Author: lenny

unwanted advice

Advice, unasked for, is doomed to be dismissed. Your heart in the right place combined with the best, most cordial intentions is no match for advice predestined to be ignored.

What if you see a loved one about to make a mistake? A mistake that you’ve made in the past, or one you were able to avoid. If someone you care about is going through a situation you went through and struggled with, is it not your moral duty to let them in on ways you coped with the circumstances?

Barraging that person with advice isn’t likely to create much of an impression. Determine the willingness of that particular person to receive advice first. Find out if there are any aspects in particular that they would like help with. Without knowing how susceptible your counterpart is, you’re pretty much preaching to the choir.

two wrongs indicate one right

It’s usually easier to notice bad behavior in others than it is in ourselves.

You and your friend, while studying together, have to have a sandwich at three in the morning. Sweet, savory calories stuffed in a bun. They’re delicious, alright, but the late-night snack induces other bad behavior. The energy boost you get prevents you from going to sleep, resulting in an array of undesirable secondary effects.

Relatively easy to identify among the two of you. Now what?

When two people show the same type of behavior that they wish to get rid of, noticing it is a great start. External input is still required to improve upon the situation.

Two wrongs might (not) make a right, but they surely can indicate what’s wrong.

honest hotel

On average, it’s about six and a half times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to keep one. However, in some industries, the ratio is less meaningful due to people seeking new, unique experiences anyway. Out of two bakeries in your vicinity, equally distant, which one will you end up revisiting? Chances are the one with superior products and service. Repeat business is crucial for bakeries.

For businesses active in the so-called experience economy, repeat business may be significantly less critical. Consumers looking for thrills prefer new experiences anyway. In this case, referral — the number of additional customers one customer provides — becomes even more critical.

Let’s take a hotel (chain). While exploring online, the rooms look marvelous. Stylized, modern, and quirky. The tricky part is presenting the essential aspects of a hotel room that aren’t necessarily visual, such as quietness. A room with walls as thin as paper in a narrow street with no sound isolation makes for a suboptimal stay. Guess where you won’t be staying again?

On a micro level, this may not cause a problem for that particular hotel. Still, if it’s a chain, it’s actually a big problem. Let’s say the chain has seven hotels in seven countries. That’s slightly more chances missed than the above retention equation.

Promote your hotel, or any other business for that matter, honestly. If you can’t, you have a problem. Not so much with promotion but with the actual company or product.

it pays not to be the boss

Going into a negotiation, the party at the other end of the table is probably well aware that you’re the boss. This particular situation changes the entire strategical negotiation outlook. Your meeting partners will push and haggle until they reach the desired outcome. Even though nothing prevents the boss from sleeping on it, the dynamic is changed either way.

If you aren’t the boss, your meeting partner(s) know that you don’t have clearance to give the go-ahead either way. They’ll assume that you’ll have to discuss with your superiors. In that case, they would try to cater to your needs as much as possible, hoping you will sell their story for them, internally, the best way you can.

Even as the actual boss or CEO, it can be smart to downplay your role, even obfuscate it. Depending on your company’s corporate governance and structure, there might be a board of directors and even a board of advisers in place. Let your meeting partners know, in due time, that the process for taking this particular decision is designed in such a way that it has to be approved by your board. It makes controlling the dynamic easier.

As the boss, it pays not to be the boss every once in a while.

happiness example

It’s unsettlingly easy to fall into the comparison rabbit hole nowadays. People try their best to display the best versions of themselves on various social media sites, potentially causing us to envy them, albeit subconsciously.

I have looked up to people in my life because they seemed to have it all worked out and seemingly exuded a happy vibe. Only to find out later that those very same people were, regrettably, fundamentally unhappy.

We shouldn’t look for happiness outside ourselves, in other people, and by no means in (those people’s) possessions. To compare is to despair. Look for a wholehearted, full feeling of contentment inside.

cherish naivety

Involving other people to join you in solving a problem has the potential to create an instant breakthrough. Looking for someone to consult, expertise isn’t always a prerequisite. On the contrary, sometimes, the lack thereof is a blessing. The infamous “but can’t you just” advice has probably solved numerous problems. All thanks to a fresh perspective.

Naivety is often depicted negatively. Still, substantial value lies in approaching problems naively, in combination with expertise, of course.

Don’t dismiss naivety straight away. Cherish it.

anonymous accusation withdrawal

Judgment passed as a response to a claim made anonymously is more sincere. The more characteristics we know about the person making a claim, the less genuine our judgment becomes.

There is a tacit eligibility-factor we take into account when we see or hear people making claims. Quickly calculating how much we think this person is in a position to make such a claim.

Accusations being thrown around sometimes get withdrawn upon realizing the person’s eligibility for making a claim. That says something about the nature of the accusation, to begin with.

our brain is a compression algorithm

Human brains are the most expensive organs in terms of energy consumption. As a self-preservation tactic, we try to save energy where we can. Therefore, being lazy could be considered smart.

Compression algorithms, the technology that makes files smaller, work similarly. There are many different ways of going about this. Still, fundamentally, many compression algorithms share the same approach at their cores. Look for similarities and omit excess information. For example, you take a photo of a loved one on a clear sunny day. The blue sky’s pixels could be rendered individually, or, in an attempt to reduce file size, the pixels could be clustered. Meaning, as long as the next pixel is similar to the previous one, we can group them.

Even cats go about their day applying compression algorithms. Our domesticated feline friends have excellent spatial awareness. When you put a cucumber, or any object for that matter, behind them when they can’t see, they lose their minds upon noticing. Why? They scanned the environment when they entered the room. The new information being introduced unknowingly is rather shocking for them.

People do the same thing. Cities can be tumultuous. If we have to pay attention to every single detail, our energy would be absolutely drained before we arrive at work. Riding a bicycle in a city, for instance, requires paying attention to cars, traffic lights, pedestrians, and so on. That’s plenty of information as is. Our brains will filter out the smell of the bakery, the sound of the birds, among many other distractions, in an attempt to save energy.

Have you ever turned down the music to better park your car? I sure have. That’s a semi-conscious action. Our brains continuously apply many compression tactics without us being aware. Depending on your energy level, we can try to bypass the compression or deliberately pay attention to things we’d usually miss. Children can notice pretty much everything, but as we grow older, we somehow lose the ability.

Suppose we want fresh perspectives and really be present in the moment. In that case, it’s interesting to be aware of our compression algorithm and turn it (all the way) down when we can and want to.

Contextual Interpretation of Positive and Negative Sentiments

To delve deeper into the intriguing relationship between the words “positive” and “negative” and the sentiments they evoke, let’s consider their use in everyday language and the profound impact context has on their interpretation.

At first glance, the words “positive” and “negative” appear to have straightforward, unambiguous meanings. “Positive” is generally associated with good news, approval, or the presence of something, whereas “negative” often implies bad news, disapproval, or the absence of something. However, the sentiment these words are intended to convey can dramatically shift based on the situation at hand, revealing a complexity that transcends their dictionary definitions.

One of the most illustrative examples of this phenomenon can be found in the context of a pregnancy test. For many, a “positive” result on a pregnancy test is a cause for celebration, symbolizing the start of a new life and the expansion of a family. The word “positive” in this scenario aligns with its common association with good news and the presence of something – in this case, a pregnancy.

However, the emotional response to a positive pregnancy test is not universally jubilant. For a woman who isn’t ready to have a child, whether due to personal, professional, or financial reasons, a positive test result can be anything but positive. In this context, the “positive” result is perceived negatively, as it signifies the onset of an unexpected and potentially unwelcome change in her life. Conversely, a “negative” result, which typically signifies the absence of something, can be received with relief or joy by someone who is not seeking to become pregnant.

This dichotomy underscores the pivotal role context plays in shaping our interpretation of language. The emotional weight and implications of words like “positive” and “negative” are not fixed; they are fluid, changing with the circumstances and the individual’s perspective and desires.

The example of the pregnancy test serves as a powerful reminder that language is not a static construct but a dynamic tool for communication that reflects the complexity of human emotions and experiences. It highlights the importance of context in interpreting the true meaning behind the words we use, demonstrating that the sentiments words are supposed to express can sometimes be the exact opposite of what they traditionally denote.

In essence, understanding the impact of context on language enriches our communication, allowing for a more nuanced expression of our thoughts and feelings. As we navigate the complexities of human interaction, recognizing the multifaceted nature of words like “positive” and “negative” can foster empathy and deeper connections with others, reminding us that the essence of communication lies not just in the words themselves, but in the shared understanding they create.

Context is everything.

too much of a good thing is never enough

Growing up as a kid, we used to have a poster in the house with a quote from Garfield saying: too much of a good thing is never enough. The fat cartoon cat was sitting next to what’s left of a pie. I honestly don’t know why that poster was there, it wasn’t particularly visually appealing. However, the saying always stuck with me.

Even though it sounds nice, it’s probably inaccurate and perhaps even dangerous. A tasty pie could definitely be considered a good thing. It could potentially uplift our spirits upon consuming it. Eating the entire pie though, is an entirely different story. Without going into medical details, excessive sugar intake is just plain bad. Not all pleasant things (whatever they may be) are good for us, and inversely, not all unpleasant things are bad for us.

Arguably, there are bound to be some good things where too much is never enough. Let’s take charity for one, would too much charity truly never be enough? Quite possible so. The issue wouldn’t be the amount or quantity of charity going around; it would become a matter of distribution speed.

If Jameela is giving all of her money, after selling all of her assets to charity, Jameela could be considered a wonderful human being; however, chances are she didn’t do the best possible job she could have done. Maybe now she is struggling to get by herself, causing her to no longer contribute to charity. Whereas if she had distributed her giving slower and more evenly, in the end, she could have helped more people, starting a fund or non-profit along the way.

Too much of a good thing is never enough. Only if the speed (and recurrence) with which the item is consumed or distributed is moderate.