If you want to lead people, letting them act on their existing motivations will motivate them a lot more than not recognizing those motivations. If that motivation builds in caring about others’ interests, all the more effective. A lot of people look down on others who do things for personal recognition, applause, glory, and things like that. “You should do it because it’s good, that’s all,” they say. Often they[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicists, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Should I Respond to My Mechanic’s Racist Poster?” I live in a small rural town. At the local garage, the owner has photocopied and displayed a poster that he apparently thinks is clever. It proclaims to[…] Keep reading →

I can’t believe the changes in how I see food my last two changes in food habit created. And I can’t believe how easy and cheap the changes were. The changes were to buy a farm share, where I pick up fresh vegetables from a drop-off place near me each week, and the other was my two-and-a-half-week experiment not buying food where I had to throw away packaging after. Each[…] Keep reading →

At a meeting to promote the teaching of leadership a couple months ago, I saw several proposals to support women pursuing leadership but none for men. I sensed that others there felt that since men held nearly all corporate and government positions of authority that men had greater access to positions of leadership. I didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up, but I found a few perspectives missing. Advantages existing for[…] Keep reading →

My mom grew up on a farm. I forget the details, but she said the family of six would have about a pound of meat for a meal (or maybe for a week). Dessert would be an apple. Americans today routinely eat over a pound of meat in one meal and turn down apples in favor of sweetened delicacies only royalty enjoyed a few generations ago. Poor Americans today have[…] Keep reading →

The New York Times wrote about a woman who ran, swam, or biked every morning at 6:30 for thirty years in “On the Trail, Every Day for 30 Years.” She has over a quarter-century on my burpee sidcha! The article begins: Just after 7 a.m. on a sunny Wednesday in June, a 61-year-old woman darted in front of taxis in Columbus Circle outside Central Park. A few seconds later, she[…] Keep reading →

It sucks when you’re playing a team sport and you get shut down trying to cut to get open, the other team scores on you, you throw into an interception or some mistake like that. Few of us enjoy admitting to faults, so we often make excuses that the problem was with your team mates, the sun, the equipment, or something out of your control. When you run drills or[…] Keep reading →

Join me at Princeton’s tech meetup, July 16, 6:45pm! The title of my talk is “8 Steps from No Idea to Funding.” I hope to see you there. From the announcement: Topic: 8 Steps from No Idea to Funding Speaker: Joshua Spodek 6:45 – Arrival – Snacks, Pizza and Networking. 7:15 – Introduction / Announcements by the organizers. 7:20 – 7:30 Apply for Startup Demo / Pitches (ONE MINUTE each) 7:30 - 8 Steps[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of alternative responses to the New York Times column, The Ethicists, looking at the consequences of one’s actions instead of imposing values on others, here is my take on today’s post, “Do Another Woman’s Marriage Vows Bind Me?” A single woman, I moved to a new town and became friendly with a married man who then told me that he was romantically interested in me. He said[…] Keep reading →