How much are we genetically programmed?

One of the challenges of studying how ww think is that we are using our brains to study our brains. So we may even be pre-programmed to see things in a certain way. As a result, there are almost certainly some things we can not see objectively, just as the two dimensional creature can not see a three dimensional one completely. This is not the genetics of the individual, but rather the genectics of humanity. We may be disposed to think in certain ways which we consider logical, yet which extraterrestrials might not. If we even encounter such beings, that might provide us with some answers, or if our thinking is so different, we may never even be able to communicate.

The need for control over your life

In today's New York Times an article discussed the growing trend among younger people to diagnose and use drugs for their own purposes. They have more faith in their own ability to do so than in Doctors'. They grew up with direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs and are knowledgeable about symptoms and medications. At the same time, we know that the less control over your own life you have, the more stress you feel. When your actions at work are watched - cubicles and monitoring of email being examples - you feel stress. The more day to day supervision you are under, the less effectively you may perform. Yet management continues to believe that more control is helpful. Much as spanking children has been shown to be counterproductive, yet people continue to belive in it. Our sense of what is obvious or intuitive is not always correct. We need to recognize the need for objectivity, and give control back to employees, until they give reason to distrust them.

The Multiplication of Incorrect Information

As the Internet has grown there is much more information on it. While this is a great resource, there is also a lot more incorrect information, much of which takes on a life of its own. If you look up a fact or a person on the Internet, make sure you check any fact which seems inconsistent. Also, just because a fact recurs in several places, it may not mean it is accurate. It may simply mean that one source has used the other as its prime source. Thus statements about the number of engineers in a country or the number of elm trees in another could be based on someone's guess some time back.

The secret of a true visionary

An article in the Wall Street Journal today pointed out that the human mind tends to put a positive spin on everything that happens. Any time we are disappointed, we justify it to ourselves by repositioning the event so that it turns out to be what we wanted all along. Perhaos this is just as well. So while Thoreau might have believed that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," that is probably not true. Other research has shown that people tend to be equally happy over their lives independently of events. A lottery win or a major disability will over time even out so that people return to their previous level of happiness (or unhappiness).

H.G. Wells talked about "all human progress coming from unreasonable men" - people who do not accept received wisdom, are not satisfied by the status quo. However, the unreasonable man person may not be an unhappy one. The challenge is to give free rein to dissatisfaction without becoming unhappy. In fact the true visionary and change agent is excited by the prospect of something new.

Can people keep up with technology?

There is a widening divide between what C.P. Snow called "the two cultures." There are people who feel empowered by technology. They are excited by the possibilities which technology promises. This includes not only computers, but networks, bio-engineering, automotive advances, logistics improvements and manufacturing systems re-invention. I see intelligent, educated people who can barely use email, develop a PowerPoint presentation, carry out a Google search, or use Photoshop to improve a photo they took.

On the one hand there are people who rely on blogs and use http://www.technorati.com/ more often than they use a phonebook. On the other, there are people who write out emails for their assistants to send, and then read the printed out replies they get. Each has its risks. The technological enthusiasts are narrowly focused, and the technologically blind lose control of their lives.

Sadly, even among younger people, I meet some who will not use technology as the powerful tool it is. I suspect this may continue as technolgy moves ever faster.

Entrepreneurs over 50

Red Herring recently did a story about entrepreneurs under 35. Now this is not very original. Stories about young entrepreneurs have been appearing for the past thirty years. Note that 50 years ago, this was rare. Business publications focused on older executives. Yet from Colonel Sanders to James Dyson, there have been quite a few very successful older entrepreneurs. So why is it that the press does not cover them? Perhaps for the same reasons the press did not cover the inadequacy of the New Orleans storm preparations until it had become obvious. Journalists and business writers cover stories which are most visible to them. Occasiinally, one will break from the pack. So one day, perhapd, the business press will rediscover older entrepreneurs.

In the meantime, for older entrepreneurs everywhere, take inspiration from those who have gone before.