical commodities. It is they who control the flow of natural resources around the world; it is in their hands that an almost unique type of political and economic power is concentrated. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not just on gender diversity that the commodity traders fall down: their upper echelons are not only overwhelmingly male but also overwhelmingly white.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The basic business of the commodity traders is disarmingly simple: buy natural resources in one place and time, and sell them at another – hopefully making a profit in the process. Their role exists because the supply and demand of commodities often don’t match. The commodity traders are arbitragers par excellence, trying to exploit a series of differences in prices. By exploiting these price differences, they help to make markets more efficient, directing resources to their highest-value uses in response to price signals. They are, in the words of one academic, the visible manifestation of Adam Smith’s invisible hand</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Commodity traders' tale offers an insight into how the modern world works – a world where the market is king, where international enterprises seem able to shrug off almost all attempts at regulation, and where titans of global finance hold more power than some elected politicians.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the center of this book’s story are four developments that molded the global economy in the commodity traders’ favor. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first was the opening up of markets that had previously been tightly controlled – above all, oil. The dominance of the large oil companies, known as the ‘Seven Sisters’, was loosened by the wave of nationalizations that swept the countries of the Middle East in the 1970s.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which, at a stroke, redrew a global network of economic relationships and political allegiances. </span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The third was the spectacular economic growth of China in the first decade of this century. As the Chinese economy industrialized, it created enormous new demand for commodities. </span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fourth was the financialization of the global economy and the growth of the banking sector, beginning in the 1980s. suddenly the modern traders could use borrowed money and bank guarantees, enabling them to trade in much larger quantities and to marshal much larger sums of money.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the reasons the activities of the commodity traders have escaped oversight for so long is that they operate in the most opaque corners of the international financial system. The commodities they transport are often to be found on the high seas, beyond the scope of any national regulator; they typically trade through shell companies in offshore jurisdictions; and the traders have based themselves in places like Switzerland or Singapore, which are famed for their light-touch regulation. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The three men (Theodor Weisser (of Mabanaft[energey(oil)), Ludwig Jesselson (of Philipp Brothers[metal]), & John H. MacMillan Jr (of Cargill[food]) were the founding fathers of the modern commodity trading industry.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For centuries, bands of merchant-adventurers had been traveling around the world seeking valuable resources to sell back at home – the most successful of them, the East India Company, governed the Indian subcontinent for several decades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the 1950s, the oil market was controlled by seven large companies. They came to be known as the ‘Seven Sisters’ – the forerunners of the companies that are today ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, and BP. Many of them were the descendants of Standard Oil, created in the wake of its break-up</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oil also brought the traders closer to power. Governments had often looked at metals, minerals, and agricultural commodities as strategically sensitive resources. But oil was different: the money was bigger, and the governments of oil-producing countries were almost entirely dependent on petrodollars. The traders became friends with oil-rich leaders in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, while Western governments, desperate for cheap oil, turned to them to secure supplies. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the Seven Sisters had lost control of the oil price in 1973, the ability to determine prices had passed to OPEC. But that position continued to rely on the old, oligopolistic system of the Seven Sisters, where prices, once announced, would be respected. With the rise of the traders, the power to set prices now shifted firmly and irrevocably into the hands of the free market:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The market no longer belonged to the oligopolistic Seven Sisters, with their almost colonial oil deals in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. In their stead appeared traders like Marc Rich, hungry for risk and unburdened by history or, in some cases, ethics. Through their trading, they had facilitated one of the great geopolitical and economic revolutions of the modern era: the seizure of their natural resources by oil-rich nations, the rise of the petrodollar as a crucial element of international finance, and the rise of the petrostate as a force in global politics.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The collapse of the gold standard meant the value of the dollar, too, was the preserve of the market. Everywhere, the grip of Western governments and institutions on the world economy was loosening, and a new era of more ruthless capitalism was born.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The traders weren’t making money through a brilliant understanding of the market. They were simply willing to put aside any ethical principles to make more money. When challenged on their dealings with South Africa, the traders would reply that everything they were doing was legal. In the world of embargoes and political favors of the 1980s, the traders learned to be masters of disguise and deception. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PAPER BARRELS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone who buys a futures contract and holds it until its expiry date will receive a parcel of commodities; on the other hand, someone who sells a futures contract must, at expiry, deliver the commodities. Once the oil futures market came into being, traders could use futures contracts to buy or sell their oil many months in advance. But the usage of the new instruments was much broader than that. Most people didn’t hold them until expiry – instead, they bought and sold futures much as they would buy and sell the barrels of oil themselves. The futures allowed traders (and anyone else) to bet on the direction of the market without having to touch a physical barrel of oil. Hence the talk about ‘paper barrels’.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The collapse of the Soviet Union had redrawn the world map, replacing a crumbling empire with new nations and creating a new set of billionaire oligarchs whose money would flow around the world over the coming decades. The personalized nature of power in Russian politics and business-suited the commodity traders perfectly. ‘Everybody tried to choose a partner. Who’s going to work? Who will bring money? Who will give financial strength?’ explains Vishnevskiy, the former head of Glencore in Moscow. ‘The situation was win-win for all sides who survived hose willing to throw themselves and their money into the ‘wild east’ of the former Soviet Union were rewarded with enormous profits. And it was not just in the Russian metals industry that the traders thrived. The fall of the Soviet Union redrew the economic landscape for dozens of nations that had been operating under Moscow’s patronage, from Latin America to East Asia. Everywhere, there was a role for the commodity traders.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The number of commodities that a country consumes is, for the most part, a function of two factors: the number of people in the country, and their income. The relationship with commodity demand isn’t a straight line, however. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As long as a country remains relatively poor, with annual per capita income below about $4,000, people spend most of their income on the basics they need to survive: food, clothes, and housing. What’s more, the governments of poor countries don’t have the money to make major investments in commodity-intensive public infrastructures, such as power plants and railways. Even if a very poor country grows rapidly, it doesn’t translate into much extra demand for commodities.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same is true for a very rich country. Once a nation’s income rises above roughly $18,000–$20,000 per capita, households spend any extra income on services that require relatively small amounts of commodities: better education and health, recreation, and entertainment. Governments of such wealthy countries have usually already built the bulk of the public infrastructure they need.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">China was the most important country to enter the commodity sweet spot, but not the only one. Across the world, many countries outside the industrialized nations of North America, Europe, and Japan were reaching a level of economic development that required far more natural resources than before. The synchronized, resource-intensive growth created what economists call a commodity ‘supercycle’: an extended period during which the price of raw materials is well above its long-run trend, lasting beyond a normal business cycle, and often extending for decades.</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first modern commodity supercycle, for example, was triggered by the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century in Europe and America; </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the second, by the global rearmament before the Second World War; </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the third, by the economic boom of the Pax Americana and the reconstruction of Europe and Japan in the late 1950s and early 1960s.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fourth began around the turn of the millennium, as China and other emerging economies entered the commodity sweet spot. It fundamentally altered the structure of the global commodity markets. Between 1998 and 2018, the seven largest emerging markets (the BRIC group of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, plus Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey) accounted for 92% of the increase in the world’s metals consumption, 67% of the increase in energy consumption, and 39% of the increase in food consumption</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speculation had always been a central element of commodity trading, although over the years many commodity traders have denied that their business involves placing bets on the future direction of prices. Of all the commodity trading houses, however, it is the agricultural traders whose business model has traditionally relied the most on speculation. That may be unsurprising: the agricultural traders had decades of trading in the Chicago futures markets, which had been founded in the nineteenth century before there was even such a thing as an oil futures market.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it was also a function of the different structures of the agricultural commodity markets. In oil or metals, there are a few key suppliers – government agencies of oil-rich countries and large oil and mining companies. That means that, for oil and metals traders, winning large and favorable contracts with those organizations is one of the keys to success. But it also means that being a trader, in and of itself, doesn’t confer such a large informational advantage. Agricultural commodity traders, on the other hand, buy from thousands of individual farmers. That makes the traders’ jobs harder, but it also provides an opportunity: dealing with so many farmers gives the largest traders valuable information. Long before the concept of ‘big data’ became popular, the agricultural traders were putting it to work, aggregating information from thousands of farmers to get real-time insight into the state of the markets. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Across the commodity trading industry, it was a time of spectacularly lucrative trades. In the decade to 2011, the world’s largest oil, metal, and agricultural trading houses – Vitol, Glencore, and Cargill, respectively – enjoyed a combined net income of $76.3 billion. That was an astonishing amount of money. It was ten times the profits the traders were generating in the 1990s. It was more than either Apple or Coca-Cola made over the same period. And it would have been enough money to buy entire titans of corporate America, such as Boeing or Goldman Sachs. And it had accrued to just a small handful of people. Cargill was still owned by the Cargill and MacMillan families, which between them now had fourteen billionaires – more than any other family in the world outside of royalty. Glencore, Vitol, and Trafigura were still owned by their staff, meaning the commodity trading bonanza made a few top executives fantastically rich.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The food crises of 2008 and 2010 were a demonstration of the influence of commodity traders. A policy pushed for by a trading house had helped cause chaos on world markets. That, in turn, helped make commodity traders more central than ever in feeding the world – which allowed them to make the biggest profits they’d ever seen. The whole affair marked the culmination of the commodity supercycle, a process that had elevated the traders to a position of great strategic significance, and had delivered them spectacular riches.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Information was becoming faster, cheaper, and more widely available, eroding the edge that had, in previous decades, allowed the traders to steal a march on the rest of the market. An increasingly transparent world made it even harder for less scrupulous commodity traders to make money through corruption or bribery. And the miners and oil majors who were their principal suppliers had gone through a phase of consolidation, leaving a few large players who had little need of the traders to help them handle logistics. The old-fashioned business model of the commodity trader, buying in one place and selling in another at a profit, was becoming all but impossible to sustain. Most of the commodity traders followed the path pioneered by Glencore and Cargill of investing in assets, using their profits to build their own supply chains, including mines, oil tankers, warehouses, flour mills, and more. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As others followed his example on an ever-larger scale, the trading houses became not just middlemen, buying and selling oil, metals, and grains around the world, but little empires of infrastructure critical to the flow of global trade, much of it in emerging markets. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Investing in assets may have made good business sense, but it was expensive, requiring long-term capital. Now, these companies were also looking for ways of raising longer-term financing. One option was to sell shares, and many raised money from public markets in the form of bonds. This new capital gave the commodity traders the firepower to do bigger deals and make big-ticket investments. But it also forced them to reveal much more information about themselves than they ever had before, bringing an unwelcome glare of publicity to an industry that had long operated in the shadows. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All over the world, commodity traders’ cash was changing the course of history. And as they realized that the commodity traders had become enormously important actors in global finance and politics, Western politicians and regulators also began to realize that they had terrifyingly little oversight of what the commodity traders were doing. Even as the traders had accumulated unprecedented financial power, their activity remained almost entirely unregulated. But there was one aspect of their business where the commodity traders were potentially vulnerable to aggressive regulation. They were reliant on a relatively narrow group of banks to provide them with huge sums in credit. And, more than anything, they relied on being able to access those sums in US dollars.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For years, many commodity traders had looked at sanctions and embargoes as an opportunity rather than a threat. Countries under embargo had fewer choices about whom to trade with, and so the profits for those who found ways to do business with them were proportionately higher. That’s what had allowed Marc Rich and John Deuss to make astronomical profits from subverting the oil embargo against apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was possible because the embargoes were poorly enforced. If they were put in place by only a few countries, then it was easy enough for the traders to open up a subsidiary in a country that hadn’t imposed sanctions, and deal through that subsidiary. Much of the traders’ activity took place in international waters, and so went ungoverned by any one nation’s laws. And the traders’ businesses similarly operated in the most opaque corners of the international financial system, where they might use a Cayman Islands shell company one day and a Maltese shell company the next; and where ships could sail under the flag of any number of nations, from Panama to Liberia or the Marshall Island.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book has told the story of how the commodity traders rose, almost unnoticed, to the pinnacle of global power. With little fanfare, the commodity traders helped to free the global oil market from the grip of the Seven Sisters, re-carved the economic landscape of Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, and empowered resource-rich governments from Congo to Iraq.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The traders have several far deeper and more structural problems. </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first is the democratization of information. As the speed and availability of information increased exponentially with the spread of the internet, the traders’ advantage was slowly whittled away. The democratization of information means that it has become more difficult to make money from simply moving commodities around the world.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A second challenge to the traders’ profitability comes from the reversal of one of the trends that have benefited them most over the past three-quarters of a century: the liberalization of global trade. From the world’s first modern free trade treaty, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, to China’s accession to the WTO in 2001, the trend after the Second World War was for open borders, frictionless trade, and globalization. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A third challenge for the traders strikes at the core of their business: climate change. Much of the industry’s profits come from trading fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal. If Big Oil and Big Coal are responsible for polluting the planet, the traders are their enablers, shipping their products to global markets. As the world increasingly turns against oil and coal consumption, the traders’ business will suffer. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, the traders have become victims of their own success. The industry’s tentative move out of the shadows, epitomized by the Glencore IPO, has laid out the traders’ enormous profits for all to see. It has not just been US policymakers and law enforcement officials that have been dismayed by some of the details of the traders’ activity. It’s also the traders’ clients – the producers and consumers of natural resources – who have begun to wake up to the profits the traders have been making, in some cases at their expense.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite the pressure on their business, the traders remain profitable. The industry probably does face a reckoning at some point in the coming years, the oil market bonanza of 2020 notwithstanding. But as long as markets are less than perfectly efficient, there will still be money to be made – even without walking the knife-edge between legal and illegal – by exploiting inefficiencies and moving commodities around the world in response to price signals from the markets.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And the traders’ role as a clearinghouse for the world’s essential goods still endows them with an almost unique sort of economic and political power. It was as recently as 2017 that the traders’ money helped pay for Kurdistan’s independence push. It was the same year that Ivan Glasenberg was awarded a medal by Vladimir Putin for his services to the Russian state. And the oil companies and petrostates that emerge intact from the trials of 2020 will in no small part have the traders to thank for their survival.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The world is changing, but its natural resources still need to be bought and sold. And commodities are still a sure-fire path to money and power. The traders may well remain powerful actors in world affairs for years to come. But after decades in the shadows, their influence can surely no longer be ignored.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-15155785982068234972021-11-26T07:33:00.000-05:002021-11-26T07:33:00.200-05:00 The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths by Anna Katharina Schaffner <p><b> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths by Anna Katharina Schaffner </span></b></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ae934b78-7fff-0f54-18e2-e7a58b7cc4f9"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our appetite for self-improvement has never been greater: in 2020, the personal development market was valued at $39.99 billion worldwide and is forecast to grow rapidly over the next few decades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the most fundamental level, our desire to improve ourselves, and the belief that this is possible, is an act of rebellion against the idea of determinism. Engaging in the act of self-improvement is our—however flawed—effort to exert control over our lives. It is an attempt to defy whatever forces we may blame for our perceived insufficiencies: nature or nurture, genes or the environment, God, karma, fate, or the constellation of the planets. Our belief in the improbability of the self can therefore be seen as a powerful proclamation of defiance, an assertion of agency in a world where it is all too easy to feel powerless and adrift.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Know Thyself</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Greek philosopher Socrates (470–399 BCE) went even further, declaring that the unexamined life is not worth living. He proclaimed self-knowledge as an absolute good, indeed as our highest virtue. In Plato’s Five Dialogues, Socrates reflects: So I withdrew and thought to myself: ‘I am wiser than this man; it is likely that neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know, neither do I think I know; so I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.’ The jury, unconvinced by his defense, found him guilty, and Socrates was sentenced to death.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For there is no universal agreement on what a self really is. There are, for example, crucial differences between East Asian and Western notions of selfhood. The philosopher Julian Baggini argues that there are three main ways of conceptualizing the self: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the no-self (as found in Buddhist traditions), </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the relational self (as found in Confucianism and certain Japanese traditions), and </span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the atomized self (as found in most, but by no means all, Western accounts of selfhood)</span></li></ul><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buddhists believe that we have no lasting, unchanging essence. Instead, we consist of five impermanent aggregates: our physical body, sensations and feelings, perceptions, mental activity, and consciousness. These aggregates bundle together in constantly changing constellations. What we think of as the self is therefore merely an assemblage of fleeting processes</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Richard N. Bolles knew this well. His book What Color Is Your Parachute? (1970) has been described as the world’s most popular job-hunting guide. It is structured precisely around Ficino’s idea of engineering as good a match as possible between our natural bent and our profession. According to Bolles, it is necessary to take an inventory of the self, which enables us first to establish and then to plan our careers around our key passions and preferences.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Stoic philosopher Seneca writes: Our relations with one another are like a stone arch, which would collapse if the stones did not mutually support each other, and which is upheld in this very way.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jordan B. Peterson’s. In his bestselling 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018), Peterson recommends that we copy the ways of the top-lobster. For it is winner-take-all in the lobster world, just as it is in human societies, where the top 1 percent have as much loot as the bottom 50 percent.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Abraham Maslow in Primitive physiological needs form the basis of his model, followed by safety, belongingness, and esteem, and at the very top, self-actualization. Other theories of our most fundamental needs prioritize attachment, terror management, and self-determination.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The psychologist Robert Kegan, for example, argues that there are only two great human yearnings—our striving for autonomy and independence and our need for inclusion and communion—and they are in conflict with one another. We could also add a need for beauty in its various forms.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most, if not all, of our historically and culturally changing self-improvement aims, I believe, be traced back to these five basic needs</span></p><br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Social relations encompass our desire to feel connected, accepted, and part of a community. They also include our longing for understanding, friendship, and love.</span></span></blockquote><span><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Status includes our need for respect and attention, but also for power, influence, and control. Concerns about status may be manifest in a preoccupation with what others think about us and a desire to impress them—be that via looks, wit, ideas, clothes, cars, or other objects of conspicuous consumption. It may also be manifest in our need for professional recognition in the form of promotion, for social media likes and followers, or simply in feeling that our voices and opinions are heard and that we are taken seriously. At a deeper level, status relates to the hope that our existence matters and that it is positively acknowledged by others.</span></span></blockquote><span><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Learning is connected to our thirst for knowledge and understanding, as well, of course, to our desire to improve ourselves. Throughout our lives, most of us seek to continue to expand our understanding of the world. This includes the spiritual and the metaphysical, and questions pertaining to the meaning of our existence. Depending on which of these metaphors we adopt, as the American sociologist Micki McGee observes, we may imagine ourselves as combatants, contestants, or players; travelers or explorers; and entrepreneurs, salespersons, or managers. For the combatants, contestants, and players, winning is the goal, while power and wealth are typically the prizes. For the traveler or explorer, rewards tend to be experiential, nonmaterial, and spiritual. The entrepreneurial cluster, finally, is motivated by material gains.</span></span></blockquote><span><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Our desire for variety is what motivates us to travel to faraway places, to get to know new people, and to build new relationships. A form of epistemic and experiential curiosity, it leads us to try new foods and new sexual partners or to climb mountains. Our thirst for novelty sometimes makes us restless, driving us to search for new jobs and new challenges. If we do not seek variation, we end up dead in life, shutting out those new experiences that keep our minds and hearts active. Our horizons will shrink, our learning will stagnate, and we will become nothing but creatures of habit.</span></span></blockquote><span><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Our fifth and final basic desire, altruism, includes our wish to be good and to care for others.</span></span></blockquote><span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of our aspirations—whether they be material, emotional, cognitive, or spiritual—can be located within these five categories. However, each period and culture tends to value some needs more than others. Maintaining a good balance between the five basic needs is an important task not only for individuals but for societies.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is also a frequently neglected but essential social dimension to the hero’s quest. The hero’s true function is neither release nor ecstasy for oneself, but the wisdom and the power to serve others. <u>A hero, Campbell observes, is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. The true objective of the hero is to save others</u>.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why should we aspire to self-knowledge in the first place? Why is it a good thing to possess? Self-knowledge directly relates to one of our five basic needs, the desire to learn. It includes learning about our own patterns, preferences, and processes. The opposite of self-knowledge is ignorance—about who we really are, our true motives, and how others may perceive us. Freud would argue that self-knowledge emancipates us from being a slave to our unconscious and its many seemingly irrational whims. Only when we know our patterns, and whence they came, can we manage and perhaps even change them. Self-knowledge, then, yields mastery and realism, as well as congruence and alignment. It is the necessary first step in initiating change. Only by taking stock of what is—in as objective a way as possible—can we truly plan what we want to change. Self-knowledge, moreover, quite simply improves our chances of making wiser life choices on a regular basis.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">genuine self-knowledge can never be gained purely by theoretical introspection or reading about different models of the mind, but only through trials and tribulations, and in dialogue with others. It needs to be acquired on our own journeys—heroic or otherwise.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Control Your Mind</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A modern Christian version of Stoic principles can be found in Reinhold Niebuhr’s serenity prayer. The prayer has become a core mantra in twelve-step programs such as AA: <b>God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writers such as Napoleon Hill, who wrote the bestselling Think and Grow Rich (1937), and more recently Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret (2006), argue that our thoughts are magnetic. <u>If we think positive thoughts, we will automatically attract positive outcomes—and vice versa</u>: if we are gloomy pessimists, bad things will happen to us. The illusion of omnipotence that Byrne and other mystic-esoteric self-help writers promote is dangerous in many ways. According to their logic, everything bad that happens to us is entirely our fault, and that includes illnesses, assault, poverty, and other misfortunes.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Napoleon Hill’s message is simple: we can all become rich if only we want to badly enough. If we focus strongly on thoughts about money and abundance, the universe will magically resonate with our subconscious and send infinite riches our way. Success comes to those who become SUCCESS CONSCIOUS, Hill claims. <u>TRULY, THOUGHTS ARE THINGS—and powerful things at that when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE for their translation into riches or other material objects.</u> All we need in order to become rich is to develop a definite desire. Then our thoughts, like magnets, attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts. If we magnetize our minds and become money conscious, we will be millionaires in no time</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most widely recommended self-help manual, by contrast, is David D. Burns’s Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. It is one of the very few self-help books that is proven to have measurable and lasting positive effects on its readers</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Depression attacks our self-esteem and is often accompanied by strong feelings of shame, worthlessness, and despondency. For that reason, it is one of the most insidious forms of suffering.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive psychology, too, advocates a form of mind control, urging us to identify negative thoughts and counterproductive beliefs about ourselves. But the emphasis is more strongly on the positive and more productive beliefs with which we should replace them. In his book Flourish: A New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being—and How to Achieve Them (2011), Seligman argues that there are five basic elements that enable human flourishing: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment—the initials of which form the acronym PERMA.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we succeed in adopting a more hopeful outlook on life, less hampered by negative self-talk and core beliefs, it is simply more likely that we will also be more successful in achieving our external aims</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let It Go</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surpassed in popularity only by the Bible, Lao-tzu’s Tao te ching is the second most widely translated text in the world. Poetic in style and richly ambiguous, it teems with insights that transcend time and place. Its central theme is spiritual self-cultivation by practicing the art of letting go. In stark contrast to Confucianism’s emphasis on conformity and respect for tradition and ritual, the Tao suggests that we can improve ourselves by returning to a simpler, more authentic, and intuitive way of life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lao-tzu writes; he who holds will lose it. Hence the sage, because he does nothing, never ruins anything; and because he does not hold, loses nothing. . . . Hence the sage desires not to desire.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As per Tao, self-improvement is not to be achieved via exertion or determination here, but instead by yielding and acceptance, and by giving up all resistance. It is unsurprising that suppleness is one of the most celebrated qualities in the Tao: A man is supple and weak when alive, but hard and stiff when dead, according to Lao-tzu. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Daoist self-cultivation, then, differs radically from most other models in that it does not privilege reason, willpower, and effort as pathways to growth. It is one of the first major philosophies of life that celebrates intuition, simplicity, spontaneity, creativity, and authenticity</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Letting go in its highest spiritual forms is very different from the Western versions of letting go. While Daoism and Buddhism promote the idea of letting go of our worldly attachments and desires, Western-style letting go tends to be presented as a strategy for reaching our long-term goals in more flexible and creative ways. Attaining those goals, rather than loosening our attachments to them, however, remains the ultimate aim.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be Good</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to be happy, Aristotle writes, we must seek to fulfill our potential and actualize our highest human capacity. In order to realize our potential, we have to work on our behavior and emotional responses to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Aristotle strongly believes that we can train ourselves to be good by strengthening our virtues and controlling our vices. Aristotle considers habituation, rather than teaching and intellectual understanding, to be the primary route to moral virtue. Happiness is inextricably linked to repeated virtuous action. The only way to be a good person, he believes, is to train ourselves to do good things, repeatedly and with good intentions. But we need to want to perform these good deeds, too. They must become a natural and automatic habit.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following Socrates and Plato, Aristotle places the virtues at the center of a well-lived life. Like his teachers, he regards the core virtues (justice, courage, temperance, and practical wisdom) as complex rational, emotional, and social skills.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aristotle differentiates between intellectual virtues on the one hand, and moral or character virtues on the other. The intellectual virtues include theoretical and practical wisdom, science, intuitive understanding, and craft expertise. Practicing the intellectual virtues can therefore be understood not just as doing good, but also as doing something excellently. Aristotle’s core character virtues include justice (treating others fairly), courage (not shying away from doing the right thing out of cowardice or laziness), and temperance, or self-control.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even in esoteric self-help such as Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams (1994), we can find the recommendation to give first that which we seek: if you want joy, give joy to others; if you want love, learn to give love; if you want attention and appreciation, learn to give attention and appreciation; if you want material affluence, help others to become materially affluent. In fact, the easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be Humble</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saint Augustine called humility the foundation of all other virtues.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Studying the complex social systems of wolf packs, Radinger writes, has taught her the most valuable lessons about morality, responsibility, and love. Her mantra is thus not What Would Jesus Do (WWJD), but What Would Wolves Do (WWWD) Wolves are also masters of clear and effective communication, speaking with their entire bodies. Their excellent communication skills, Radinger suggests, are the reason why they rarely fight one another Clever planning also plays a key role, for they are highly adept at cornering and leading their prey into traps. Wolves are also extremely patient and persistent, but will sensibly count their losses and withdraw when the risks entailed by pursuing their original plans prove to be too high. Finally, hunting is always a team effort, with clearly assigned roles and a strict division of labor. The lessons Radinger invites us to draw from this are obvious.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While wolves remind us of our lost wild nature and model the advantages of strong social bonds, cats have long been envied by humans for very different reasons. The French writer Stéphane Garnier’s international bestseller How to Live Like Your Cat (2017) tries to explain our age-old fascination with felines and to translate the lessons into advice about how we should live. Although he fails to provide any scientific details on feline behavior, Garnier rightly points out that the lives of cats revolve around their own well-being, and that they spend a large proportion of their time seeking comfort and pleasure. Masters of self-care, love grooming their physical appearance, sleeping, stretching, sunbathing, and playing. At heart, they are hedonists who know how to demand and take their pleasures. They are also creatures of habit who dislike changes to their treasured routines. Fiercely independent, they are nevertheless loyal. Most importantly, they are self-contained, knowing their worth and preferences, gracing others with their attention only on their own terms. Garnier does not explore this further, but this non-neediness—a form of self-sufficient sovereignty—is also the core quality that attracts us to cat-like people.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Piercing our anthropocentric fantasies of supremacy could encourage us to treat not just other species but the very planet more respectfully. Human reason is not the only good worth celebrating. After all, many animals are better than we are at something: they may be faster or fiercer; they can hear, see, or smell better; they may be better at self-care, relaxing, and bonding; and many have more stable and supportive social structures than we do. While we may want to avoid becoming misanthropic preachers of self-loathing à la Kempis, we could certainly do with bringing our self-regard down a notch, or ten. For humility is also the only effective antidote to narcissism, and all its associated evils. It is, in essence, a readiness to admit our shortcomings coupled with a willingness to learn, be that from people, animals, plants, or even machines—whoever masters something we do not. The opportunities are infinite.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplify</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many philosophers and religious thinkers have preached the art of ascetic living, including the Stoics and various Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, Sufi, Christian, and Jewish sects. Whether mild or extreme, all of these forms of asceticism are based on the assumption of a strong link between simplicity and spirituality. Only by controlling our worldly desires can we purify our souls and fully focus on spiritual matters. For if we remain slaves to the demands of our flesh, we remain chained to the material world. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Japan has firmly associated with all things minimalist in the popular imagination only about a tenth of its forbidding mountainous landscapes are arable; it is susceptible to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. In the past, the Japanese often had to take flight at a moment’s notice on account of fires, fighting, bandits, and natural disasters, carrying all of their most precious possessions with them. They have thus learned to reduce those possessions to the bare essentials</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">French culture, by contrast, tends to be associated with a rigorous quality-oriented approach, in particular, with regard to clothes, food, and cosmetics French writer Dominique Loreau, who has lived in Japan for decades, brings these two cultural traditions into a productive dialogue. The result is distinctly Franco-Japanese lifestyle advice. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Loreau’s core mantras are less is more and quality tops quantity. Instead of buying twenty bargain-basements, soon-to-be-discarded outfits, she suggests that we invest in one good-quality cashmere garment. The same quality-driven approach applies to all other spheres of our lives as well: to our beauty care, our mental space, friendships, and furniture. It also holds for food: we should aim to eat little and only highly nutritious and healthy foods.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use Your Imagination</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using our imagination in the form of creative visualizations is also a crucial self-improvement technique in its own right</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The famous TED talker Brené Brown considers stories to be data with a soul. Like many other successful TED talkers, Brown knows that stories can reach not just our minds, but also our hearts, and as such are a highly effective means for building a connection with others. Moreover, they switch on specific areas in our brains. Merely factual information tends to activate our language-processing centers. Stories, by contrast, stimulate much larger areas in our brains, including not just the language center but also those parts that are responsible for visual and motor processing, as well as our sensory cortex. Stories can activate our mirror neurons, allowing us to imagine ourselves in a particular situation, doing something specific. They can also trigger hormonal responses in our brains: our adrenalin and cortisol production might be stimulated by narratives that evoke fear, for example, whereas stories appealing to our compassion and empathy can result in higher emissions of dopamine and oxytocin. All of this matters. Via this kind of imaginary experiential immersion, stories can prompt strong emotional states. These, in turn, can affect our moral responses and even alter our attitudes</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the secular age, religion can no longer deliver on its promise of redemption. Art, philosophy, literature, and music must take their place. Culture must take over the sense-making work of Scripture. It is only the products of our imagination that can save us from the specter of nihilism and anomie, Nietzsche argues.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thus Spoke Zarathustra written by Nietzsche is a work that can be read as a self-help parable. Its protagonist, a prophet called Zarathustra, having lived as a hermit and in complete seclusion for many years, decides to descend from his mountain and to teach the people his doctrine of the Übermensch, or superhuman. He tells us to strive to rise above our human limitations, to aim higher, and to dream bigger.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He defines superman in the following terms:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I teach you the Superman. Man is something that should be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All creatures hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and do you want to be the ebb of this great tide, and return to the animals rather than overcome man?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the ape to men? A laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment. And just so shall the man be to the Superman: a laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment. . . .</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Man is a rope, fastened between animal and Superman—a rope over an abyss</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the West today, hyperindividualism reigns supreme. Self-realization is one of our most cherished aspirations, and creativity and uniqueness are exalted. In other words, they are now firmly inscribed in our own tables of values. Therefore, the old tables of values can technically no longer be smashed by embracing these now commonly accepted, indeed mainstream, values. Cherishing the imagination and its products today is neither rebellious nor countercultural. Ironically, to be truly original and imaginative today, we would have to challenge these very values.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Persevere</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortitude entails a steadfastness of purpose combined with courage—more precisely, the courage not to allow adversity to turn us away from our goals. We might now describe this quality as perseverance. Perseverance denotes our ability to continue with a task even in the face of obstacles or setbacks. We might also speak of resilience, tenacity, drive, and resolve. Grit and growth mindsets are other more recent framings that capture our capacity to keep going in spite of repeated disappointments. But perseverance is also connected to two ethically more complex notions: willpower and effort</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The psychologist Carol S. Dweck has coined the notion of the growth mindset—the belief in our ability to learn and to develop our skills. This mindset, she argues, has a crucial impact on our capacity to evolve. It entails stretching ourselves, seeking challenges, persevering, and learning from failure. Many other psychologists emphasize the importance of learning from failure as a key determiner of persistent improvement</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People describes his own method as a principle-centered, character-based, ‘inside-out’ approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness. Quoting Aristotle, Covey emphasizes that we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. As his title indicates, habits are powerful routines that determine how successful we are in our lives. Because habits are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character and produce our effectiveness . . . or ineffectiveness. Covey understands habit as the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire. In other words, habits determine what we do, how we do it, and our basic motives.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like Peck and Peterson, Covey, too, believes in discipline. Discipline, he reminds us, comes from disciple—disciple to a philosophy, disciple to a set of principles, disciple to a set of values, disciple to an overriding purpose, to a superordinate goal or a person who represents that goal. If we are effective managers of ourselves, our discipline will come from within</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most reasonable conclusion is arguable that we should take a measured and humble kaizen approach to our own improvement, valuing gradual and incremental change for the better, however small that change may be.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mentalize</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key to Carnegie’s (How to Win Friends and Influence People fame) method is the art of mentalizing—that is, stepping into the other person’s shoes, trying to see the world from their point of view, and mobilizing empathy.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to Machiavelli (the author of ‘The Prince’), it is generally safer to be feared than loved. This is because human beings are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed, they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As shameless everyday Machiavellians, for example, we might do the following: Above all, we would strive to appear to be kind and always pay lip service to the virtues of the day, even when, out of the public eye, we would be prepared ruthlessly to defend our position of power. Although extremely image-conscious and concerned with what people think of us, we would not aspire to goodness as a value in itself. Instead, we would live by the idea that effectiveness is the best measure of success, and that success trumps goodness every time. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those of us in leadership positions would ensure that our colleagues are sufficiently loyal and happy that they do not rebel against us; we would reward achievement and try to keep people on our side. At the same time, we would make it known that disloyalty will be punished. We would surround ourselves with good people, but not with people who are more accomplished than we are and who could become rivals. We would make decisions swiftly and confidently, not hesitating to throw former friends under the bus, and always keep an eye on which side our bread is buttered. We would never apologize, fiercely attack anyone who dares to criticize us and seek to destroy their reputation rather than engage with the content of their criticism. The Machiavellian model, in short, might be effective if our sole aim is power, but is not to be emulated if we wish to sleep soundly at night.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another self-improvement genre that enjoyed a surge in popularity in the early modern period is courtesy literature. Courtesy literature teaches courtiers good manners and morals, with a new focus not only on social etiquette but also on the more superficial aspects of human interactions such as witty chat and sharp dressing. The most famous examples of the genre include Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier (1528) and Giovanni Della Casa’s Galateo: The Rules of Polite Behavior (1558).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Castiglione places a special emphasis on the importance of entertaining and elegant speech needed for courtiers. Eloquence requires knowledge, wit, a smooth flow of information, as well as current and nonpretentious diction. Witty and stylish speech should be peppered with well-turned metaphors and accompanied by certain movements of the entire body, not affected or violent but tempered by an agreeable expression of the face and movement of the eyes giving grace and emphasis to what is said</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personality became the new cornerstone for self-improvement. Personal charisma and the powers of persuasion became increasingly essential skills that people needed to possess in order to thrive in the new economic order. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Carnegie also advises us to praise rather than criticize if we wish to change other people’s behavior Another important component of the art of persuasion is to secure attention and vividly dramatize our ideas: You have to use showmanship, Carnegie urges. The movies do it. Television does it. And you will have to do it if you want attention. This advice is endorsed still today, for example by the journalist and communication expert Carmine Gallo, author of Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Instant Influence and Charisma (2015), the British hypnotist Paul McKenna outlines various concrete strategies for boosting our charisma and our power to influence others. If we want others to like and trust us, we need above all to reduce our difference by amplifying what we have in common. This includes aligning our physiology with that person—echoing posture, gestures, speed of movement, even the pace, tone, and volume of our conversation partner’s speech. Blatant copying, however, is to be avoided in favor of subtler forms of mirroring. McKenna, too, advises us to pay close attention to other people’s metaphors and styles of expression. We should also seek to ask questions aimed at finding out what their core values and beliefs are, and then respect these.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the heart of Machiavelli’s, Castiglione’s, Carnegie’s, and McKenna’s advice, however, resides a very simple lesson: if we want anything at all from others—be that simple to be liked, or to achieve other, more specific outcomes such as being feared, securing favors, exerting influence, or selling something—we need to take the people with whom we interact seriously. We must grace them with genuine attention. We must listen to what they say and to how they say it, understand what they want and fear most, and communicate in a language that is similar to theirs. We must, in other words, mentalize.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is, finally, also simply a very hard truth to know others. While Carnegie’s belief that appreciation is what all of us want most is certainly true to an extent, it does not capture the complexities and nuances of our many other needs. It is hard—very hard—to imagine what others really want, not least because they often don’t know themselves.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be Present</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In essence, mindfulness is about relearning how to live in the here and now. It encourages us to direct our attention fully and nonjudgmentally to whatever task we are currently performing. It asks us to cultivate our ability to focus on the present by training our minds not to flit feverishly from our past to our futures, chasing after every thought, however trivial. Rather than getting lost in the content of our thoughts, it asks us to become aware of their movement. At its apex, mindfulness resonated with so many of us because we clearly felt we had lost the ability to live fully in the present moment.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seven mental attitudes are additional core pillars of mindfulness practice. They are non-judging, patience, a beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The outcomes of mindfulness meditation are unpredictable. We may well become less stressed and more focused, but what we do with our enhanced energy is by no means predetermined. We may become more productive and add more value to the companies for which we work, or we may gain the courage to quit our jobs, or finally to confront difficult bosses and demand changes in our organization. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there is a lesson in all this, it is that self-improvement matters enormously, not just at the level of the individual life but at that of society as a whole.As the long history of self-improvement demonstrates, changing ourselves can take many forms, some more suited to achieving a fair and just society than others. Today’s self-help industry is one of those forms. But it, too, is multifarious. Knowingly or unknowingly, it draws on a long and vibrant tradition and articulates in new ways the ten abiding themes of the ancient art of self-improvement.</span></p></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-64031645062302692022021-11-22T20:59:00.005-05:002022-02-09T11:34:27.145-05:00Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact.” by Phil M Jones<p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact.” by Phil M Jones.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-db5b0013-7fff-854f-dbfb-50bd21b2893c"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The worst time to think about the thing you are going to say is in the moment you are saying it. This book prepares you for nearly every known eventuality and provides you with a fair advantage in almost every conversation.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m Not Sure If It’s for You, But</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This rejection-free approach creates a simple outcome. One of two things happens: your listener leans in and asks for more information because they are personally interested, or, in the very, very worst-case scenario, they say they will give it some thought.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few examples to help you in your daily routine:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not sure if it’s for you, but would you happen to know someone who is interested in (insert the results of your product or service)?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not sure if it’s for you, but we have plans on Saturday, and you’re welcome to join us.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not sure if it’s for you, but this option is available for this month only, and I would hate for you to miss out.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Open-Minded</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When introducing a new idea, start with, How open-minded are you? This will naturally attract people toward the very thing that you’d like them to support. Everybody wants to be open-minded.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few examples of the words in practice:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How open-minded would you be about trying this as an alternative?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Would you be open-minded about giving this a chance?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How open-minded are you about increasing your monthly income?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Would you be open-minded about seeing if we could work together?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What Do You Know?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To influence others, you must be aware of how to control a conversation. One way of regaining control is to move the other person’s position from one of certainty to one of doubt.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples you could use in the real world are...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you know about us, our business, and the way we do things differently?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you know about everything that has changed since (insert event)?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you know about how things really work here?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do you know about the benefits of (insert product sector)?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These questions allow the other person to realize their opinion is perhaps not correct, and they can quickly become far more receptive to change.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How Would You Feel If?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is the meaning of this word [motivation] that creates the true base for understanding all areas of negotiation, influence, and persuasion, and you should explore it further if you would like to perform at your peak.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The real world tells us that people will work far harder to avoid a potential loss than they will to achieve a potential gain.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples might be something like...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How would you feel if this decision led to your promotion?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How would you feel if your competition passed you?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How would you feel if you turned this around?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just Imagine</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In fact, for a decision to come true, you must have first at least imagined yourself doing it. Have you ever been in a situation in which you have said, or even just mouthed, these words back to somebody else: I just couldn’t see myself doing that?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are some examples:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just imagine how things will be in six months’ time once you have implemented this.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just imagine what your boss would say if you missed this opportunity.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just imagine the look on your kids’ faces when they see you achieve this.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just imagine the impact this could have.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creating pictures in the minds of others is done by telling stories. When you hear Just imagine, the brain pictures the very scenario you are creating.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When would be a good time?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the biggest reasons your ideas fail to get heard is that others tell you that they just don’t have the time to consider them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By using the preface, When would be a good time to...? you prompt the other person to subconsciously assume that there will be a good time and that no is not an option.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples for you to use include...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When would be a good time for you to take a proper look at this?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When would be a good time to get started?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When would be a good time to speak next?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m guessing you haven’t got around to </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By pushing for the negative scenario, you get people to rise to the positive or to tell you how they are going to fix the thing they said they were going to do.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are some examples:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m guessing you haven’t got around to looking over the documents yet?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m guessing you haven’t got around to setting a date yet?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m guessing you haven’t got around to making a decision yet?</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simple Swaps</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The psychology behind this technique, which involves turning an open question into a closed one, results in you receiving a guaranteed outcome or answer.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A simple change of wording puts you in control. Swap the phrase, Do you have any questions? with the improved, What questions do you have for me?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A mistake many people make is asking, Can I have your phone number? When you ask somebody, Can I have your...? it creates a permission-based resistance in the other person, which makes it harder to get what you hoped for since a yes or no response is required. It can be seen as an invasion of privacy. Instead, ask the alternative question, What’s the best number to contact you at? results in people effortlessly giving you the information you requested.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have three options</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of those three options, what’s going to be easier for you? Finishing with another set of Magic Words means they have to pick one of those options.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two types of people </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two types of people in this world: those who judge something before they have even tried it and those who are prepared to try something and base their opinion on their own experience.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two types of people in this world: those who resist change in favor of nostalgia and those who move with the times and create a better future.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You should be able to see the pattern in the examples and understand how the options are clearly stacked in favor of the decision you would like them to pick.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Something for you to think about as a reader is that there are two types of people in this world: those who read books like this and do nothing and those who put what they read into practice and enjoy immediate results.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I Bet You’re a Bit Like Me</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This set of words is possibly one of my favorites because it can help just about anybody agree to just about anything. It is even more powerful in a conversation with a stranger than it is with somebody you already know.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you are talking to a stranger, the conversation needs to move easily, which means it typically follows the path of least resistance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Example:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bet you’re a bit like me: you enjoy working hard now, knowing that it will pay dividends in the future.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bet you’re a bit like me: you hate watching trashy TV in the evening and would rather work on something beneficial.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Magic Words I bet you’re a bit like me often result in the other person comfortably agreeing with you.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If... Then</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When they made conditional statements like these to you, chances are that you believed them. These statements hold power over our beliefs and actions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a consequence, creating a scenario using the preface if and adding a second scenario with the preface then means that people are highly likely to believe the outcome.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you decide to give this a try, then I promise you won’t be disappointed.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t Worry</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry is particularly useful in high-stress scenarios when confronted with someone who is panicked—it puts people at ease.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You know when you can see and feel the anxiety in somebody, when they are uncertain about what to do next or perhaps even fearful. These two Magic Words provide instant relief, and you can typically see the change in the recipient.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry. You’re bound to be nervous right now.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry, I know you don’t know what to do right now, but that’s what I’m here for. I’m here to help you through this process and overcome all the hurdles as they crop up along the way.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry. I felt just the way you feel right now before I started, and look at me now.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most People</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indecision is the biggest thing that stands in the way of progress, and these words can help jump people out of procrastination in a flash.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you tell people what most people would do, their brain says, I’m most people, so perhaps that is what I should do too.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXAMPLES</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The examples for this are endless:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What most people do is complete the forms with me here today. You then receive your welcome pack and we get you booked in for a launch.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most people put the words most people into their daily conversations, and most of those people see an immediate positive effect.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Good News</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These words provide you with a tool to spin a negative into a positive using a technique called labeling.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By prefacing things with, The good news is..., you cause people to face forward with optimism and zap any negative energy out of the conversation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can use this same principle with two more words when faced with people who give excuses or reasons as to why they are not ready to move forward.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What Happens Next</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You want them to commit, but following all of this relationship building and imparting of knowledge, the conversation grinds to a stop with nobody leading the actual decision</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What happens next is... This is a perfect way of linking all of the information they need to make a decision, the information you provided when you presented to them and bringing them through to the completion that needs to follow. So, what you do is create a scene. You do not ask them what they would like to do; you just tell them what happens next.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is your responsibility to lead the conversation, and following the sharing of the required information, your role is to move it toward a close.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finishing this process with a question that is effortless to answer is the key to gaining a rapid response and a positive outcome.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The easier the question is to answer, the easier you gain your decision.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What Makes You Say That?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objections are a common part of everyday life. We face indecision from others in our personal and professional lives and quite often find ourselves having to accept another person’s idea.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Success in negotiating is all about maintaining control in a conversation, and the person in control is always the person who is asking the questions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few examples:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The customer says I need to speak to somebody else before I make a decision about this. You say, What makes you say that?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The customer says, Really, I don’t have all the money right now. You say, What makes you say that?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The customer says I’m really not sure I’ve got the time to fit this in around what I’m doing right now. You say, What makes you say that?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This shift of control now leaves the other person obligated to give an answer and fill in the gaps in their previous statement.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before You Make Your Mind Up</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moving somebody from a no to a yes is nearly impossible. Before you can move someone to full agreement, your first action is to move them to a position of maybe.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look, before you make your mind up, let’s make sure we’ve looked at all the facts.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before you make your mind up, why don’t we just run through the details one more time so you can know what it is that you are saying no to?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before you make your mind up, wouldn’t it make sense to speak to a few more people about the difference this could make for you and your family?</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I Can, Will You?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever been in one of those scenarios in which your prospect or customer pushes back with reasons as to why they cannot do the thing you would like them to do?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps they are looking for you to make a change from your standard terms or they would like you to offer an improved price.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I can pick you up and drop you off at home, then will you be able to be ready for seven pm?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You have the power in these situations to remove the barrier by responding with a powerful question that eliminates the other person’s argument.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enough</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This next word relates precisely to scenarios in which you are looking for others to make decisions on quantity or level of service.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s all about making it a lot easier for the other person to reach a little higher than they may have done otherwise.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In face-to-face discussions with a customer, the dilemma often arises over how many bottles they should purchase, and the choice typically sits between two and three bottles. Instead of a detailed analysis of the benefits of three bottles over two, you can easily simplify the decision with the direct question, Would three bottles be enough for you?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In every set of circumstances in which you involve yourself in the decision-making process, you have the power to influence the actions of others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This use of words drives the recipient to answer the direct question, and yes becomes the path of least resistance.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Integrating this principle into all conversations involving your business can have a huge impact on your results. Just imagine if every transaction contained one more unit.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just One More Thing</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using the Magic Words Just one more thing keeps the conversation alive and can help you avoid leaving with nothing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Favor</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People say thank you when they feel they owe you something. This is the best time to ask for someone’s help.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Would it be okay if I gave you a call next week to find out how the chat with Steve went?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is now time to do yourself a favor and look at all the things you can be asking of others, gaining their commitment before they even know what that thing is.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just Out of I am not saying that people should feel rushed into decisions. It’s just that my experience tells me this statement rarely means they are heading away to do a detailed analysis of their decision. They are just pushing their decision away to another day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples include...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just out of curiosity, what is it specifically you need some time to think about?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just out of curiosity, what needs to happen for you to make a decision about this?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just out of curiosity, what is it that’s stopping you from moving forward with this right now?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Asking big, brave questions is exactly what you need to do to become a professional mind-maker-upper.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Final Thought</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With all these words to consider, I am sure you are now aware that reaching for the right words at the right time can make all the difference. There is one more thing I want to share with you, something that isn’t necessarily a magic word.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is something, though, that can make a huge and profound difference to your level of success when you impart your knowledge and wisdom to others.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give an answer that is simple, effortless, positive, and uplifting, and watch how it stuns people into a positive decision.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155767775624669035.post-83604427637372502102021-06-27T08:45:00.005-04:002021-06-27T08:45:31.556-04:00 Noise A Flaw in Human Judgment by Sunstein, Cass R. Sibony, Olivier Kahneman, Daniel [Sunstein, Cass R.] <p> <span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Noise A Flaw in Human Judgment by Sunstein, Cass R. Sibony, Olivier Kahneman, Daniel [Sunstein, Cass R.] </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-cc11d21c-7fff-d1fe-795f-f206c39f2a68"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book comes in six parts. In part 1, we explore the difference between noise and bias. In part 2, we investigate the nature of human judgment and explore how to measure accuracy and error. Part 3 takes a deeper look at one type of judgment that has been researched extensively: predictive judgment. Part 4 turns to human psychology. We explain the central causes of noise. These include interpersonal differences arising from a variety of factors Part 5 explores the practical question of how you can improve your judgments and prevent error. What is the right level of noise? Part 6 turns to this question. </span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Judgment can therefore be described as a measurement in which the instrument is a human mind. Implicit in the notion of measurement is the goal of accuracy—to approach truth and minimize error. The goal of judgment is not to impress, not to take a stand, not to persuade.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Level noise is when judges show different levels of severity. Pattern noise is when they disagree with one another on which defendants deserve more severe or more lenient treatment. And part of pattern noise is occasion noise—when judges disagree with themselves.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a perfect world, defendants would face justice; in our world, they face a noisy system.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bullshit has become something of a technical term since Harry Frankfurt, a philosopher at Princeton University, published an insightful book, On Bullshit, in which he distinguished bullshit from other types of misrepresentation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When people are introduced to clinical and mechanical prediction, they want to know how the two compare. How good is human judgment, relative to a formula?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The question had been asked before, but it attracted much attention only in 1954, when Paul Meehl, a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, published a book titled Clinical Versus Statistical Prediction: A Theoretical Analysis and a Review of the Evidence. Meehl reviewed twenty studies in which a clinical judgment was pitted against a mechanical prediction for such outcomes as academic success and psychiatric prognosis. He reached the strong conclusion that simple mechanical rules were generally superior to human judgment. Meehl discovered that clinicians and other professionals are distressingly weak in what they often see as their unique strength: the ability to integrate information.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 163px; overflow: hidden; width: 602px;"><img height="163" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dfFmz4lZ8yX8akGPW3yai553Z1Vjy-vzTX7RUenySSrISyC4dqDLTESmSX2Zhpt5SZ_ISoV1tcSno6rObxkXrSg6gplB9mT0VI3YdyVKzxyuSMetjlbEWRSnIq4nf0lCoXFdIi7J" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="602" /></span></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When there is a lot of data, machine-learning algorithms will do better than humans and better than simple models. But even the simplest rules and algorithms have big advantages over human judges: they are free of noise, and they do not attempt to apply complex, usually invalid insights about the predictors.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AI often performs better than simpler models do. In most applications, however, its performance remains far from perfect.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wherever there is prediction, there is ignorance, and probably more of it than we think.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you trust your gut because of an internal signal, not because of anything you really know, you are in denial of your objective ignorance</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Models do better than people, but not by much. Mostly, we find mediocre human judgments and slightly better models. Still, better is good, and models are better.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among doctors, the level of noise is far higher than we might have suspected. In diagnosing cancer and heart disease—even in reading X-rays—specialists sometimes disagree. That means that the treatment a patient gets might be a product of a lottery.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doctors like to think that they make the same decision whether it’s Monday or Friday or early in the morning or late in the afternoon. But it turns out that what doctors say and do might well depend on how tired they are.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Medical guidelines can make doctors less likely to blunder at a patient’s expense. Such guidelines can also help the medical profession as a whole because they reduce variability.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In traditional, informal interviews, we often have an irresistible, intuitive feeling of understanding the candidate and knowing whether the person fits the bill. We must learn to distrust that feeling.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traditional interviews are dangerous not only because of biases but also because of noise.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We must add structure to our interviews and, more broadly, to our selection processes. Let’s start by defining much more clearly and specifically what we are looking for in candidates, and let’s make sure we evaluate the candidates independently on each of these dimensions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are seven major objections to efforts to reduce or eliminate noise.</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, reducing noise can be expensive; it might not be worth the trouble. The steps that are necessary to reduce noise might be highly burdensome. In some cases, they might not even be feasible.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Second, some strategies introduced to reduce noise might introduce errors of their own. Occasionally, they might produce systematic bias. If all forecasters in a government office adopted the same unrealistically optimistic assumptions, their forecasts would not be noisy, but they would be wrong. If all doctors at a hospital prescribed aspirin for every illness, they would not be noisy, but they would make plenty of mistakes.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Third, if we want people to feel that they have been treated with respect and dignity, we might have to tolerate some noise. Noise can be a by-product of an imperfect process that people end up embracing because the process gives everyone (employees, customers, applicants, students, those accused of crime) an individualized hearing, an opportunity to influence the exercise of discretion, and a sense that they have had a chance to be seen and heard.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fourth, noise might be essential to accommodate new values and hence to allow moral and political evolution. If we eliminate noise, we might reduce our ability to respond when moral and political commitments move in new and unexpected directions. A noise-free system might freeze existing values.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fifth, some strategies designed to reduce noise might encourage opportunistic behavior, allowing people to game the system or evade prohibitions. A little noise, or perhaps a lot of it, might be necessary to prevent wrongdoing.</span></p></li></ul><br /><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sixth, a noisy process might be a good deterrent. If people know that they could be subject to either a small penalty or a large one, they might steer clear of wrongdoing, at least if they are risk-averse. A system might tolerate noise as a way of producing extra deterrence.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, people do not want to be treated as if they are mere things or cogs in some kind of machine. Some noise-reduction strategies might squelch people’s creativity and prove demoralizing.</span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People value and even need face-to-face interactions. They want real human being to listen to their concerns and complaints and to have the power to make things better. Sure, those interactions will inevitably produce noise. But human dignity is priceless.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moral values are constantly evolving. If we lock everything down, we won’t make space for changing values. Some efforts to reduce noise are just too rigid; they would prevent moral change.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you want to deter misconduct, you should tolerate some noise. If students are left wondering about the penalty for plagiarism, great—they will avoid plagiarizing. A little uncertainty in the form of noise can magnify deterrence.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we eliminate noise, we might end up with clear rules, which wrongdoers will find ways to avoid. Noise can be a price worth paying if it is a way of preventing strategic or opportunistic behavior.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creative people need space. People aren’t robots. Whatever your job, you deserve some room to maneuver. If you’re hemmed in, you might not be noisy, but you won’t have much fun and you won’t be able to bring your original ideas to bear.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the end, most of the efforts to defend noise aren’t convincing. We can respect people’s dignity, make plenty of space for moral evolution, and allow for human creativity without tolerating the unfairness and cost of noise.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rules simplify life and reduce noise. But standards allow people to adjust to the particulars of the situations.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rules or standards? First, ask which produces more mistakes. Then, ask which is easier or more burdensome to produce or work with.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We often use standards when we should embrace rules—simply because we don’t pay attention to the noise.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Noise reduction shouldn’t be part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—at least not yet. Still, noise can be horribly unfair. All over the world, legal systems should consider taking strong steps to reduce it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Type of noises:</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">System noise can be broken down into level noise and pattern noise. Some judges are generally more severe than others, and others are more lenient; some forecasters are generally bullish and others bearish about market prospects; some doctors prescribe more antibiotics than others do. Level noise is the variability of the average judgments made by different individuals. The ambiguity of judgment scales is one of the sources of level noise. Words such as likely or numbers (e.g., 4 on a scale of 0 to 6) mean different things to different people. Level noise is an important source of error in judgment systems and an important target for interventions aimed at noise reduction.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">System noise includes another, generally larger component. Regardless of the average level of their judgments, two judges may differ in their views of which crimes deserve the harsher sentences. Their sentencing decisions will produce a different ranking of cases. We call this variability pattern noise (the technical term is statistical interaction ).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The main source of pattern noise is stable: it is the difference in the personal, idiosyncratic responses of judges to the same case. Some of these differences reflect principles or values that individuals follow, whether consciously or not. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pattern noise also has a transient component, called occasion noise. We detect this kind of noise if a radiologist assigns different diagnoses to the same image on different days or if a fingerprint examiner identifies two prints as a match on one occasion but not on another</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The judges’ cognitive flaws are not the only cause of errors in predictive judgments. Objective ignorance often plays a larger role. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Psychological biases are, of course, a source of systematic error, or statistical bias. Less obviously, they are also a source of the noise. When biases are not shared by all judges, when they are present to different degrees, and when their effects depend on extraneous circumstances, psychological biases produce noise. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Reduce Noise (and Bias, Too)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is reason to believe that some people make better judgments than others do. Task-specific skill, intelligence, and a certain cognitive style—best described as being actively open-minded —characterize the best judges. Unsurprisingly, good judges will make few egregious mistakes. Given the multiple sources of individual differences, however, we should not expect even the best judges to be in perfect agreement on complex judgment problems. The infinite variety of backgrounds, personalities, and experiences that make each of us unique is also what makes noise inevitable.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One strategy for error reduction is debiasing. Typically, people attempt to remove bias from their judgments either by correcting judgments after the fact or by taming biases before they affect judgments. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our main suggestion for reducing noise in judgment is decision hygiene. We chose this term because noise reduction, like health hygiene, is prevention against an unidentified enemy. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A noise-reduction effort in an organization should always begin with a noise audit (see appendix A). An important function of the audit is to obtain a commitment of the organization to take noise seriously. An essential benefit is the assessment of separate types of noise.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We now recapitulate six principles that define decision hygiene, describe how they address the psychological mechanisms that cause noise, and show how they relate to the specific decision hygiene techniques we have discussed</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The goal of judgment is accuracy, not individual expression.</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think statistically, and take the outside view of the case </span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Structure judgments into several independent tasks.</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resist premature intuitions</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obtain independent judgments from multiple judges, then consider aggregating those judgments.</span></p></li></ol><br /><ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Favor relative judgments and relative scales</span></p></li></ol><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bias leads to errors and unfairness. Noise does too—and yet, we do a lot less about it. Judgment error may seem more tolerable when it is random than when we attribute it to a cause, but it is no less damaging. If we want better decisions about things that matter, we should take noise reduction seriously.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>VNTHOMAShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620393085563204519noreply@blogger.com0