categories
Philosophy
21 posts
-
Elegant deep or beautiful explanations-at-edge-2012
Some fascinating ideas explored at the Annual Edge contributions for the most deep, elegant or beautiful explanation.
-
Crisis of faith in the financial system
Thought provoking post by Adam Richardson at Harvard Business Review on the levels of abstraction implicit in the financial system and the trust that is required from all participants for it to continue to operate.
-
How to accomplish more by doing less
Rings true to my own experience. It's not just the number of hours we sit at a desk in that determines the value we generate. It's the energy we bring to the hours we work.
-
Things that matter
Seth Godin's free ebook brings together over seventy short essays from leading thinkers. Howard Mann's contribution stands out: a sharp observation about how we walk the streets staring into screens, convinced we are more connected than ever, while the world passes by.
-
Putting things off
A pointer to a piece on changing the way we work — slowing down, being more deliberate, and questioning the assumption that constant availability and busyness are virtues worth cultivating.
-
New perspectives on money
Resurgence magazine's special issue on money and true wealth opens with a sharp editorial by Satish Kumar: money is not wealth — true wealth is healthy land, clean water, honest work and human creativity. There is never a shortage of money for war, but always a shortage for art and education.
-
Depression and getting help
This article was linked by Macdrifter overnight and, as is often the case, Gabe has come up with gem. It's by Rob Delaney a US comedian, reflecting on his depression and the importance of getting help.
-
Maintaining physical social and mental fitness
Since I subscribed to the Harvard Business Review blog posts I have seen a steady stream of sharply observed and well thought out pieces. Many are aimed at corporate efficiency however a good smattering challenge the existing order and some are just timely good advice like this one.
-
Groups with more women are more intelligent
Tom Malone on collective intelligence and the 'genetic' structure of groups. The average intelligence of the people in the group and the maximum intelligence of the people in the group doesn't predict group intelligence.
-
Dividing camels
The traditional teaching stories of the Sufi's are often intriguing. One of my favourites is known as Dividing Camels.
-
Doing one thing at a time
A timely reminder from Harvard Business Review that sustained focus — doing one thing well rather than fragmenting attention across email, calls and meetings — is both rarer and more valuable than we tend to acknowledge.
-
Trading as video game
An Atlantic piece comparing modern derivatives trading to playing a high-stakes video game — and speculating that this kind of immersive, abstracted decision-making will become a feature of more jobs in the future.
-
Frightened by voluntary simplicity
An article in the New York Times tells of a couple who are shedding their possessions prior to starting a new life as organic farmers. What I found interesting was that they have had some hostile reactions on the blog they are keeping to document the journey.
-
Managing information overload
Saw this great cartoon over at Devon-Technologies which I have been visiting lately as I start to tackle my own information overload.
-
Models for decision making
A look at decision-making techniques and the value of stepping back to see the full picture. Includes a fine mind map example from Learning Fundamentals on personal actions for reducing climate change impacts.
-
Finding significance in a world of distraction
Really good material here from Becoming Minimalist about finding significance in a world of distraction.
-
Daily Rituals
Great infographic showing the daily rituals of interesting historical figures. Smoking, coffee and beer appear frequently.
-
Looking for meaning by paying attention
Practising how to find the meaning in proverbs sharpens our ability to define problems in ways that lead to innovation. A piece that connects HBR's thinking on creative problem-solving with the deeper attention cultivated by traditions like Sufi teaching stories.
-
Pursuing a simpler life
Zen Habits has compiled all its writing on simplicity into a single resource — a useful reference for anyone working through the practical and philosophical challenges of living with less and with more intention.
-
Living with introverts
Insightful guide to living with an introvert, rings true and definitely worth a look.
-
Diversify your dreams
Great post from HBR that calls out the danger of simplifying your dreams down to a narrow outcome that can setup a black and white success or failure scenario.
