What is Personality? PART 1

I was listening to a talk by an Indian spiritualist by the name of Sadhguru. He said: Personality at the very basic level is your likes and dislikes. True but there's obviously a lot more to it than that. To say personality is complex is an understatement. Bertrand Russell said, “Every man, wherever he goes, is encompassed by a cloud of comforting convictions, which move with him like flies on a summer day.” For personality; these flies are (1) who you think you are versus (2) who others think you are. The resultant tango between these perspectives is your personality.

The first problem is: What others think of you, is also blurred by their own biases and flies. This makes their judgment of you unreliable. You ever met someone and just thought, I don’t like him or her? Why? Because of the flies that surround you. You’ll make a snap judgement before understanding another human being. Perhaps that is why the Baltic saying goes: The looks when you greet but it’s the heart when you say goodbye. Give people a chance.

The second problem is: Your personality is actually in state of conflict most of the time. Extrovert or Introvert; most people’s personalities function with the aim of social acceptance. The philosopher, Slavoj Žižek argues that we all “play” or “act” ourselves. Marlon Brando advocated this idea also. No man can remain unchanged within changing circumstances. Take a guy who thinks he is funny and place him in an environment where no one finds him mildly amusing. He’ll begin to doubt himself, question his being and his personality will undoubtedly evolve over time.

The Third problem is: Not “playing” who you think you are can literally kill you. Living a lie is toxic. Negative emotions or anxiety will kill you. Ego depletion is what scientist have studied happens when you live in dis-accord with your natural proclivities. Your health is vulnerable in this state.

THE SOLUTION

The key to having a healthy “personality” is being adaptive. Be malleable and act. Don’t be too rigid for that is what dead things are, life is full of action. Don’t be a prude, don’t be judgemental and don’t be a snob. Function like every human being is the same; searching for love yet blanketed by emotion, experience, genetics, beliefs and convictions. Have compassion and empathy. And sometimes when you want to really know someone else; you have to first swat your plume of lies! Ahem, I mean flies.

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Religion of Peace?

Consider the following statement by the Philosopher John Gray: “Science increases human power - and magnifies the flaws in human nature.” Although there is a truth to this; it’s a dangerous, sweeping statement; for it could be applied to anything which increases human power, like religion or money. To quote Lord Acton, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." In simplest terms; ego develops faster than wisdom when it comes to power.

Is there a religion of peace? Or is all religion evil? I think these questions suffer the same flaws as John Gray’s observation; they are too simplistic and broad. The same Christianity we acknowledge when we are born (baptism), marry (exchange vows) or we die (service in Church) in the west; is the same Christianity which slaughtered thousands of women 400 years ago for witchcraft; the same Christianity which enslaved as well as emancipated the African-Americans. In other words although scriptures don’t change (much); the practices of a religion evolve with time. Mainly because there comes a point when people will object and condemn the detrimental effects of a belief based on the social and temporal context.

We have to call a spade a spade. If a man were to commit murder for a pair of DESIGNER trainers; only he must be blamed and punished for his deplorable behaviour. If a thousand men were to commit murders over the same DESIGNER trainers; not only should the men be punished; the DESIGNER must surely question his product and say, “What it is about these shoes that’s causing unnecessary violence?” They must identify this problem and together with society; work to change it. If they cannot change the shoe—maybe it’s the only design there is—they must reshape people’s understanding of the shoe. There is no shoe design that is inherently evil but there are people, with vices, weak critical thinking skills, who will commit evil acts because of their misled beliefs about the shoe.

I hope the analogy is clear. I think saying a certain religion is peaceful is just as bad as saying it is evil. There is no such pure, simplistic state.These doctrines mirror the people. Who have always been and will always be in continual improvement. Every Christian aims to be like Jesus, Jew like Moses, Buddhist like Buddha and Muslim like Mohammed; they never quite get there.

Just some thoughts.
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The Question of Time

How much time do we really have? A lot and not a lot is my answer. It depends on what you are doing with the time. Solon the Athenian Lawgiver said to King Croesus of Lydia: If you live a full human life you will have less than 1000 months to live.

Think about it; a third of this time will be spent asleep; another third will be tied in learning and performing duties. In our modern context, even if we live to 80 that’s only 960 months! You will have something like 300 months to “truly” live, that’s 25 years. That’s a whole lot and not a lot. Depending on what you do.  

There is an interesting image of your life in weeks (below) I think everyone ought to have one somewhere. Go and create memories, connect with people and love. Don’t forget:

We do not remember days, we remember moments.

Cesare Pavese

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Profit in Ignorance

We have all been there. Someone is speaking of a subject we know very little about and for fear of looking stupid; we agree with everything they say and daren’t ask questions. I was on the phone with my Dad not too long ago. He was telling me he went to a funeral in a certain region of Malawi. I wasn’t sure I knew where he meant but I didn't ask. My tone must've given my ignorance away because he inquired if I knew where the place is located. Still unwilling to accept I don’t know my homeland that well; I mumbled, “Ahh yeah yeah yeah.” Three whole “yeah's” to confirm and reaffirm that I knew where he meant. Lying through my teeth and he called me out on it. “Where is it then?” He asked. I collected the best of my intellect to give him a rough location (wasn't too far off), but I was wrong. What followed was embarrassment and a good old fashioned tutoring from father to son. He didn't make me feel bad, bless him. But why is it that; when you are young, ignorance is like a badge of honour? You proudly go around asking people questions about everything with no reservation or embarrassment what so ever. This is why kids become so smart so quickly; there is profit in learning. And profit in ignorance. Confucius said: real knowledge; is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.

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On Letting Go. Don’t be that Monkey!

I don’t know what the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh was going through during that fiery row with his friend Gauguin in 1888, but I am willing to bet that if either of them had just “let go”; an ear could've been spared. A facetious proposition but bare with me. It’s human nature to take things personally. Despite the fact we live in an entropic universe; we find it difficult to accept life’s ups and downs. Coupled with this, is the notion that we are fearful creatures of habit. So, we keep repeating the same mistakes, resist change and usually find something/someone to blame for our state in order for our logical brain to remain happy and feel secure. 

You know how to catch a monkey? Take a gourd shaped object and drill a hole it in large enough for a monkey's hand to pass through. Weigh it down with some rocks. Leave some nuts or fruit inside. When the cheeky monkey comes to steal the goods; it struggles to pull its hand out of the trap. Even when someone goes near it; the monkey stays. All it has to do is relax its grip and let go of the prize to escape. But it won’t. The monkey will stay; the hope of reward is too overwhelming! That’s how some people in Asia and Africa catch monkeys.

All the monkey has to do is let go. I've heard people say the only thing harder than letting go is moving on. So don’t put yourself through misery from inability to accept the transience of life. In the long-term, it takes more energy to hold on than to let go.

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The Don Draper Effect

Don Draper, from the TV show Mad Men, is a complex character. On the one hand he is suave and auspicious, leading the glamorous life of a marketing man on Madison Avenue. But most of the time he is introverted, rigid and indifferent.The allure for the audience is in discovering the story behind his enigmatic nature.

I have always joked that: If you truly want to know someone; ask them what childhood problem they are trying to get over. It seems pretty intuitive to think a mother's love has tremendous bearing on the happiness of a child but scientists at the University of Washington have recently identified the precise physiological reasons. A nurturing mother can physically affect the development of her child's hippocampus —the area of the brain dealing with memory. This area can grow as much as 10 percent more in children abound with love.

Back to Mr. Draper, born to a prostitute who died in labour, had an abusive father who was killed by a spooked horse as young Don watched. And that's just scratching the surface. It is no wonder, that he spends 7 seasons of this show trying to run away from himself through a string of marriages, orchestra of flings, streams of alcohol and decadence. He is looking for love and always protects the weak (Peggy Olson). His generosity is usually through money not love because he can't risk being hurt like he was in childhood.

But this is just a fictional character (*inspired by George Lois), how about in real life? If you read Muhammad Ali's biography, you'll find that; abundant parental love supported his quest for greatness. His parents made him feel powerful and special. Contrast that to Marlon Brando's biography: Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me and you'll find a lamenting man, desperately seeking love and acceptance in old age— the result of growing up in a broken home. What I am writing is not some great insight but it's important. Even If you were treated like you are special in childhood, but end up working in a lowly position; you will have a tough time reconciling expectations and reality. By the same token, someone can overcome a rough childhood to succeed; yet they'll give a their kids a hard time to show how tough life can be. Lack of love or too much love can give someone complex psychological issues, balance is the key.

I don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

'Cause, running's the thing I've always done      

- Lyrics from the song "27" by Passenger

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Civil Disobedience: How to make a difference in the World

Many of us wish for world peace but very few of us believe it can happen, and even fewer can muster the courage to propagate the process. 1950s America; the Korean war is in progress and a woman by the name of Mildred Norman, is so appalled by human conflict she vows to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." Armed with nothing but the clothes on her back and a positive message; she walks across America for the next 28 years, spreading her unifying message and earning the title "Peace Pilgrim".

"A pilgrimage can be either to a place or for a thing, and mine is for a thing. Mine is for peace." When I first learned of her story, I thought it was enheartening but slightly crazy. Overtime however, her story has made me realise: not only is it normal; it's absolutely necessary for the mavericks of the world to march forth and blaze a trail! There is power in nonconformity. Especially when it liberates the oppressed or empowers the cowardly. 

In his essays on Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” As a young girl, Mildred was a bright, quirkily dressed individualist who never suffered fools gladly or succumbed to peer pressure. She believed in the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. And she lived that way:

"You don’t have to be good at arithmetic, to figure out that if the nations of the world were to stop manufacturing weapons —of mass destruction; they could provide for every human being who lives in this world; the basis for a very good life."

-Peace Pilgrim

What can you do to help this world become a better place?

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Dreams: A Latvian Tale

We sat by the window, on small wooden table, in a grey but proud apartment building constructed by the Soviet Union. It was my first time in Latvia and my girlfriend had taken us to visit her retired neighbour couple: Ervins and Inara. They offered us traditional smoked ham, bread, tomatoes and a brew of Turkish Olive tea. We obliged and began sharing stories, asking questions and speaking of aspirations. In a window of silence, Ervins — a former soldier, with a heavy, overbearing stature— begins to recite the following in a pensive tone: 

Life is beautiful when it has variety.

But so many dreams are shredded by the torrential storms of fate.

Of course the gravitas of the poetry was lost in translation but it was a wow moment. It sounded very dramatic and inspired. Naturally, we wondered where the quote was from. Was it Tolstoy? Fyodor Dostoevsky? A local poet perhaps? He burst out laughing saying, “Nah it was in a letter my friend’s wife had written to her secret lover!” We all joined in the laughter. When the tears had cleared and the giggles subsided, he explained that though the couple eventually reconciled; his friend recited “those damn words everyday at work for years!”

A funny anecdote but the words reminded me of John Steinbeck's classic novella: Of Mice and Men— it's title was inspired by a poem by Robert Burns.

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men 

Gang aft agley, [often go awry]

An' lea'e us nought [leave us nothing] but grief an' pain, 

For promised joy. 

Isn't it often the case with dreams?

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Dreams and The Chinese Bamboo Tree

We are a culture obsessed with instant gratification in all areas of life. This makes us impatient with people, things, but most importantly dreams.

Pursuing a dream is very much like growing a Chinese bamboo tree. You can plant and water the seed of this particular species for five whole years without seeing a shred of result! But, in the fifth year, the bamboo shoot springs out of the ground, full diameter, and can grow to be up to 90 feet tall in just a matter of weeks. 

The darkest hour is before dawn. When working on your dream, the key is to keep watering and not be dissuaded when you don’t see immediate results. This doesn't mean keep doing the same thing for five years. As the gardener of your dream, you must make sure the soil is tended, rich, fertile and your seed is provided the right quantities of water and sunlight. 

Try everything, just don’t give up.

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Once more into the fray

Once more into the fray,

Into the last good fight I’ll ever know.

Live and die on this day.

Live and die on this day.

Everyday is a fight and opportunity to grow. When I read this poem by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers from his book the The Grey, I realise that although death is inevitable; you've got to face it head on and fight with all the life you can muster. 

The Grey Kindle Edition – 31 Jan 2012

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The analogy of the Crane as told by Radhanath Swami

A crane is a bird. It has really long thing legs, white feathers, and a long pointed beak. Now for those of you who haven’t gone to the places cranes live; they’ll stand in a stream of water. Sometimes on one leg, kind of like yogis in that sense. They will just stand still, looking down into the water. Because so many little fish are passing by, dozens, hundreds of little fish are just swimming by and the crane is looking down.  When a big fish swims by.... CHOMP!

Now this story is not to promote eating fish. There’s a higher concept. In our lives, so many little things are flowing by. And our tendency is to focus on the little things. But if we look for that which is actually big; all the little things will just pass. The big thing is what truth is. What is the higher principle you wish to put forward as a basis for our relationships?

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Five reasons you should read books.

"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met." These are the reflections of the 14th century monk and poet, Yoshida Kenkō. When deciding what to read, I often base my decisions on what artists, writers and other inspirational figures are reading.

In 2007, Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi, started sending a book and letter every fortnight to a Canadian politician whom he deemed emotionally disconnected. The politician was none other than pariah prime minister, Stephen Harper. This went on for several years. Needless to say, Yann's letters were largely ignored (until book 54/55 when he was thanked) but they are an invaluable source of inspiration. 

More recently I have discovered Barrack Obama and Bill Gate's favourite books. The breadth and depth of their interests is astounding! As they say, if you want to lead, you must read. Here's my list of my top five reasons why:

1. Books (especially novels) place you in someone else's' shoes.
"A library is not books, it's people!" says Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451. "You look at Charles Dickens, and you are Charles Dickens... and he is you! its a chance to discover yourself". Yann Martel agrees: If you read a book like The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, "you become that twelve year old black girl from a highly dysfunctional African family".

2. Books expand your knowledge.
Albert Einstein said "imagination is more important than knowledge", I would expand that knowledge improves your ability to imagine.

3. Reading improves your vocabulary and communication.
We can't all write like Shakespeare or the poets but reading great literature illumines the creative possibilities of written and spoken language.

4. Reading is a healthy escape.
Don't invite indolence to relieve stress; read instead, it's far more beneficial for your brain.

5. Books make you more tolerant.

As author Helen Keller said, "Understanding all is forgiving all".

It's not a surprise that the world's most effective communicators and thinkers are and have been voracious readers. No wonder Nazis burned books. No books, no civilisation.

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A Cup of Tea and Zen

A very long time ago, a renowned Japanese monk had the opportunity to teach Zen Buddhism to a foreign student.

As customary, the master served him a cup of tea, slowly pouring water into the student’s cup until it started to overflow.

The student shuffled back with an uneasy expression on his face.
The monk continued to pour.

When the student could no longer contain his distress he yelled, “It's too full! No more will go in!”

“Like this Cup,” the master said, “you are too full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I teach you Zen unless you empty your cup?”

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The problem with "What is the meaning of Life?"

Does your life have the same meaning it did when you were young? Why not? Because you have evolved and so has the world. Even when you find a personal or universal meaning; time, entropy and the unlimited fecundity of life has the capacity to derail it. As human beings, we are advantaged with intellect and imagination. But what’s important to bear in mind is that these two qualities are often just mere guard dogs of emotion. To protect you from the world, comfort you from the fear of death and help you survive; your emotion commandeers which ever is necessary for a particular circumstance. So when it comes to creating a meaning of life we either:

Make it up –Belief.

Make of it –Accept the arbitrary nature of life. 

Make from it–Study its patterns and derive meaning, Science.

PROBLEM 1: Personal meaning evolves with time, because with time; our imagination and knowledge expands. Therefore, unless we arrive at a different understanding of time or we ditch the concept altogether; its hard to escape the cycle. 

PROBLEM 2: Universal meaning is that which suits our available collective knowledge and experience—it’s impossible for any "single" thing to experience the "all". If a part can only understand the whole as an “idea”; universal meaning will always be limited to the finitude of that attempting to understand.

Just some thoughts, open to debate.

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What's in a name?

Can I ask you something?....

What does a Martha look like to you? Is it a white middle aged woman? 

How about a Woody? Definitely not a black man right? 

Which of these shapes below would you call Takete and Maluma:

Words convey symbolic ideas beyond their meaning. The majority of us think malumas are soft and round while taketes are hard and sharp. These were the findings of renowned psychologist Wolfgang Köhler. The University of New York, led by Brett Pelham, studied this unconscious bias phenomena and identified we all have an “implicit egotism”. That is to say people “prefer people, places, and things that they associate (unconsciously) with the self...people’s positive automatic associations about themselves may influence their feelings about almost anything that people associate with the self.”

This is almost obvious but it raises an important question: How much does this subconscious judgement contribute to prejudice? Imagine you met someone whose name is Heaven or Mercedes? Would you take them as seriously as a David or Alexander? The country singer Johnny Cash has a song called A Boy Named Sue. It tells the misfortunes of a boy whose deadbeat dad gives him a girls name before disappearing from his life. Naturally, the boy seeks vengeance and when he confronts his bum of a father in bar brawl; he (father) contends it was his way of making sure his son survives in this tough life. It's a good song.

So should we all change our names like actors do, in order to improve our prospects of getting jobs and opportunities. Would Norma Jean Mortenson be as successful had she not changed her name to Marilyn Monroe? When a name rolls off the tongue, rhymes or sounds quirky, at an implicit level we associate more positive emotion with it. If you are Jamaal—even if you are white—you are more likely to be stopped and searched than Steven.

Here is a list of my three favourite names

Haile Selassie –Ethiopian Emperor

Shoghi Effendi –Head of the Bahá'í Faith

Shaka Zulu– Zulu King

What are yours?

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A great leader doesn't let pride get in his way.

It’s the year 1201 AD. Imagine you are a great general on the battlefield. At your disposal is the most powerful and revolutionary army that ever existed. Adrenalin courses through your veins as you manoeuvre to inflict slaughter — and avoid death. Out of nowhere, a lone arrow swishes past, piercing your prized warhorse in the barrel. You both plummet to the ground. Your enemy is formidable, but you are certain victory is eminent. 

When the dust settles and your enemy has been vanquished. You demand to know who toppled you and killed your horse. A brave enemy soldier (now prisoner) has the nerve to stand up and declare it was him! With all your men watching, do you: 1. Kill the soldier 2. Let him go or 3. Hire him? I am willing to bet most of us would make an example of this miscreant to show our strength and inflate our pride but not Genghis Khan. Genghis made that man a high ranked officer in his army, even nick named him “jebe” or “arrow” in honour of their encounter on the battlefield.

Why is this even relevant to anyone? Genghis Khan didn't conquer 12 million square miles by chance. He operated on a structure of meritocracy. Sometimes you have to put your ego aside and acquire the talent of your adversaries and competitors. Only work with the best if you wish to remain the best. 

Former Apple CEO, John Sculley who pushed Steve Jobs out of the company over a dispute regarding licensing Macintosh's software to other PC makers later admitted it was a mistake. Jobs was the key player and Scully wanted to exercise his position rather than listen to what his best player had to say. That’s why the company was struggling in the late 90s. "At that point, only Steve Jobs could have revived the business. There's no way I could have ever done the things Steve Jobs did." Sculley said.

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Charles Darwin's letter to a ‘lying scoundrel’.

I read the letter below on the Charles Darwin correspondence project website. It highlights a common vice of the human condition: disloyalty. While professing friendship in private, St George Jackson Mivart, a Catholic zoologist, lambasted Darwin's Book the Descent of Man in his reviews— the scoundrel! He also went a step further and accused "Darwin’s son, George, of supporting prostitution" thus implying "Darwin’s own theories as immoral." When Darwin had quite enough of Mivart's duplicity he wrote: 

To St G. J. Mivart 12 January 1875

Jan 12th 1875

Sir
Your article in the Q. R. for July 1874 contains a wholly false & malicious accusation against my son, Mr G. Darwin. You had a fair opportunity in the following number of retracting your infamous & explicit accusation, & you did not make even this small reparation.— Your article also includes deliberate misrepresentations of what I have published.
Therefore I refuse to hold for the future any communication with
Sir | Your obedt. servt. | Ch. Darwin
To | St. G. Mivart Esq

Cambridge University Library (DAR 97: C36).

Originally published by darwinproject with permission of the Darwin family and the Syndics of Cambridge University Library.

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Is great Art the bastard child of sorrow?

I think some of the greatest and most universally applauded Art is the bastard child of sorrow. I deliberately utilize the word “bastard” because sorrow never sticks around. It visits every now and then, to impregnate the artist with negative emotions from which art is born. A true artist is one who can transform their suffering into other forms of emotion through creative and imaginative expression. Some leave their pain on the canvas so you can vicariously live through it like Picasso’s Guernica and others hide it like Jackson Pollock’s abstract work. I use the word art broadly, not just painters, but authors, musicians, actors and performers.

Tragedy&sorrow usually trumps comedy&joy when it comes to art. I don’t know why. And the more tragic the life stories of the artist, the more poignant and revered their output. Van Gogh was a downtrodden and deeply misunderstood outcast. Virginia Woolf suffered depression. Picasso's philandering was a clear indication of an unfulfilled yearning for love. B.B. King sang, “Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jivin', too.” Richard Pryor set himself on fire after freebasing cocaine and drinking 151-proof rum. Marlon Brando escaped domestic abuse. Charlie Chaplin’s mother was in a mental asylum. I could go on, but I won’t.

In Picasso’s own words “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

I mean look at this list of the worlds most expensive paintings! They are all pretty sombre.

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Will Smith's sickening work ethic

A piece of advice. If you ever make it to Hollywood and you are privy to a membership in one of the plush gyms Will Smith goes to; don’t challenge him on the treadmill. You could be more experienced or talented than him but he promises,“either you are getting off first, or I am going to die! It’s really that simple.” Smith, who admits, “I don’t see myself as particularly talented, where I excel, is ridiculous, sickening! work ethic” is speaking metaphorically but there is some good foundation to his belief. 

When he was only twelve, his father dismantled a long brick wall outside his business, just to ask Will and his brother to rebuild it. While most of us were challenged enough stacking LEGO, the Smith boys were learning to persevere with real life bricks. Laying one brick at a time, as perfectly as possible. It took them a year and a half but they did it! At the end, their dad said, “Now don’t you ever tell me there’s something that you can’t do!”

What a lesson.

When you see Newsweek label Mr. Will Smith “the most powerful actor in Hollywood”, you can bet they ain’t talking about his endurance on the treadmill.

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The Stoics and your ABCs

I like the Stoic philosophers. Their work has endured and is still relevant today. I particularly enjoy the teachings of Cicero, Seneca, Epectitus and meditations of the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius. I like their philosophy because it’s practical, doesn't get too bogged down with semantics. The Stoics taught that destructive emotions come from errors in judgement. And that a person of “moral and intellectual perfection” ought to be immune from such trappings.

Epictetus said, “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters” This resonate with me and I can imagine it resonates with most of us. Fast forward a couple of thousand years and an American psychologist by the name of Albert Ellis, develops a cognitive behavioural therapy technique simplified as the A-B-C model. It goes: an Action, coupled with a certain Belief produces a certain Consequence. Most times we jump from A to C but in order to avoid undesired consequences; we must evaluate B. 

Doesn’t matter if you are a scientist, philosopher, artist, professor, teenager, teacher, employee or parent; we all lose our cool. Next time you are faced with a challenging situation (A), try and be aware of your judgement (B) in order to improve the outcome (C). Don’t just be ruled by emotions, take a break, assess the situation and let logic lead the way.

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We become what you expect by Tom Asacker

Tom Asacker is an author, business advisor and change agent I recently interviewed for the website: www.onhumancondition.com This is is what he says about the power of expectations:

In 1967, thirteen-month-old Daniel Kish had his second eyeball removed.

And his mother had to make a crucial decision.

Lower her expectations and protect her blind son from the world.

Or treat Daniel like any other boy and let him do what he wanted to do.

She chose the latter.

And that conscious act of faith changed everything.

Daniel didn’t wither, he thrived.

He became one with his world and learned to negotiate it.

To run, climb, play, and even ride a bike.

Primarily by making palatal clicks with his tongue.

Echolocation, like a bat.

(You can listen to Daniel’s amazing story at this link.)

Daniel Kish blossomed into an amazing human being.

But it was his mother who made that possible.

By giving up control and setting Daniel free.

Free to experience.

Free to fail, free to discover, free to learn.

And, eventually, free to see.

We’re living in a low expectation world.

One where leaders place us in tight little bubbles.

And feed us intravenously with bland, risk-free nutrients.

Hoping to protect us, and themselves.

God help us, they’ve even banned sledding.

Anaïs Nin wrote:

“Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat.”

Because without suffering, without defeat, without adversity we’re subjected to a grave, unintended consequence.

We eventually go blind.

The Business of Belief Paperback – 30 March 2013

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Why should you know Dent-de-Lion du Midi?

Imagine you work at LEGO. A Swedish man, with shoulder length hair, a rugged beard down to his chest and clad in knickers (hiking gear) shows up asking to speak to the head honcho, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. The man says his name is Dent-de-Lion du Midi or “Dandi” for short. He says he has an idea to share with the company. Do you grant him access? Of course not!

Well that doesn't stop Dandi. He manages to charm two technicians from the audiovisual department to watch a clip of his 3-D modelled LEGO idea. They’re impressed. He follows with a pitch to turn physical LEGO bricks into a digital format; a database of high quality renderings of ALL the LEGO Group’s product portfolio. Why? Because if this is done; any LEGO design team will be able to quickly create “digital versions of the physical kits, as well as 3-D LEGO cartoons, films, building instructions, television ads and other marketing collateral.” Essentially, a virtual building and testing system—which was a no-brainer. In May 1995 the executives at LEGO authorised Dandi to work with a team of coders and graphics professionals to begin R&D under the name: The Darwin Project. The team grew rapidly to 120 people!

By 1996, Dandi’s team wowed the crowd at the worlds largest graphics conference SIGGRAPH with a virtual reality, LEGO version of New Orleans—where the event was held. At the execs dinner, Kjeld stood up and told the Darwin Team, “You people are the future of the company”. 

Marvellous!

Just goes to show, you never know where your best ideas can come from.

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Brick by Brick Paperback – 6 March 2014

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How to Tell Stories: The Three Shapes

Kurt Vonnegut was a renowned author and literary genius. When it came to story telling, he felt there were only three types of stories we love to share: 

1. Problem solving story. A problem is encountered. A solution is created and problem is solved by the end. [BLUE]

2. The boy meets girl story. Something exciting happens to you, you lose it but eventually gain it back. [RED]

3. The Cinderella story. You start in the lowest circumstances imaginable. Things get better and better until you reach the pinnacle of your potential success. Something happens, causing you plummet. The lessons learned from the experience; either help you get back up or render you emotionally content with who you've become. [GREEN] 

From our cave painting beginnings, to medieval times, to the industrial and information age; these are the main types of stories we have been telling and retelling. This is essential for anyone looking to tell a good story, build a great brand, create rapport or successfully market a product.

Listen to the billionaire John Paul DeJoria, of the Paul Mitchell and The Patrón Spirits Company tell his life story and you won’t help but root for him. 

He knows how to tell a good story.

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