On the paradox of choice

To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.
Kofi Annan
This little insighting was heavily inspired by Barry Schwartz’ TED talk on The Paradox of Choice. I watched it a few months back, [...]

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An open letter to my dream job

Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.
Lord Byron
I assure you, Havi is not the only person in the world to inspire me. But she does it so well, and so often, that the traces of that inspiration sometimes find their way back here. This time, her post about writing a [...]

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Directness vs. Indirectness: Mind Reading

If it’s the Psychic Network why do they need a phone number?
Robin Williams
Interpreting what a speaker means from what they say – not always an easy task. Pragmatical interpretation has sometimes been dubbed a relative of mind reading in the sense that we use hints and clues from the other person’s behavior – verbal or [...]

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Project Mode vs. Routine Mode

The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
Mike Murdock
After a week of complete and utter relaxation and no obligations whatsoever, you’d suspect I’d be jumping at the chance to get going with all the interesting stuff I have to finish for my January deadlines. Fun, right?
Not so much.
Instead, I’m having real difficulty [...]

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Up and Down, Up and Down – Status in Communication II

Are you threatening me?!
The Great Cornholio
In yesterday’s post, I looked at some basic principles of status transactions. If you want to check out the specifics, feel free to read that post as well. Basically status transactions are about who has more power in a conversation or a social situation. High and low status can be [...]

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