Nobody likes being insulted. We often feel compelled to respond in kind, all too often exacerbating problems. I haven’t found advice to have a thick skin or not to let it affect you helpful, especially when angry or feeling attacked. It feels like letting the other person win. Understanding the situation from a different perspective makes responding easier. The main principle: When people insult, they say more about themselves than[…] Keep reading →
Josh’s growing list of differences with mainstream American culture
on February 15, 2012 in Awareness, Blog, Freedom, LeadershipI’ve noticed many of my values differ from what I see in mainstream American culture. See how yours differ too. What I call mainstream may differ from what you call mainstream and at times I deliberately overstate the mainstream American view to parody it. Category “Mainstream” American view (oversimplified) Josh’s view (oversimplified) Jobs Horrible way to waste your time. A necessary evil we have to endure. A source of challenges[…] Keep reading →
Models: an exercise in spotting the model
on January 15, 2012 in Awareness, Exercises, Nature[This post is part of a series on The Model — my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development — which I find the most effective and valuable foundation for understanding yourself and others and improving your life. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get[…] Keep reading →
This land was made for you and me
on January 13, 2012 in Art, Creativity, Freedom, Leadership, Nature, NorthKoreaLike most American kids of my generation, I learned This Land Is Your Land as a children’s song, never thinking much of its meaning. A decade or two later, I heard Bruce Springsteen’s version of it on his Live 75-85 set. His introduction first got me thinking about its meaning, especially in contrast to God Bless America. I didn’t know Woodie Guthrie wrote This Land Is Your Land as an[…] Keep reading →
Models: an exercise in evaluating models
on January 13, 2012 in Awareness, Blog, Exercises, Nature[This post is part of a series on The Model — my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development — which I find the most effective and valuable foundation for understanding yourself and others and improving your life. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get[…] Keep reading →
Models: examples of the active view
on January 12, 2012 in Awareness, Blog, Evolutionary Psychology, Nature[This post is part of a series on The Model — my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development — which I find the most effective and valuable foundation for understanding yourself and others and improving your life. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get[…] Keep reading →
Models: the active view, part 2
on January 11, 2012 in Awareness, Evolutionary Psychology, Models, Nature, Visualization[This post is part of a series on The Model — my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development — which I find the most effective and valuable foundation for understanding yourself and others and improving your life. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get[…] Keep reading →