When we have a fully-formed idea in our mind, and try to communicate that to other people, it’s easy to overlook details that seem obvious to us. That perfect picture in our mind is still a black screen in the minds of others, waiting to be filled in with what we communicate. It’s important to confirm
Whether in the US or Thailand, tribalism & heated debate over politics has reached an epidemic level. But as much as we’d like to believe that our logical arguments should persuade anyone with a little common sense, it doesn’t appear that our brains are built to change belief on presentation of facts that don’t fit
It was a horrifying sight in a war filled with horrifying sights. But the other atrocities were just stories that 10-year-old Little Red had heard. This was real. A bloated corpse, barely recognizable as a Japanese sailor but for the anchor symbol on its sleeve and a scarf with Japanese characters pressing into its swollen
Imagine in the early hours of December 8th, 1941, instead of hearing the crowing roosters and soulful songs of morning birds, while fishermen hawk their catch off of their moored boats, you hear the hum of troop transport boats and the sharp report of gunfire. Under the dim light of a waning moon, mostly covered
You’ve probably seen the ads of how big CEOs read 60 books a year. That’s marketing hype, but it’s true that leaders should constantly up their game with knowledge. So, why not join, or start, a book discussion group? Here’s some benefits: Meet & make new friends. Social interaction improves our well-being & longevity. Meeting
Culture shapes values, and those values shape history. Jeremy Lent, The Patterning Instinct:A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning This is the central thesis of Jeremy Lent’s book The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning. Why is this relevant to you? Because everything we do, in our own work, play,
Key to living & working in multi-cultural environments is understanding the Why of different values & behaviors. Parenting styles differ significantly between Interdependent & Independent cultures. Cross-cultural psychologists examined parent-child interactions in poorer rural Cameroon & India, compared to middle-class German pairs. The agricultural Cameroonian Nso and Indian Rajput cultures shared a style that promoted
Human relations aren’t easy. Understanding the ways in which we develop our values, which affect behavior, can help deal with the complexity of human interaction. Much of what Western-trained behavioral scientists think they understand about culture, values, & behavior is based on a very narrow data set of WEIRD people—Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic. A
“First, Wonder at the World. Second, Invite Others to Wonder With You.” Austin Kleon, Author, Steal Like an Artist If we want to get others to notice and become interested in something important, or to join in positive change, we start by building our own passion and sense of wonder. “Follow your passion” is bad
When expatriate supervisors or advisors are working in foreign cultures, they need to understand & appreciate the local environment. Attitudes toward what risks are acceptable can be diverse. We need to implement & enforce standards, but should also be patient in not blaming people who have been immersed in high risk-tolerant cultures. Working on fail-safe
