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RECENT WRITINGS

Society and Culture
education today

THE LOST TOOLS OF LEARNING

Sometimes we just have to relearn what people knew a long time ago. This article below was 'polished' with AI to make the grammar slightly more modern, but nothing was changed about the content. It is a woman (Dorothy Sayers) who explains - in 1948! - what is going wrong

People & Psychology
The Wisdom You Didn't Ask For

The Wisdom You Didn't Ask For

You kneel by the hospital bed, or you sit in the car park before the meeting where you're about to lose the contract, or you stare at the second glass of wine and ask, quietly, for the thing to change. The diagnosis to reverse. The number in the account to

Business
The River Was Never Yours

The River Was Never Yours

There is an island in the Nile, just south of modern Cairo, where one of the most important instruments in the ancient world was not a weapon, a monument, or a machine, but a staircase. It descended in measured stone steps into the river, each level marked with the careful

People & Psychology
The Clockwork Rebellion

The Clockwork Rebellion

Why the Smartest Case Against Free Will Secretly Proves the Opposite In the autumn of 1820, Hans Christian Ørsted was giving a lecture at the University of Copenhagen when something peculiar interrupted his demonstration. He was running an electric current through a copper wire, a routine enough procedure, when he

Society and Culture
The Hidden Clock: Time, Culture, and the Unequal Fit of Modernity

The Hidden Clock: Time, Culture, and the Unequal Fit of Modernity

Every civilisation carries a clock inside it. Not merely the mechanical clock on the wall, nor the digital clock on the phone, nor the calendar that divides life into appointments, deadlines and quarterly targets, but a deeper clock: a cultural understanding of what time is for. Is time a resource

Society and Culture
Technology
AGENCY - THE LAST ARCHITECT OF HUMANITY

AGENCY - THE LAST ARCHITECT OF HUMANITY

The Post-Scarcity Horizon: Agency as the Last Constraint Preamble I have written before about theodicy - the age-old debate about why there is suffering. In this essay, I return to that theme from a different perspective, arguing that scarcity is a necessity. We are conditioned to think that scarcity is

Society and Culture
colonialist conquest

F_ you - I was here first

The First Shall Be Last: Why being 'first; beats Creation in One Domain—and Nowhere Else Imagine you're at the Sydney Olympics, watching the men's 100-metre final. The gun fires. Usain Bolt explodes from the blocks, his impossible stride carrying him past the field in 9.69 seconds—a new world record. The

Society and Culture
KIAMA'S FINANCIAL CROSSROADS

KIAMA'S FINANCIAL CROSSROADS

What Worked Elsewhere, and What Could Work Here REGULAR READERS PLEASE IGNORE - THIS IS PERSONAL It applies to my community only. [The full report is linked below] On Tuesday April 7, Kiama Municipal Council met in an extraordinary session to consider a plan that will reshape the services, workforce,

Society and Culture
Technology
AI

HUMAN AGENCY IN THE AGE OF AI

Agency, Abundance, and the Reordering of Human Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence In the rapidly evolving landscape of 2026, artificial intelligence is not merely a tool or a technology—it is a mirror and a multiplier. It does not invent new human behaviours; it scales whatever traits, habits, and

Society and Culture
pain

HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND

Suffering/stress/disorder is the default state across all complex adaptive systems (physical, psychological, social, evolutionary, theological) These systems possess a metabolic mechanism for converting stress into capacity, meaning, or systemic benefit This mechanism succeeds or fails based on: Recognition of suffering as default (not exceptional) Appropriate dosage (Zone 2 vs Zone 3) Active engagement with metabolic

Society and Culture
civilisations

THE EMOTIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE WEST

We're used to understanding history through the lens of what people built, what they invented, what they conquered. The Renaissance gets credit for art and humanism. The Industrial Revolution gets the machines and the misery. The Information Age gets the internet and the anxiety that comes with it. But this

Society and Culture
minority

THE TYRANNY OF MINORITIES - PART 2

Explore the asymmetric influence of uncompromising minorities, a social phenomenon where a small, inflexible group dictates terms to a flexible majority. Drawing on the work of thinkers like Nassim Taleb and Serge Moscovici, it explains how the "minority rule" reshapes everything from market standards and evolutionary biology to modern political

Society and Culture
minority

THE TYRANNY OF MINORITIES - PART 1

Explore the asymmetric influence of uncompromising minorities, a social phenomenon where a small, inflexible group dictates terms to a flexible majority. Drawing on the work of thinkers like Nassim Taleb and Serge Moscovici, it explains how the "minority rule" reshapes everything from market standards and evolutionary biology to modern political

Society and Culture
Technology
media outrage

THE PARASITE AND THE PLATFORM

The Attention Economy, Political Incentives, and the Quiet Erosion of the Inner Life On a Tuesday afternoon in late winter, a high school teacher in a mid-sized city did something unusual. He placed a small wooden box on his desk and asked each of his students to drop their phones

People & Psychology
woman deciding

YOUR BRAIN IS STILL ON THE SAVANNA

Why Every Purchase You Make Is Controlled by a 200,000-Year-Old Survival System A guide to the hidden wiring behind every buying decision you have ever made The Two-Dollar Mystery

Politics
Society and Culture
political manifesto

A POLITICAL MANIFESTO

This is an invitation for political parties to come and get my vote. This is what I want in return for my vote. AUSTRALIA FIRST POLICY FRAMEWORK Pragmatic. Sovereign. Meritocratic. We cover all aspects from defence, housing, energy and everything in between.

Society and Culture
Technology
Politics
energy

WHY AUSTRALIA WAS SAID TO BECOME THE WHITE TRASH OF ASIA

This was a claim made by Lew Kuan Yew more than 4 decades ago. And we need courage to prove him wrong. Australia Doesn't Have an Energy Problem. It Has a Courage Problem: A case for the Hybrid Energy Strategy — and why the AI revolution makes it urgent. I've

Business
Strategy
shopping mall

THE COST OF CORPORATE DISTRACTION

The Lend Lease Wind-up: Australia’s own "Budweiser Moment" I take no pleasure in writing this about a past employer. However, this development serves as a necessary and timely warning to the Australian business community. In the Handbook of Business 101, Chapter 1, Rule 1 is simple: Cash is King. All

Religion
truth

WHY FACTS FAIL

A Christian Perspective on Human Cognition and Divine Truth The age-old question—"Why do facts often fail to change people's minds?"—strikes at the heart of human stubbornness, intellectual inertia, and the frustrating gap between evidence and conviction. In an era of information overload, where data flows freely and arguments rage across

Books
FOOLED BY PHILANTHROPY 

FOOLED BY PHILANTHROPY

The Bedrock of Freedom: What Is the Proper Role of Law? What if the very system designed to protect your life, liberty, and property has been turned into the most effective weapon against them? It’s a provocative, almost unsettling question. Yet, it wasn't posed in a modern think tank or

Books
Business
THE KARAMAZOV CODE

THE KARAMAZOV CODE

What a 19th-Century Russian Novel Reveals About Entrepreneurial Chaos Introduction: Your Startup's Secret Weapon is a 150-Year-Old Russian Novel What can a sprawling, 19th-century Russian novel—a dense tapestry of patricide, faith, doubt, and profound family dysfunction—possibly teach you about running a business in the 21st century? It sounds like the

Politics
Society and Culture
Business
Capitalism Part 3

FIXING CAPITALISM - PART 3

The Path Forward: Constrained Prosperity Economics Why a Simple Return to the Past is Not the Answer The manifest failures and frictions of 21st-century global capitalism have, understandably, led some to call for a return to older, seemingly more straightforward economic models. The most prominent of these are socialism and

Religion
Books
3rd commandment

SACRED ALGORITHM #4

Lex Aequilibrii - The Law of Balance Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or

Society and Culture
People & Psychology
the patriots

THE PATRIOTS YOU MOCK, THE PATRIOTS YOU NEED

This is an extract from a much longer article. You can download the FREE PDF. You can watch the YouTube video inserted at the bottom of the post. The Illusion of Patriotism Patriotism in Australia has become a cultural fault line. Each January, the debate over Australia Day erupts with

Politics
Society and Culture
Business
Capitalism Part 2

FIXING CAPITALISM - PART 2

A Tale of Two Systems: The US vs. China and the Perils of Asymmetric Capitalism Divergent Paths of Industrialization and Globalization The latter half of the 20th century was largely defined by the economic dominance of the United States. Emerging from World War II as the world’s preeminent industrial power,

Society and Culture
Politics
australia

YOU ARE NOT WELCOME

Welcome to Country has evolved into a divisive, performative practice that reinforces difference rather than dissolving it. It is modern, political, inconsistently supported—even within Indigenous communities—and unconnected to tangible improvement in anyone’s life.I don’t oppose respect - which cuts both ways - but I do oppose ritualised division disguised as

Religion
Books
Commandment 3

SACRED ALGORITHM #3

Lex Integritatis - The Law of Integrity You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7) In 2003, a 19-year-old Stanford dropout named Elizabeth Holmes founded a company that would,

Politics
Society and Culture
Business
Fixing Capitalism Part 1

FIXING CAPITALISM - PART 1

The Agnostic Nature of Capital: Theoretical Ideals vs. Real-World Friction Introduction A pure libertarian philosophy, in its most undiluted form, champions absolute individual freedom and minimal government intervention. It is an intellectually elegant framework that operates flawlessly in a vacuum. However, it shatters upon contact with a violent punch in

Books
Business
by ayn rand

THE FOUNTAINHEAD

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead is not merely a story of architectural rivalry; it is a profound philosophical investigation into "Individualism versus Collectivism, not in Politics but in Man’s Soul". Through the journey of its protagonist, Howard Roark, Rand projects her vision of the "ideal man"—a self-sufficient creator who serves as

Society and Culture
People & Psychology
First Commandment

SACRED ALGORITHM #1

Chapter 1: Lex Primatus - The Law of Primacy You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) In the late 1990s, a peculiar cultural phenomenon began to take shape in the sprawling suburbs of America, a quiet revolution not of politics or protest, but of plastic. It was

Politics
People & Psychology
left vs right

LEFT VS RIGHT: ON GOVERNANCE AND POWER

A Personal Political Philosophy A quick bit of background: I grew as a child of Apartheid in South Africa, with all the concomitant benefits - most notably, good schooling and even University bursary. My family deemed me 'left', but it was more complicated than that. I thought white people had

People & Psychology
needs wants and fears

THE TRIFECTA OF TYRANNICAL EMOTIONS

Need, Want, and Fear—and the Quiet Surrender of Human Agency I'll be honest with you - today's sermon kinda sucked. So, the mind wanders - as it is wont to do. And I started thinking - making my own sermon along the way. There are three emotions that quietly tyrannise

Technology
Society and Culture
elon vs south africa

YOU DON'T HATE RICH PEOPLE ENOUGH - BECAUSE YOU ARE STUPID

I have just reread Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'. You can watch the on YT - it is the story of the men (and women) of substance who withdrew their abilities from society because they were despised. Then I watched this interview, about business people leaving South Africa (my country of

Books
Business
atlas shrugged

ATLAS SHRUGGED AND GOD SMILED

Ayn Rand’s tome - Atlas Shrugged - had a profound influence on me when I was younger. I reread it recently and wanted to formulate some ideas to reconcile what I think and what I believe. What I believe is summarised in a book I wrote recently called ‘Sacred Operating

Society and Culture
Politics
WHY INSTITUTIONS SURVIVE

THE SHIRKY PRINCIPLE

Why are hospitals hotbeds of infection, instead of safe, sterile spaces? Why do school administrators tinker with the curriculum, resulting in literacy and numeracy rates becoming worse? Why do organisations like Centrelink (administrators of the dole in Australia) become such massive, powerful bureaucracies? Dyson doesn’t want to solve the dust

Society and Culture
THE ION AGE

THE ION AGE

Every wannabe futurist wants to pick the future before it happens — but the vast majority really only identify trends when the trends are already obvious. The most famous ones are creative about the labels they apply to the next stage of the trend. This is helpful in discussing the

Politics
Society and Culture
THE PROBLEM WITH MIGRANTS

THE PROBLEM WITH MIGRANTS

Immigration is an issue, I am sure you will agree. As an immigrant, I have something to say. Let’s start with a story: A victim of a religiously motivated attack is hospitalised. His injuries are serious, but not life-threatening. The hospital, as you can imagine, is busy dealing with multiple

Religion
Society and Culture
LIVING IN PARADISE

LIVING IN PARADISE

To understand the full power of the Ten Commandments, it is useful to imagine what a society would look like if it achieved perfect adherence to them. This is not a realistic scenario—human beings are fallible, and perfect obedience to any moral code is impossible. But as a thought experiment,

Society and Culture
Strategy
WHEN MAPS FAIL

WHEN MAPS FAIL

Napoleon's Russian Catastrophe and the Modern Crisis of Outdated Models On 24 June 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte stood on the banks of the Niemen River, reviewing what was arguably the largest invasion force Europe had ever assembled. The Grande Armée—615,000 soldiers drawn from across the French Empire and its allies—stretched as

Society and Culture
Religion
moses and the 10 commandments

THE GOLDEN CALF: ISRAEL'S BURDEN THEN AND NOW

Christianity is unique amongst all religions. It is the ONLY religion that does not require works. The reason I am pessimistic about the 'Jewish' question ever being solved peacefully, is because I believe that they have wandered off the path God wants for them. This article / video explains why

Politics
Society and Culture
Books
THE IDEOLOGY OF HITLER’S ‘Mein Kampf’

THE IDEOLOGY OF HITLER’S ‘Mein Kampf’

I had never read Mein Kampf. Like most people, I just assumed Hitler was a mad man not worthy of study, beyond snippets offered in school history text books. But the frequency by which seemingly ordinary people were called ‘Nazis’ made me realise I don’t actually know what a Nazi

Society and Culture
Politics
JEWS AND NAZIS ARE MORE ALIKE THAN YOU THINK

JEWS AND NAZIS ARE MORE ALIKE THAN YOU THINK

Trigger warning: If this piece triggers you, you probably misread it. The point here isn’t to bash Jews, Hamas, Hitler, or any specific group. It’s about how human groups work—period—and why we judge some of them by rules we don’t apply to others. Let’s start with the comparison that will

Politics
People & Psychology
Great oscilation

LEFT vs RIGHT: AN EXISTENTIAL CROSSROADS

The world, in its dizzying complexity, often invites us to seek simplicity. While the nuances of individual character are infinite, human history suggests that our collective worldviews tend to cluster into two distinct archetypes. These are not merely political labels like 'left' and 'right', though they often manifest there. Rather,

People & Psychology
Technology
LESSONS FROM 'THE PILL' THAT WE NEVER LEARNED

LESSONS FROM 'THE PILL' THAT WE NEVER LEARNED

My conclusion is that we may have to burn down the joint - that is if we don’t make some critical changes. There are (always) existential threats to society. We don’t always recognise them for what they are at inception. Ironically they are not that hard to fix. In this

Politics
People & Psychology
DEAR JEW, LET'S FIX THIS

DEAR JEW, LET'S FIX THIS

(or how to abolish antisemitism) I reference many (historical) minorities, but I am mainly thinking about the Jews. As a Christian, the idea of ‘Jew’ is important to me. I am wondering why, of ALL the minorities in the world, antisemitism is so pervasive? The Jews harp on about it,

Politics
People & Psychology
RACISM: A CONVENIENT MYTHOLOGY

RACISM: A CONVENIENT MYTHOLOGY

The origins of racism are often framed as if racial ideology emerged first and then drove centuries of domination, exploitation, and inequality. Yet when we return to first principles and examine the historical record with a clear sociological lens, a different picture emerges — one in which racism is not

Politics
People & Psychology
WHAT IS A WORLD WITHOUT WHITE MEN?

WHAT IS A WORLD WITHOUT WHITE MEN?

Writing about white men is a modern taboo. Despite any assurance I may offer, I doubt the average reader will accept on face value that this is not racist. I am in full agreement with Frank Zanu (Benin-born, African American thinker) that racism doesn’t actually exist. Once you get that

Politics
People & Psychology
CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM AND JUDAISM — THE FAULT LINES

CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM AND JUDAISM — THE FAULT LINES

My usual writing is more assertive. However, this subject is sufficiently complex that what follows is more speculative theory than a blunt attempt at persuasion. I am acutely aware of my own worldview and biases, and I make allowances for them where possible. I believe that Islam, as it is

Politics
People & Psychology
It’s the CULTURE stupid

It’s the CULTURE stupid

Culture is the invisible script that nations recite without rehearsal, the unspoken bylaws dictating how societies stumble, soar, or self-sabotage; just as surely as they govern the boardrooms of businesses and the backrooms of bureaucracies. We toss the word around like confetti at a TED Talk, invoking it to explain

Politics
THE FOLLY OF REPARATIONS CLAIMS

THE FOLLY OF REPARATIONS CLAIMS

The modern discourse surrounding historical injustice is often dominated by two persistent and mutually reinforcing phenomena: the entrenchment of a victim mindset within certain identity groups and the corresponding demand for ongoing claims for reparations. This dynamic, while rooted in genuine historical wrongs, has evolved into a self-perpetuating cycle that

Politics
Religion
Jewish flag

JEWS: EXCEPTIONALISM, RESILIENCE, AND THE QUEST FOR EQUITABLE COEXISTENCE

Imagine it's 167 BCE in ancient Judea, a dusty corner of the Seleucid Empire where a band of rebels called the Maccabees are lighting oil lamps in a desecrated temple. They've just kicked out the Greek overlords who tried to stamp out their weird monotheistic ways— no more pig sacrifices,

People & Psychology
Everything you need to know about the Bondi Massacre in Dec 25

Everything you need to know about the Bondi Massacre in Dec 25

It pains me to write this... but I will lay out a summary of the events and what will happen over the next month or so, and then you can skip reading and obsess all about it. It is so predictable, it is tedious. The attack was politically motivated. The

People & Psychology
Religion
In the beginning

In the Beginning

Open the Hebrew Bible and the very first word you encounter is Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית) — “In the beginning.” Centuries later, the Gospel of John begins with a deliberate echo: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Two beginnings, separated by

People & Psychology
red pill on immigration

Love thy neighbour, BUT...

Uncontrolled and illegal immigration represents a conundrum for Christians. Or does it? It is only human to feel threatened in the face of rapid socio-cultural transformation, and that includes the changing face of your community when people no longer look like you. Is this a human instinct to be resisted

People & Psychology
fuentes

Why the world needs Nick Fuentes

Lara Logan has unlocked one of the great mysteries of the Left vs Right debate for me. And it is particularly salient after the Nick Fuentes and Piers Morgan ‘debate’ blew up online. (Dec 25) Lara argues that many of today’s biggest “crises” share the exact same pattern on purpose:

People & Psychology
winners and losers

Why do the weak win?

Why did the US lose in Vietnam? Why do small immigrant groups capture healthy western democracies? Why did the 'weaker sex' get to defeat the patriarchy? Why "Weak" Parties Often Win? From a pure strategic, evolutionary, and systems perspective, "strength" (military firepower, economic dominance, institutional control, demographic majority) is almost

How to be a Proper Grown-Up

How to be a Proper Grown-Up

A CHILD WHO THROWS A TANTRUM IN THE SUPERMARKET, DEMANDING A TREAT, IS CLEARLY NOT A GROWN-UP. THIS IS OBVIOUS TO MOST PEOPLE OLDER THAN THAT CHILD; SUCH ‘CHILDISH’ BEHAVIOUR STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO MATURE, GROWN-UP CONDUCT. But what happens when you’re supposed to be a grown-up—by age, at

How to be a Proper Grown-Up

How to be a Proper Grown-Up

A CHILD WHO THROWS A TANTRUM IN THE SUPERMARKET, DEMANDING A TREAT, IS CLEARLY NOT A GROWN-UP. THIS IS OBVIOUS TO MOST PEOPLE OLDER THAN THAT CHILD; SUCH ‘CHILDISH’ BEHAVIOUR STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO MATURE, GROWN-UP CONDUCT. But what happens when you’re supposed to be a grown-up—by age, at

People & Psychology
Books
What Is Framing?

What Is Framing?

In the spring of 1981, two psychologists at Stanford University presented a group of students with what seemed like a straightforward public health scenario. Imagine, they said, that the United States is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual Asian disease, which is expected to kill 600 people. Two alternative

People & Psychology
Books
The Science behind Framing

The Science behind Framing

Dr. Antonio Damasio was puzzled. The patient sitting across from him in his University of Iowa clinic appeared perfectly normal in almost every way. Elliot, as we'll call him, was articulate, intelligent, and possessed an excellent memory. His IQ tests came back normal. He could discuss complex topics with sophistication

Strategy
Books
Types of Frames

Types of Frames

The email arrived in Maria Santos's inbox on a Tuesday morning, and at first glance, it seemed like any other piece of corporate communication. The subject line read: "Important Update on Your Health Benefits." But as Maria opened the message and began reading, she realized she was witnessing something remarkable—a

Books
People & Psychology
Framing and Identity

Framing and Identity

On a cold February morning in 1960, four young Black men walked into the Woolworth's department store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and sat down at the whites-only lunch counter. They ordered coffee and doughnuts. When the waitress refused to serve them, they remained seated. They had brought textbooks and began

Hey Bruce Springsteen; you hypocrite

Bruce, I love your music man. It is old-fashioned, but I like it. My favourite song is actually not Born in the USA or the like, but Streets of Philadelphia. Not only is it a nice tune, I really like the message too. But you know, I don’t like how

An Open Letter to the CEO

Dear Mr CEO You said your job is to develop a vision and create an organisation with the right values that will make that vision a reality, so I thought I would drop this note in your lap for consideration. It is my contention that what goes for ‘strategy’ and

Can you handle these 5 uncomfortable truths?

Can you handle these 5 uncomfortable truths?

There is meme floating around social media that goes something like this: Think of how dumb the average guy is. Then realise that half the population is dumber than that. Whilst there is a level of smug superiority in that, there is also an element of truth. An IQ of

Dear Mark Zuckerberg: How do you lead when you are wrong?

Dear Mark Zuckerberg: How do you lead when you are wrong?

Dear Mr Mark Zuckerberg, I your appeal to people not to deface the ‘black lives matter’ logo. Really interesting dilemma you face. I must be honest and upfront with you; I don’t feel sorry for you in dealing with pernicious insubordination. That is what happens when you let the #SJWs

Will you be a leader, or will you simply perpetuate the scam?

(Or, other people’s money...) Over the years business organisations have been eaten away slowly from the inside by social justice warriors. How this happened, requires us to go back a few years and in the evolution of the business organisation. Business organisations used to have a simple, clear objective: to

Mitchell Pearce. Cecil John Rhodes. Your Company. Where it all went wrong.

People say you should be tolerant. But should you tolerate laziness, poor personal hygiene or stealing? Should you tolerate abusers, perverts and scoundrels? People say you should not be judgmental. But if you don’t judge, how do you know when to cross the road? If you don’t judge whether something

Confusing change with progress

Confusing change with progress

In I encourage people to question their beliefs. I asked the question: Why do people follow/subscribe to popular thoughts and ideas? It is a question that probably has several answers rather than one, but high on that list for me is the propensity people have for confusing change with progress.

Question your beliefs

Today, if Twitter is anything to go by, then there is a ‘right’ way to think and believe. This list of cultural beliefs and norms that are prevalent in modern societies, include for instance. · Racism is wrong · Democracy is right · Gender is a fluid, social construct ·

On racism in Australia a: Open Letter to Stan

Dear Stan, So, you made a speech about racism. It was really well-spoken and a lesson in rhetoric for all. A few facts in advance: * Racism exists everywhere. Including all the examples that he mentions. * Racism is wrong and it hurts. * And no doubt that the racism

Go away

Can all the 'experts' (Chris at 2thinknow excepted) pleas just piss off and keep your doom and gloom to yourself. You weren't around 6 months ago to warn us, so your 'predictions' now are just a crock of...

Insight 4129

The world ceases to exist when you die.

Insight 3245

Everything that happens is inevitable

Friends of Happiness

1. Acceptance 2. Enjoyment 3. Enthusiasm 4. Stillness 5. No-thingness

6 Enemies of Happiness

1. Reminiscence 2. Anticipation 3. Hope 4. Fear 5. Judgment 6. Possession

Consultant's Friends: 1 & 2

1. Lapse in corporate memory. 2. Staff turnover.

Being diminished

I can't recall ever having met, or knowing someone who has not been diminished by participating in the being of a Corporation. Even as people are promoted... they are criticised in some way. Some type of change is always required, from everyone. And what is perfectly acceptable (even admired) behaviour

Not for customers

Not approved for use on customers. Apparently approved for interrogation by US government. * Yelling at detainee * Deception: multiple interrogators * Deception: Interrogator is from country with reputation for harsh treatment of detainees; “False Flag” * Incentive or removal of incentive * Playing on a detainee’s love for a

Universal Truth #314

Be secure in the knowledge that all humans have insecurity in common. The two biggest money-making sectors on the internet (porn and self-help) tap into this limitless pool of opportunity. (And any business model that does this, will succeed.)

2 Percent chance of success

Commentators often talk about the ‘2- percenters’ - that is doing those things that are tough, have a low probability of success and yet goes to show an attitude of perseverance and commitment to the small details other people will overlook. (It is often used as a sporting analogy to

Secret to securing World Peace

Focus more on the similarities, less on the differences.

Two thoughts

One: Anything = Nothing, and Anything = Everything. Therefore, 'Anything' is the most powerful idea. Two: Outcome - (Objective + Action) = Zero.

Powerlaws of the Blogosphere

* 90% of Bloggers rehash what the other 10% generate * 80% of Content is produced individuals and 20% by corporations pretending to be individual * 70% of the traffic is made up by 30% of the surfers * 60% of blogs are opinion pieces and 40% is mashed up

USP is Dead

USP = Unique selling Proposition. It should have died a long time ago, because it inflates the importance of what you are selling, instead of what you are buying. Long live the UBP. UBP = Unique Buying Proposition

iPod is dying

If the internet is ubiquitous and the content is hence 'everywhere'; can someone explain why there is a need for an iPOD to store music? Surely you only need a device to access this perpetual inventory on-demand? I am sure people will get over the need to 'own' the music

Differentiation

Differentiation isn't all it is cracked up to be. Differentiation only makes you different. * Not better. * Not preferable. * Not successful. Differentiation may get you noticed, but it does not make you loved.

Homogeneity is Mediocrity

Societies that are homogeneous will tend to mediocrity. Conversely, the tensions caused by differences between groups of people in multicultural societies, is the force for growth and improvement. Ergo: multiculturalism might be the tough option, but it is the good option.

Twitter is the tipping point

Twitter is going to to prove to be the tipping point... People will realise that social networks are only good - up to a point. All the conversation about conversation is the sure sign that the internet is eating its own tail. There is only so much information that is

Google is dying

Google is dying. Right now it seems invincible. But like all good things, it too must end. Competitors can't see the weakness in their their game plan (just yet) - but it is there; trust me. And sooner or later, it will fail to see the NBT - and then

What the heck...

I thought I would shut this down. But since my official blog is pretty dry affair with lots of tips and hints on business/ retail productivity - I find that I miss the opportunity for the occasional rant. I think I will come back here from time to time. For

To be honest

It really grates when people have to qualify what they say with 'to be honest...' I reckon you should just be honest, right? I wrote a review of a book (Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success) that I bought (on ) recently. It was written by et al -

What the hell is wrong with you people?

I attended the ‘Presentation Day’ at my son’s primary school today. As a matter of principle I put all my children through the public school system (as opposed to private schools). There are probably 300 or so kids in the school and has reasonable ethnic diversity. It was the principal’s

Manifesto: 91 things I believe

1. Knowledge is fossilised intuition. 2. Love is built on a foundation of fear. 3. Your senses bring the trouble. 4. Pornography is a mirror, Art is a window. 5. Passion is ignorance. 6. Enjoyment requires the temporary suspension of reality. 7. Fun is a requisite illusion (for sanity.) 8.

The downside of upside

The biggest killer of success is success. (The fear of failure grows in direct proportion to what you have got to lose.) This Contrarian principle has a number of corollaries: * Bigger is always worse * Innovation leads to less innovation * Growth leads to death If you think you

The Shape of Life

The Shape of Life

You must have figured out by now that I an a fan of chaos theory. (And systems thinking.) So I believe there is a KEY, a pattern to the universe that has not yet been discovered. (This image from http://aimath.org/E8/mcmullen.html) It relates to the story of Garrett Lisi (39) who

IT v.s. NOT

What’s not… I read a today that made me think about the difference and the impact of what is and what is not. The author draws a parallel between a style guide and a menu. ‘A manual of style () and a menu share one important point in common: both

Two quotes

* Mandossian: " The only marketing genius is the customer." * Price: "Every cent spent on marketing activities is an admission of failure."

Here's a thought

If you are befuddled by what Web 2.0 is all about, here is a great analogy (even if I say so myself): Think... TALKBACK RADIO. Web 2.0 is that... on the internet. (Click on the link of the title to see a cool directory of Web 2.0 sites/ applications.)

Cliches are good

Cliches are usually/ often mocked and derided. (See list below.) My take on it is that cliches (in a business sense) is really just the art of business grappling with becoming a science, and cliches become the language of the emerging science. Cliches are not bad because they are popular

Magic becomes Mundane

Check this out for a few part tricks... Alas, the mysteries of the universe ain't what it is cracked up to be...

Want to be a CEO?

Want to be a CEO?

Through my association with the (as an adjunct lecturer on the MBA program) I get access to really cool stuff. Now you can too ... and don’t say I never share :-) Find out how you’d perform running an Australian company for a week by taking up the online challenge

Too much of a good thing

Too much of a good thing

I have been silent for a wee while. Working hard at being busy is one reason. The other is that I have started another blog and that takes up some time. (The new blog is more technical/ functional, and arguably better for business. Contrarian is just for fun.) So just

Change this

In the spirit of the internet, I thought I'd share with you one of the greatest sources of free, quality writing about almost anything on the net. Click on the link above, and enjoy...

Why managers fail - Pt 7

Failure to assess your own competence In many ways this related to the prior posting about inability to recognise weaknesses. But it actually goes further than that: people simply over-rate themselves. We have been fed an American diet of: * over-achievement, * positive thinking, * self-belief, that we end up

How to win at Office Politics.

The contrarian's view of winning at office politics. Rule 1: Make friends and shape that into a network. You need them to help you win the war. No individual can beat the whole system. (S)He with the most friends win - no matter what stunt the other person pulls. Rule

Why managers fail - Pt6

This series does not cover the ‘reasons for failure’ in any particular order, but if it did, this particular malady would be very near the top of the list. Poor networking is the underlying cause of many, many failures. In any business, whether it is just you in a start-up,

Why do managers fail – Pt5

Part 5 in this short series. (Who knows how long it will be? J ). Initially I thought I’d stick to the fundamental, root causes only, but the reality is that most people will only read titbits, and not necessarily in one go, so I will simply highlight these reasons

Why Managers Fail Pt4 - Personal Disclosure

I must be honest about the previous post and admit the weakness that I have fallen in love with. (Blogs should be about honesty, right? And besides, and can’t just point the finger at everyone else without acknowledging my own failures; that would be hypocritical and that is NOT one

Why do managers fail? - Pt 3

Weaknesses parading as strengths Managers, myself included, often refuse to acknowledge that our personalities are defective; or at the very least that we have traits and attitudes (that are in essence weaknesses) but that we have become comfortable with and have grown to accept and even like. We often see

Why Managers Fail – Pt2

Another reason for managerial failure is the total under-estimation of emotion; and its corollary, over-estimating the importance of the rational or intellectual. Smart people (as a group) are no more successful than any other group of people at managing. I have no research to back this up, but I would

Why managers fail – Part 1

There are a host of reasons. I have studies enough, learned enough and failed enough to have some compelling arguments as to why managers fail… Over time I’ll explore a few of those. The obvious one is incompetence – but I will ignore that as a reason. Arguably that is

Secret to longevity

Read an article by an ex-executive of Shell Corporation. It reports on material and significant findings of research project ( ) that was designed to establish which factors account for the survival of companies (for more than 500 years). Read it - its fascinating. If you are in a hurry

Manage conflict 1-2-3

Managing conflict Had an opportunity to do some coaching today. Now it is not my natural/ day job, but I quite enjoyed the experience. The topic du jour was as per this blog title. Later I saw a vlog () on office politics, which referred to the fact that managers

BMW (South Africa). Defining innovation.

Innovation as Brand Value

Brand Me

We are presenting on "Brand Me" up on the Gold Coast next week, and is my wont, I have been doing some research. I came across a blog The Buzz Machine (click on the link above) - which does not have anything to do with branding per se, but made

Innovation vs. Survival

Which is the preferred result? Tom Peters (http://www.tompeters.com/archives.php?date=200706) reckons it is innovation that rocks the world. I agree that it rocks, but he trades it off against the notion of 'Built to Last' - another seminal publication. I disagree with the master: Survival (lasting a long time) is the ultimate

In defense of management jargon

Core competency? Benchmark? Key issues? Sustainability? Ask any manager and they will explain what these words mean. To the uninitiated it is buzzwords. To the literati, it is a modern day plight that will destroy the English language. X wrote The Death of Language. Y wrote. Weaselwords. Hundreds and hundreds

Never too old...

As part of the research that I am doing on a book that I am writing, I get to interview some really successful entrepreneurs. Today I conducted an interview at which I actually got a perspective on a very old concept - delegation - that I had never thought of.

Change this

This is a first for me- I am just going to promote another website. The quotes below are from a manifesto called "The Hughtrain" - a play on the original Cluetrain. Quote 1: Why did I leave the big world of corporations and Amex cards... The big city is an

Retaining Talent

Read an article the other day (somewhere) that the war for talent is hotting up (again?). It makes sense in Australia where unemployment is just on 4% - a 30-year low. Being a newly minted entrepreneur – in Aus at least – I wonder about that. How and where will

Toxic workplaces

I have had cause recently to contemplate what constitutes a toxic workplace – and in particular which factor is the biggest driver of creating such a workplace. There are many obvious contenders, but I’ll reference the front runners only: Highly politicised Politics (of the corporate kind) is often seen to

Earning a living

Earning a living

Drove my son to the football training yesterday. As we passed a bus, he asked me whether they earned a lot of money. "About $20 per hour", I ventured. He was impressed. (He is 9.) I then proceeded to tell him that it wasn't that much - not with a

Create a New Marketing Theory in 5 Seconds

As an entrepreneur/ consultant/ author, you are always interested in finding a new angle to write about. As a free tool, I have created a marketing buzz-generator – for all to use… Pick-and-Mix one word from each of these tables, combine…. and off you go: Integrated Brand System Connected Market(ing)

The last word on Marketing

The last word about Marketing I am one of those people you see in the bookshops, browsing through magazines and books. (The kind of people that annoy even me.) There are a number of reasons why I do this, and it isn’t about money. I find ‘topical’ magazines to offer

The truth about time management

Of all the tings I don’t get in this world, this particular (myth) confounds more than most. What is time? And can you really ‘manage’ it? Of course time cannot be managed. It cannot even be properly understood. We perceive it to be and record it as a linear experience

The truth about trust

Too often I am asked about how one goes about building trust or winning someone’s trust. I then proceed to give advice, but to be perfectly truthful; I find it hard to trust anybody outside of my very immediate circle. Nobody knows you and nobody owes you. Andy Grove was

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Moonyeen. Blessed with a glorious day & some great friends for company, it was a great celebration today of the miracle that is Moonyeen, born 44 years ago!

The Deception of Detail

People usually take pride in saying that they are ‘not good with the detail’ but they really ‘get the big picture’. The uninitiated managers suffer from the misguided belief that it is somehow admirable to admit to being a ‘big picture’ thinker. They believe of course that the big picture

Cycle of Success

Belief generates attitude. Attitude generates emotions Emotions generates performance. Performance generates results Results reinforce belief, completing the cycle

Success attitudes: chicken and egg

There are so many books, blogs, speakers and gurus that emphasise a few ‘mantras, millions of titles, the same old story: * Believe in yourself * Follow your hear and your passion and success will follow (i.e. don’t do if for the money) * Stay true to yourself/Stay true to

Myth: Believe in yourself

It would be disingenuous of me to state that I am (want to) debunk this as a myth, because I am not going to completely go the opposite way and say that you should NOT believe in yourself. But I would like to put it into perspective. Self-doubt is a

Myth: Believe in yourself

It would be disingenuous of me to state that I am (want to) debunk this as a myth, because I am not going to completely go the opposite way and say that you should NOT believe in yourself. But I would like to put it into perspective. Self-doubt is a

De-bunking the Secret

The Secret continues to gain traction. For every disciple there seems to be a dozen detractors. The basic response of the unbelievers is simply a ‘rational’ reaction that scoffs at the notion of people being luck magnets. Being able to attract abundance through sheer will is just too close to

De-bunking the Secret

The Secret continues to gain traction. For every disciple there seems to be a dozen detractors. The basic response of the unbelievers is simply a ‘rational’ reaction that scoffs at the notion of people being luck magnets. Being able to attract abundance through sheer will is just too close to

Meet the Queen

If you did not live in Australia, you would probably not realise but the Queens of England is still the titular Head of State of Australia. (The debate about becoming a Republic ebbs and flows.) For the record, I must state that nothing would give me greater pleasure than looking

People and dogs

When my wife and I tale the morning walk, we are invariably accompanied by Georgie, our little pavement-special of a dog. Her reaction to passing dogs is interesting: - Sometimes a mutually respectful sniff - Sometimes happy to ignore the dog blissfully - And sometimes she gets ropable and wants

The obstacles to success

There are many obstacles to achieving success. Failure is the default position, I think. (Several 100 million sperm, one baby. Etcetera.) So what are the obstacles? Let me not count the ways… there still many blogs to come, but I’ll just focus on one: CYNICISM. Cynicism is such an easy,

Patterns of Life

I remember when I first noticed the existence of patterns. Everywhere I looked, I discovered patterns. I did not immediately realise it, but I had discovered the concept of chaos theory. Initially, for a number of years, I never bothered to understand its principles, assuming that it was all about

The purpose of business

"The purpose of a company is to create a customer. ... The only profit center is the customer. ...The business has two – and only two – basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results: all the rest are costs." (Peter Drucker:)

Four sources for all solutions

In order of importance, these are the four ideas or constructs that I have discovered over time, and that I consider indispensable. If I never study another self-help book or management text again, I will be able to fashion a solution to the most intractable problems form these four sources:

Knowing when to quit

I promised upfront not to blog unless there was something to say - so I had a quiet week. Until I read http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/04/the_big_dip_ten.html - Guy Kawasaki's blog. I have contrarian views - most of the time, but usually agree with Guy on almost everything. Until now. In my view, the

Under pressure

For reasons that are best left unexplained, I was watching The Biggest Loser on TV ( reality show about weight loss) tonight. The series is nearing the end with only 4 contestants remaining. All the talk is about how important the next elimination is and one contestants articulates what a

The ugliness of truth - pt 2

I should just clarify: I do not believe that lying is the way to go. I don't practice or advocate lying. I am referring to things like: * Thanks, what a lovely meal... when it was pretty average * Getting up for someone older (on the bus) but doing it

The ugliness of truth

I have been an ardent follower of the dogma of truth. In my younger days I even hurt people close to me , and justified my behaviour because it was the 'truth'. Sadly I have not completely shaken the habit. And I say so not because I want to be

God's answer

God's answer

A rhetorical question today: Do you also wonder (sometimes) if we are truly able to make our own life (successes and failures) or whether it has been pre-determined by God? The age-old debate of predeterminism: God must know everything - or else He is not omniscient. If God knows everything,

A most peculiar thing…

I am referring to the mind --- and how it works. It is really no different to any other body part in its basic composition (molecules à atoms à protons, neutrons and electrons) yet it is the seat of all our angst and all our joy. The one thing in

Who are you?

Margaret Wheatley asked this question: Who are you? http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/eightfearlessquestions.html The question is not new - in fact it is probably the original question (or maybe even the primordial) question. But her take on the response is interesting: Your answer should be 'big' enough to hold your life. Do you define

The game of Life

As most people do, I wonder about God, the Universe, Religion, Life after Death and little old me. Mostly it boggles the mind. But tonight I checked out one of my favourite 'games' - and then suddenly the answer is clear again. You can play it too... http://www.math.com/students/wonders/life/life.html Think about

Running scared

I read an article on the net that has me (mentally) running for the hills. Check it out: In essence it highlights the lengths that college-hopefuls are going to in order to secure a place at the better tertiary institutions. There is evidence that Australia is already heading that way;

Fame and other nasty things

I run a ‘words of wisdom ticker’ on – and one of my favourites is: Fame is the cancer of personality. It really is. Here is just one way in which fame eats away at the essence of the person, and it relates to the number of sportspeople who are

Eternal happiness

In this little piece I can guarantee you complete happiness for long as you live. Follow one piece of advice and you will experience complete and total happiness – I promise. But let’s begin at the beginning: There is an age-old question: when is enough, enough? The glib answer is

If not confidence, what is it then?

Confidence almost invariably leads complacency to over-confidence which leads to’ arseholeness’. There must be rare occasions when this progression does not naturally occur, but I can’t think of an example. There is a truism that’s states: Confidence breeds confidence. That IS the nature of confidence. So, by definition, confidence always

Confidence causes failure

Is confidence really all it is cracked up to be? It may be counter-intuitive (hey I am contrarian) but confidence may be counter-productive. When you are confident you are less aware of your situation, your environment and the people around because you simply don’t need to be. In the first

Insights to PMA - Pt2

Festinger sums it up as follows: “According to cognitive dissonance theory, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviors (dissonance), something must change to eliminate the dissonance. In the case of a discrepancy between

Insights into positive mental attitude (PMA) – part 1

Having bagged the notion of PMA in generalised way, I probably should be a bit more specific about my gripes. There are some benefits to be gained from PMA, but this does not exonerate those who have jumped on the positive thinking bandwagon. In fact I hope it reinforces the

Mentoring pt 2

Mentees probably join a mentoring program for an array of reasons, and some of which are likely to doom the relationship. The first thing I will do with my mentee is to establish clearly and honestly why she joined the program. There is list of things I won’t be doing,

State Election 07

Tomorrow is my first time voting as a citizen of Australia. 1. I think the Greens will have a massive gain - surprising everyone - and not for the reason everybody thinks (climate change). 2. Is Australia a democracy if voting is compulsory?

Mentoring: the good, the bad, the ugly

I started on the journey of joining a local initiative to act as a mentor. Being a pedant, the first thing that struck me was the use of mentor and mentoree (sic) as the labels. I am proud to say that I refrained from correcting it on the spot, and

Perspective on Pain

Having grown up and lived in South Africa we are/were , possibly more than other nations, exposed to pain and suffering. Few us do not know a family who has not lost a loved one through rape or hijacking, or even just through the carnage on the road during festive

Network: Is it still bullshit if there is a tacit understanding…?

Attended a session today on networking skills. I wanted to test whether my understanding of networking was the same as most other people. So it is only fair to say what I believe: * Networking is not about selling. * Networking is not about building your profile. * Networking is

Success- that elusive thing

Success – that elusive thing A new (ish) book out now by Carol Dweck (Mindset: The New Psychology of Success) has now postulated a new theory about success. Surprise, surprise, the ‘positive mental attitude’ (Dale Carnegie + million others) is apparently not sufficient. It really depends, according to Dr. Dweck,

Busting the myth about being time poor

This will be a real short one. (I am cheating with 2 posts today) and then none for a few days as I go away to celebrate my wedding anniversary (22 years) and the reason why it lasted this long is because I know well enough what will happen if

The truth merchant

Blogging is as hard as I thought: When it is time to pack up and go to bed... the duty of the blog calls. It is particularly hard when nobody reads the blog - as I have only told 3 people and I have done zero linking/marketing/ etc. But I

Bullshit Goals

Read today... for the gazillionth time (MyBusiness , Mar 07, Australia) that apparently the key to success and the one thing all high achievers do without fail, is to "write down your goals" and then to keep reading them for 30 days and it will happen. I reckon somebody said

Will history look kindly on George W Bush?

I am no apologist for George W Bush. Don’t know the man, can’t say that I like him or dislike him. I don’t even know where I stand on the “war in Iraq” thing. But I did see his popularity plummet from record highs to record lows without changing anything.

Start here

Many people I know promise themselves that... 'one day I am going to start a business'... but then struggle to find the 'right' idea. Now I can't tell you exactly what the right idea for you is, but I can tell you where you can go and fish. I have

Winners of the world

Evolution dictates that one 'species' eventually emerges as the 'winner': the one that adapted the best I suppose. Does this notion also apply to more metaphysical concepts/ formats/ ideas in the world? Can't see why not, even if the real winner can't be known until the end of the world,

Better late than never

I promised myself that I will only start blogging when I have something relevant to say. Not everyday, but regularly enough. This is my tester... bear with me.

Challenge yourself

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Dr Dennis Price