Archive for 'life'

Managing expectations - 4 rules to live by

18 August 2008

This will be the best blog post you’ve ever read.

That’s quite a statement to live up to. Beyond overstating my own abilities, there is the subject matter that I am writing about. Could what I have to say really be that interesting?

Furthermore, I don’t have any way of knowing what else you have read. You […]

Loyalty versus Rationality

28 March 2008

Why does loyalty exist? What evolutionary significance does it have? I’m not an evolutionary scientist, but I have a few ideas.

First, a definition from dictionary.com:

1. faithful to one’s sovereign, government, or state: a loyal subject.
2. faithful to one’s oath, commitments, or obligations: to be loyal to a vow.
3. faithful to any leader, party, or cause, or to any […]

Dependence - Independence - Interdependence

24 February 2008

Ever heard someone say "He’s 20, but he acts like he’s 16.", showing that age is not a true indicator of maturity? What then, defines maturity?

As we go through life, we have several stages of maturity.

Dependence - From the time we are born, we need those around us to survive. Infants need constant supervision and […]

Use fear to your advantage

24 November 2007

When fear is advantageous
Fear is an emotion that is experienced in anticipation of a possible event that may have an unknown or undesirable outcome.
Why does fear exist? From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense. When we were caveman, it was good that we were afraid of our predators. Our dumb cousin that wasn’t afraid of […]

The observer chooses the path

3 November 2007

Modern day meta-physicists agree that an electron can coexsist in two places at the same time. This is pretty neat when you stop and think about it. One physical entity, in two different places, at the same time.
Even more significant is the idea that, as Einstein predicted, the entity appears to choose which place it […]

Plans are nothing, planning is everything

25 October 2007

Good posts start with quotes from famous thinkers, right?

Plans are nothing; planning is everything

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

And just for good measure, here’s another.

Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.

– Winston Churchill

Why do both these men place such importance on planning, but disregard the plan itself?
Planning enforces structured thinking to increase the chances of […]

Solving world poverty

17 October 2007

Step 1. Start with $27. Give it to 42 people in an impoverished country as a loan for income generating activities. They will use this money to do things like raise livestock, buy tools and equipment for trade, or to buy initial supplies to have them start a business. 
Step 2. After 100% of them pay […]

Live without excuses

3 October 2007

So often, we focus all of our attention on the obstacles that lay before us. Why? Because it’s easier to accept that you can’t obtain our goals if it is due to circumstances beyond our control. It’s someone else’s fault. Here are some real examples I’ve heard recently:

I won’t ever leave this small town […]

I am a high school dropout

15 September 2007

That’s right. I am a high school dropout. It’s not a path I recommend, but it is the one I’ve chosen. Here is the story of how I got into the computer industry.

When I was at Fruita Monument High School, my girlfriend and I got pregnant. I was 17, and I needed a speech credit […]

Pain is the best teacher

14 September 2007

Why is it that we, as people, must suffer through serious pain before we learn?
I know that my best learning experiences have come from the times that were the most difficult for me. A preacher once told me that we don’t pray when times are good. Oh how true. We only reflect and try to […]

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