Thinking Different

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. - George S. Patton



There is always room for a different perspective. To dismiss thoughts off-hand may trap you in stagnation.

Positive Thinking

We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction. - Douglas MacArthur



Now that is positive thinking!

Putting up with Rubbish

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson



The price to pay for lack of freedom is there is nothing but rubbish.

Peasant Reasoning

I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly. - Michel de Montaigne



Be sure your education does not limit your power to reason.

Fiddlers

The opportunities of man are limited only by his imagination. But so few have imagination that there are ten thousand fiddlers to one composer. - Charles Kettering



How to tell if you should be a fiddler or composer? Its like the old mule skinner when asked how to tell if a mule should be ridden or packed. "You ride 'em. If they buck you off, you pack 'em."



Give composing your best shot, if it doesn't work then fiddle. There is no shame in fiddling but there is shame in not composing if you can.

Power Thinking

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford



The power of thought.

Unreasonable Man

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw



Be sure you do not burn at the stake he who invented fire.

Head Bashing

Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago. - Horace Mann



In fact, if you are thinking the same way as you did ten years ago perhaps you should knock yourself on the head - it might loosen some things up a bit so you can make some progress.

Quintessential Quote

God gave us two ends. One to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use; heads you win -- tails, you lose. - Anonymous



This is the quintessential quote. What it says has been said thousands of times but I admire whoever wrote this for its brevity, imagery and humor.

Alarming Success

You will find the key to success under the alarm clock. - Benjamin Franklin



(And that doesn't mean setting you alarm clock for noon).

Right and Almost Right

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. - Mark Twain



I think he got the right words to express his thought.

You Need Light

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. - Elizabeth Kubler Ross



Surround yourself with people who have an inner light - it will keep your light shining as well.

Bombs and Bikes

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. - Lin Yutang



Just because some things can be done does not mean they should be done. Observe carefully and you will find an amazing amount which falls into this category (e.g. atomic bombs and dirt bikes).

Chapter 7

This is Chapter 7 of my never ending short story. To read previous chapters click on the links to the right. I post new chapters every couple of weeks (generally Saturday mornings).





Previously:

............ Love is the condiment of life.

--------------------- - ------------------------

I fell into the crankiness of winter. The sun, though it was still there, was obscured, drowned out, washed out and flooded into obscurity. The dullness of the sky was reflected into the depths of my soul. I was determined to give her a project which she could not accomplish. For days I racked what little was left of my active brain for a topic.

“The Difference Between Men and Women” is the age old question used primarily by comedians and far less by those more serious. The age of political correctness has only heightened this divide which is why I settled on this for the next assignment. Though she could write humor she was far from a comedian and far too young to have much insight.

When I picked up her paper I was furious. The single sheet contained only the title and two lines:

Men are goal oriented.
Women are process oriented.

I scrawled a big “F” across the vast blank space on the paper and stuffed it into my coat pocket as I headed to the student cafeteria. As usual, she was there surrounded by books. I tossed the crumpled paper in front of her without a word. She looked up and said “Well?”
“Well what?” I replied.
“Well, are you upset?”
“You bet. You failed."
“Would you be as upset if you were a woman?”
I felt like stumbling over backwards. “What do you mean? I’m not a woman – how should I know?”
“Why are you upset?”
“Because you wrote only two thoughts – no supporting evidence – no explanation – nothing!”
“What I wrote were the Truths regarding the topic.”
“How am I to know they are ‘Truths’ as you say, when you give no supporting arguments?
“I didn’t need to. You just proved my statements.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Yes you did, even though you probably are not aware of it. Sit down and I will explain. You gave this assignment because you really wanted to know the answer. I gave you the answer but not in the form you desired. You came here without so much as combing your hair or straightening your collar – because your goal had not been reached. If you were a woman you may have come but ‘she’ would have checked her hair, straightened her clothes, checked the weather outside and walked (not stormed) over here. Men are goal oriented. A man seeks a goal. A woman may seek the same goal but the process of achieving it is important as well. You came over without so much as getting a cup of tea first. A woman would have probably done just that and then sat down to chat for a bit before getting to the point. Women are process oriented.”

“It may very well have come from the time when we humans were hunters and gatherers. Men, because of their strengths, were the hunters. Success was succeeding in the hunt. The ‘process’ (hunting) was not what drove the men; it was the result of the process which put food on the table. Women were the gatherers. Collecting a single berry could hardly be called a goal. The goal was to go out and spend the day collecting a basket full of berries to put on the table. Can’t you imagine the dinner conversation of eons ago? ‘How was your day hunting, dear?’ ‘It was miserable! Not a mammoth in sight.’ ‘Well the berries are about gone but we had a good time looking for that last remaining few down by the river.’”

“How about the stereotype of the husband and wife which go on vacation to Yellowstone? The man drives non-stop with the wife complaining the whole way about stopping here or there to go shopping or sight seeing. The man is going towards his goal –Yellowstone - while the woman is taking a ‘trip’ to Yellowstone. “

“A couple is going to the symphony. The woman may have to go out and buy a gown for the occasion; get her hair and nails done; get fixed up just right. It is all a ‘process’ of going to the event. A man, on the other hand, will pull his one suit out of the closet, dress and then wait impatiently in the car in order to get there on time. Both love the music equally but the man is going to hear the music. The woman is going to the symphony.”

“Which is better? It depends on whether you are a man or a woman.”
“Now, if you still have doubts about my ‘Truths’, then think about sex.”

Ignorance

When did ignorance become a point of view? – Dilbert


I’m sorry to say “All too soon in the history of man.”

Thinking

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it. - Henry Ford





Get to work.

Cynicism

Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack. - George S. Patton



I'd go a step further and say "Watch out for people who are cynical."

Problem Creation

We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. - Albert Einstein



It takes more imagination to solve problems than to create them.

Watch Your Thoughts

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. - Frank Outlaw



i.e. Your thoughts are your destiny.

Rumors

A rumor is one thing that gets thicker instead of thinner as it is spread. - Richard Armour



To think logically one must never base your premise on a rumor. Base your premise on facts.

To think emotionally (if that is really thinking), go ahead and have fun with rumors.

Future Puck

I skate where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. - Wayne Gretzky



It's easy to keep track of what is going on; It's tougher, but more rewarding, to tell what will be going on.

High Achievement

Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation.- Jack Nicklaus





You may not achieve your current goals until you have set your sights higher. Aim high.

Let Others

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you. - Jim Rohn



One cannot generally change the world. One can change one's personal world.

Repressing Evil

Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil. Our great hope lies in developing what is good. - Calvin Coolidge



Socialist systems assume the natural state of mankind is evil and needs to be repressed. Freedom based societies assume the opposite, and have confidence that good will prevail.

Intended Reputation

You cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do. - Liz Smith



Reputation, marriage, family, dinner. You cannot accomplish anything of value without action. When in doubt, leap!

Chance to Excel

If you think people are being perfectionists and not giving you a chance, ask for one. It's easier to ask for a chance to excel than it is to ask forgiveness if you fail. –Seth Godin



If you are given a chance and you fail, it was only a chance wasn't it? If you fail on your own then it was a plain ol' failure in others' eyes.

Chapter 6

This is Chapter Six of my never ending short story "Index Out Front." To read previous chapters follow the links to the right. I will continue to post additional chapters every couple of weeks.



.........She disappeared.
--------------------- - ------------------------

She did not attend summer term and I threw myself into re-writing my entire novel. Actually I threw out the original and started over. Everything had changed and it was reflected in my writing. The main characters became greater and bolder – more like people I would like to meet – more like her. The “villains” became more contemptible. She had turned me into a romantic and I took on the new role as best as I could. No longer did I feel self-pity for my meager lot in life. I set out to write the best I could, about the best in us, and why the worst in us should not be celebrated. Though I was miserable, my writing took me to that place beside the stream with a picnic lunch. I lived there as much as possible. I too needed light, and through my writing there was a break in the clouds. I soaked up every ray.

--------------------- - ------------------------

Second-year writing class starts with the Fall Term and I mused how a year changes people. The entry into the classroom was much more civilized, much less bumbling around. Then she came in. She hadn’t outwardly changed but her eyes tossed her baton, not so much like a dagger but as a friend would toss an insult knowing full well it won’t be taken seriously.

I looked at the planned writing assignment and then at her knowing full well I wouldn’t use it. I asked for suggestions of a topic and called on her. “Love is Like Salt” she responded. Of course I went with it.

My summer had taught me a lot. I had learned to get the boring, mundane tasks out of the way first and then move on to the pleasurable. So I read her paper last. Most of the would-be authors took the perspective that love is like salt in a wound. I knew she wouldn’t. I delayed as long as possible but with shaking hands I started. It wasn’t really prose; it was a letter to me:

One can’t reflect in a crowd; that is why people always leave a theater when the
movie is done. If there is reflecting to be done it has to wait for a quieter time. I needed a lot of quiet time this summer so I went camping for three months.

It took about a week to get away from all the people and find a place to build a shelter just big enough for me and my books. It didn’t take long to realize I hadn’t packed any salt. Rice, beans, oatmeal and homemade bread are mighty bland without salt! It is edible and it keeps you alive but there is something lacking.

Have you ever noticed that lots of things are sweet; lots are bitter and just as many are sour. There is only one thing which is salty – salt.

I started out thinking salt was a necessity but after a while I realized my faulty logic. Salt made it better by far (I craved it) however it was far from a staple food; it was a condiment. When I got back I savored my first taste of salt – it was fantastic. I hope I never forget how good it is. If my memory lapses I will go without until my memory improves!


Love is the condiment of life.

--------------------- - ------------------------

Overcoming Gravity

We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming. - Wernher von Braun



I assume he said this while working for NASA. Being a government agency, NASA is like all other overgrown organizations - the processes become bogged down under the guise of "control." Some small companies try to mimic the large, falsely thinking this complexity is what made them large. Keep your company lean just like your thinking.

Rusting Out

It is better to wear out than to rust out. – Richard Cumberland



Sometimes wear and tear strengthens rather than weakens (especially when it comes to using your mind). Beware of those rust spots in the corners of your brain.

Miserable Hate

Always remember others may hate you but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself. – Richard M. Nixon



Only miserable people hate - or is it hateful people are always miserable?

Mental Deconstruction

Complex systems are complex in part because of the way they evolve; that is just the nature of the beast. And so, while it’s important to understand why a particular system evolved as it did — to understand the financial, political, social, scientific, and psychological forces that shaped the way, for instance, that cancer is treated in this country — I find it useful to ask an entirely different question: if we were making this system up from scratch today, what would it look like? - Stephen J. Dubner



Mr. Dubner's process applies to far less complex systems than the treatment of cancer. Try applying it to your life, business, personal relations. I like to think of it as a mental demolition and rebuild. Mentally clear the lot and start all over from the ground up.