John Vespasian

The advantages of having a realistic vision of the future

2012-01-29T17:23:00.003+09:00

"Men should avoid the distractions of pretence and delusion," wrote German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in the year 1842. "Expectations disconnected from reality always result in disappointment and sorrow."

A clear perception of the world brings man unlimited rewards, but learning to see the truth is seldom easy and never without cost. Only by developing an ambitious and realistic vision of the future can man escape the trap of paralysis. Without sharply-defined objectives, we tend to fall into conformity, a bank from which we can borrow short-term convenience in exchange for a mortgage on our soul.

Take the time to reflect about what you want to achieve in life and try to condense your dreams in one sentence. Without self-starting motivation, man is easily blinded by a fog of contradictions that lead to expensive mistakes.

Only a self-image of health can permanently prevent individuals from consuming unhealthy food. People who have not established self-preservation as a goal, keep on consuming damaging substances despite being aware of their long-term negative effects, in the illusion that, somehow, they alone will be immune to the consequences.

The same principle applies to decaying work environments. Men and women who have not determined ambitious long-term objectives for themselves, tend to close their eyes to signs of decline in the company they work for in order to avoid the nuisance of searching alternative employment.

Write down your own vision of the future and keep it where you can see it. Defining your destination will help you avoid wrong relationships and avert people who drag you down. Men who lack firm ethical values tend to ignore character flaws in people they meet and often go as far as attributing non-existent virtues to whomever they find sexually attractive, even if that person is manifestly keeping them away from the path of achievement.

Defining your goals in life will not render you immune to errors, but will help you minimize them. When it comes to choosing the right alternative, few habits are as effective as standing still, questioning what looks too good to be true, and checking its consistency with your established objectives.

"Only an unclouded vision of reality allows man to perceive truth," observed Schopenhauer. "Decisions based on facts render individuals self-supporting, which is the key of happiness." History shows that lack of rational values, more than ignorance, constitutes the main block to progress. A man should never forget that his advancement towards success and happiness depends on his loyalty to his own rational objectives.

Write down your fundamental goals and summarize them in one sentence. Restate your vision of the future at every opportunity and discard options that don't match it. Only by our achieving philosophical clarity can our actions be consistent and effective. Moving continuously in the direction of your goals will maximize your chances of success and happiness.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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Cool reasoning and passionate logic

2012-01-28T04:26:00.003+09:00

"You are not one of us, Aristotle, and you will never be," sentenced Plato. "This is why I have to ask you to leave the Academy." Plato made a pause expecting to hear bitter recriminations from his student, but none were forthcoming. Aristotle stared at Plato silently, almost with indifference, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Haven't you realized how much your questions irritate other students?" continued Plato, his voice tainted with anger. "Can't you see that nobody likes you?" Without saying a word, Aristotle turned around and faced the class.

They were all there. All of Plato's students at the Academy. Sippus, Xenocrates, and the rest. None of them had wanted to miss the spectacle of Aristotle's public humiliation. All of them had wanted to savour the vindication of their timidity and conformity. Aristotle was an outcast. Aristotle didn't belong. Aristotle had to go.

Sippus stood up, walked to the front of the room, and stood still facing Aristotle, the Macedonian. Sippus had disliked Aristotle since the first day they met. He hated Aristotle's cool reasoning and passionate logic. He would have liked nothing better than to see Aristotle condemned for contempt of the gods and sold as a slave.

"I have refrained myself for too long," began Sippus, turning to his fellow students. "Have we not all learned that there is no higher purpose than unity? That the goal of a philosopher's life is to share the common opinion?"

The other students nodded. Sippus was neither brilliant nor well-spoken, but he could be trusted when it came to echoing Plato's teachings in a righteous tone. Many regarded him as the most likely to succeed Plato at the head of the Academy. Sippus was also Plato's nephew, although that was a coincidence.

Aristotle smiled and looked at Plato. It was such smile of Aristotle that all students at the Academy had learned to fear. It was the smile that always preceded powerful arguments put forward softly, arguments that would tear any fallacy to shreds.

"Since when is the common opinion worth more than the truth?" asked Aristotle without raising his voice. Plato took in a deep breath, but did not respond. Sippus searched frantically in his mind for a good answer or, at least, for a sophism that he could use to confound the odious Macedonian.

That winter, in the year 347 B.C., was going to be Plato's last. Aristotle would soon leave Athens, only to return 13 years later, in his early fifties, to start up a competing school, the Lyceum, and write 40 essays that would change the course of History.

When Sippus finally managed to put together a reply, he pointed his finger theatrically at the other students. "Do you dispute, Aristotle, that the highest honour in life is the good opinion of your fellow citizens?"

"An honest man would do better to strive for a more tangible and immediate reward," answered Aristotle calmly. Then he walked to what had been his place at the Academy during the last ten years, bent over, picked up his roll of manuscripts, and headed for the door.

"What reward are you talking about?" retorted Sippus infuriated. Aristotle's response came as he crossed the doorway, without bothering to look back. "Immortality," he said.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to choose the right alternative in difficult times

2012-01-27T04:10:00.003+09:00

Do you have lots of problems? I am talking about serious troubles, not small stuff. Have you lost more than 80% of your assets in the stock market crash? Are you going through divorce? Did you just lose a great job? Sometimes, it seems that all dikes break simultaneously in order to make sure that your home is flooded beyond repair.

When you reach the bottom, you have several alternatives. Your first option is to believe that your life is over. That could translate into opening a beer, sitting down on the sofa, turning on the TV, and letting electromagnetic waves numb you into unconsciousness. I have tried this approach myself once and it doesn't work. Let's see what else you can try.

A second possibility consists of wailing and crying yourself deaf. Make a list of your problems, from major to minor, call up a friend, and start sharing your lamentations. A close friend will put up with your complaints for a while, but eventually, he might decide to become an ex-friend of yours. Have I ever gone on a wailing binge myself? You bet. Did it ever work? To this question, I believe that you already know the answer. Complaining doesn't work. Which other paths can you take?

Fury comes in the third place. Get angry, stand up from your sofa, go to the kitchen, and throw a dish against the wall. The dish breaks into pieces and now you have to sweep the kitchen floor. The anger approach is useless and will generate extra costs, additional work, or both. Fury turns into obfuscation, which is never conductive to improving your life.

Action comes next. This is a good alternative, the only proven to work. If you have lost a job, go and look for another position, preferably a much better one. Why is this obvious solution so difficult to implement? Why do most of us tend to run in circles doing nothing, complaining, or displaying pointless anger? This question addresses a crucial point. We fail to move forward because we are convinced that action won't result in our desired outcome.

Would you admit that people react in highly divergent ways when facing exactly the same problem? Some men need five years to get over a failed marriage, while others begin dating a couple of weeks after getting divorced. How come that one person gives up the hope of rebuilding a family, while the other immediately starts to search for a new life partner?

Personal philosophy plays the key role in surmounting any kind of tragedy or catastrophe. The beliefs and convictions inside a man's mind determine whether he will stand up once more, shrug his shoulders at failure, gather his remaining resources, and try again.

What is the best way to acquire the moral reflexes that will lead you out of darkness? I have a low-cost recommendation for you: read History, the more, the better. You will learn how men and women have triumphed over desperate situations by taking action. When everything fails, try imitating solutions that have repeatedly worked in the past. You might be surprised to find out that they usually work.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to make fast and consistent decisions

2012-01-26T05:10:00.002+09:00

Publishers love biographies because they usually sell well for many years. People enjoy reading about the shattering mistakes made by illustrious individuals, such as a great actor who accepts a role in a trash film that ruins his career, a successful investment manager who makes a bad decision and suffers enormous losses, or a millionaire who marries the wrong woman and ends up in devastating divorce.

Biographies provide details about how eminent persons waste opportunities and turn themselves into fools. On some occasions, errors are made out of insufficient knowledge, but frequently, vanity and greed play a major role in self-destruction. What readers of biographies seek to learn above all is how to overcome feelings of sadness and guilt after having made a gigantic blunder.

As soon as we realize the full extent of a major mistake, emotional misery arises from comparing our present to a parallel universe that would have existed if we had not wasted our opportunities. Such negative reactions overlook that errors and waste are the result of the knowledge available to a person at a certain moment. In essence, what an individual knows and feels are the only relevant factors in his decisions.

A man should strive to discard waste as matter of principle, but after making a dreadful mistake and suffering major losses, he should avoid comparing himself with someone else. It makes little sense to lament how well you could be doing if you had made wiser choices. The only thing you can do is to learn from the situation so that you can perform better next time.

Each human being is born in different circumstances, each life is unique. Individuals grow at their own pace and learn their own lessons. Errors and waste provide us with painful but irreplaceable experience.

Do not linger on illogical comparisons that bring nothing but misery. Stand up and look ahead. Your next achievement will bring you farther. Mistakes will make you a better human being and show you the way to happiness if you acquire rational habits. When it comes to avoiding waste, no other habit is as powerful as frugality.

Suffering a major loss has few benefits other than rekindling personal ambition and making people realistic about how the world works. Whatever your level of income, frugality constitutes a significant virtue. Even if contemporary society rarely promotes temperance and thrift, individual prosperity is the consequence of savings and investment.

The law of cause and effect governs the world. Nothing escapes its reach, no one can circumvent its application. What you do today determines the level of tomorrow's pay. In addition to economic advantages, frugality also brings psychological benefits. Stress, anxiety, discouragement, and fear will not haunt the house of the austere.

Discarding waste and embracing frugality lead to peace of mind. Worries won't keep awake at night those who live with measure. Leading a rational life spares man the effort of following the latest fashion. When we dismiss artificial alternatives, we are left with the fundamental. Serenity is the result of simplification.

Choosing frugality instead of waste will allow you to make fast and consistent decisions. When you trust your own judgement more than external opinion, you learn from mistakes and develop your skills. Frugality, which is based on stable values, leads to decisiveness. A man who possesses clear priorities can reject inconsistency without need of long discussions.

A prudent conduct brings the added benefit of risk reduction. A judicious man protects himself when at risk and tries to avert threats whenever possible. The tension of complex choices can wear out even the most balanced mind. On the other hand, a straightforward and consistent approach reduces errors of oversight. Shunning unnecessary cost keeps risk exposure low.

Resisting the allure of short-sighted decisions leads to more enjoyment of life. Ignoring the noise of false opinions liberates resources. Frugality enables man to breathe free of encumbrances and focus his efforts on what really counts. Happiness is not the result of accumulating tasks, but of a few essential activities that make a difference.

Discarding waste brings man wealth, but the material advantages of frugality go hand in hand with its psychological benefits. Disregard the unnecessary and pay attention to the crucial elements of a good life. Realizing that most things possess little relevance is what enables man to make wise choices.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to move to the next station

2012-01-25T04:30:00.003+09:00

I was once a kid who turned around to ask strangers in the crowd, what should I choose, where should I go, but wrong directions got me lost in the snow. Someone must know, someone should tell every chicken when to break the shell. Maybe a wise old man in Tibet or Brazil, I sought long and far, but I found nil. Time passed and I grew tall but insecure, since for my curiosity, there was no cure, always on the look for a sign I could trust, to determine what I should and what I must.

Please, Sir, may I, under conditions, work day and night and hold some ambitions? I posed my question, found no audition, never got a chance to ask for permission. "Without credentials, all doors are closed," I was told repeatedly by friends and foes, but since we live in times of transition, I shrugged my shoulders and forgot tradition.

"Without contacts, you cannot succeed," I was told by experienced men of every breed, but since I was too busy to submit a petition, I just moved on to the next position. From all the people that I've left behind, I have never seen one who was able to find the strength and passion to go on a mission for which there was no clear price of admission.

On some occasions, I have really wondered if I was on my way to make a huge blunder, but both my feelings and my volition tell me that now it's too late to ask for permission. So here I am, so close to the top, after turning every doubt into an early crop. Would I have pushed my dreams to fruition if I had waited for the right disposition?

It is through your mistakes that you will learn that nothing is more precious than what you earn. It is what you do that deserves recognition, not what you give up due to imposition. It is through your actions that you will see if your goals are worth paying the fee. Are you ready to let go of inhibition, willing to stand up and face opposition?

Wake up, drop your hesitations and move, never questioning what you are unable to prove, for permissions that you don't request, won't reduce the number of endorsements of your quest. Don't hang around at the station, jump on the train to your destination. Take this cue and wait no longer, grow stronger through what you do, since present and future belong both to you.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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Overcoming great challenges with limited resources

2012-01-24T04:22:00.002+09:00

Reading History is the ideal remedy to discouragement and dissatisfaction. During difficult periods, man can gain perspective by learning how his ancestors turned problems into opportunities. Past centuries have repeatedly shown how individuals with limited resources can face life's challenges and overcome extraordinary obstacles.

Hesiod, an Ancient Greek poet, recounted in the year 770 B.C. that "the world did not welcome me when I was born and each season brought nothing but problems and difficulties." The reason for such lamentations was that a court decision in favour of his brother, Perses, had deprived Hesiod of his inheritance at an early age, forcing him to earn his subsistence by working in other people's fields.

As a result of adversity, Hesiod soon acquired first-hand experience in all kind of farm labours and gained expertise in breeding goats and sheep. "Watching the sheep kindled my ambition," he recorded. "I realized that, unlike sheep, I had the capacity to take control of my future."

During the winter, Hesiod witnessed how the cold temperature in the mountains of northern Greece often culled herds by half. Later on, he would write that the destiny of animals, unlike that of human beings, is fully dependent on the weather. The young shepherd spent a long time preparing himself in the solitude of the mountains until, one spring, he walked to Chalces, a nearby village, and enrolled in the annual poetry contest.

In Ancient Greece, winning a poetry contest was a ticket to fame and opened the door to a political career. That year, competition was particularly fierce since Homer, the most famous poet of the time, had come to Chalces to take part in the contest.

On the eve of the competition, Perses asked his brother to which God he would be devoting his poem, as it was customary to do on such occasions. Hesiod smiled and shook his head. "My poem is not about Gods, it's about sheep." Perses stared at his brother incredulously, but did not make any comment.

At the beginning of the contest, the jury separated the participants in two groups, one for the morning session and the other for the afternoon. After that, the winners from both groups would face each other in the evening finale.

Homer achieved an easy victory in the morning competition, but the jury deliberated long before picking the afternoon winner. Who was this youngster Hesiod? It was the first time that anyone had ever heard a poem about sheep in the mountain.

Amiphidamas, who was the mayor of Chalces and the president of the jury said that he liked Hesiod's poem. "That shepherd has interesting ideas," he told the other judges of the contest. In a way, Amiphidamas' view was not surprising, since he owned the largest herd of the village.

In the evening, torches were lighted to illuminate the theatre. Peasants from surrounding villages had come to Chalces to see the poetry finale, which featured Homer against an unknown shepherd called Hesiod. The result of the contest was predictable and Perses bet heavily against his brother.

Homer recited a poem recounting the Trojan war and his performance galvanized the young. His strong voice and impeccable speech brought the audience memories of long-forgotten Gods and glories. When he finished his declamation, the jury nodded satisfied. Nobody doubted that Homer would come out winner.

Then the young shepherd Hesiod came to stand before the public. "How hard life is," he started, "and how recurrent our miseries." Puzzled by the unusual beginning, the audience held their breath to be able to hear better. What was this poem all about?

It was the story of a farmer who lost half of his herd every winter due to extreme cold. In his poem, Hesiod noted the scarcity of sheep in the winter, their over-abundance in the summer, and how sheep prices oscillated with the change of seasons.

"I asked the oracle for an answer," recited Hesiod, "but he told me to look for it myself." At that point, part of the audience murmured their disapproval. Undaunted, the young poet questioned his public. "What to do in face of winter scarcity? Should man suffer passively the caprice of the Gods?"

Hesiod's poem was called "Work and Days." His conclusion was unmistakable. A wise man should buy sheep in the summer at a low price and wait for the winter's cold weather to bring back high prices and the opportunity of a profitable sale.

When Hesiod finished his performance, the audience remained silent. Half of the jury members were in favour of Homer, but Amiphidamas' preference allowed the young shepherd to carry the day. Hesiod's rhyme had been awkward and his presence on stage unexciting, but the judges had found his poem "highly instructive for ourselves and future generations."

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to find a great job during an economic crisis

2012-01-23T04:02:00.002+09:00

"I need time to think," said Martin Sonner. "I'm going away for a week." Martin's boss looked at his best salesman with understanding. "If you are going to take a holiday, this is the best time," he replied. That was true, since no customer had set foot in the car dealership during the last ten days.

It was as though the desire to buy a new car had been suddenly erased from the memory of millions of people. Due to the economic crisis, car sales had dropped catastrophically. If the situation did not improve during the next months, Martin's boss might be forced to shut down the business. The car dealership was not generating enough cash even to pay the rent.

Martin told his wife that he had to travel to a sales conference, packed a small suitcase, went to the airport, and took the first flight to Cairo. The plane landed in Egypt eight hours later and Martin took a room in a hotel near the pyramids.

The next day, he walked around the pyramids, climbed to the top, descended, and climbed again. On his second day, he went inside the Great Pyramid, where he found only empty rooms and rarefied air. He woke up in the middle of the second night and was unable to fall asleep again.

It was too warm in his hotel room and, besides, a question was bothering him. He got dressed, went out of the hotel, and walked towards the pyramids. Then he left the road, took off his shoes, and walked on the desert sand.

Even at night, the sand was still warm from the previous day's sunshine. Martin stood still in front of the Great Pyramid and took in a deep breath. The problems of the car dealership were now far away from his mind.

A different subject was troubling Martin. What was the point of building pyramids? Why had ancient Egyptians not devoted their efforts to more useful things? Indeed, it had taken five thousand years for the pyramids to bring tourists to Egypt in substantial numbers.

Martin stared at the stone blocks for several hours, as the night came to an end. The first light of dawn made him close his eyes. There has never been any good reason to build pyramids, he concluded. Pyramids are useless; they are a reminder that you should not spend your life piling up stone blocks for no useful purpose.

When Martin returned to the car dealership at the end of the week, his boss welcomed him warmly. He was glad to have his best salesman back. "Did you come up with a brilliant sales strategy while you were in Egypt?" Martin's boss asked, half-jokingly, half-desperately. "Did you get any idea about how to turn around the situation?"

Martin nodded and handed in his resignation. "As a matter of fact, I did," he replied. "I have learned that you can wait a long time for pyramids to pay off. Too long." A few days later, Martin found a sales job in a growing field. It was a company that sold turn-key factories in the Middle-East. A booming business.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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Turning the worst times into the best times

2012-01-22T01:17:00.003+09:00

When everything is lost is the best time to try the impossible. History contains many examples of individuals taking bold action and turning around desperate situations. You have more resources than you think. There are more possibilities around than it is apparent to the eye.

Take the case of Venice in the year 1314, with interest rates at 20% that made almost impossible for anyone to borrow money. Since the King of France had forbidden Flemish merchants to take part in the Fairs of Champagne, imports of cloth into Venice had stopped altogether. Without Flemish cloth, Venetian dyers had been forced to fire hundreds of workers, pushing the economy into a deep recession.

Pietro Alvise, the son of a Venetian merchant, did not allow the situation to bring him down. Instead, he made a bold proposal to his father, Luigi Alvise. "What you are proposing is impossible, Pietro," admonished the old man, shaking his head. "Many have tried it before and no one has succeeded. It's better if we wait until the market recovers."

Pietro Alvise looked at his father and took in a deep breath. It was imperative that he found the right words. If he could not convince his own family, how would he be able to convince anyone else? "That's the point, father," he emphasized. "The market is not going to recover. Don't you see the rising interest rates? Aren't our friends going bankrupt one after the other?"

Undecided, the old Alvise stared at his son. Who could deny that the economic situation was catastrophic? "I know that it can be done, father," insisted Pietro. "We don't need the Fairs of Champagne. We can build larger ships, galleys able to sail around Spain and France. We will take leather, spices, and glassware to Bruges and return with a full cargo of cloth."

During the next weeks, Luigi and Pietro Alvise called relentlessly on other merchants in Venice until they managed to line up 100 investors ready to fund the construction of a double-deck galley. The new ship had two masts and weighed 500 tons, something unheard of at that time. Traditional Venetian galleys possessed only one deck and rarely exceeded 200 tons.

Pietro Alvise's double-deck galley was financed, designed, and built in the middle of the worst economic recession that Venice had ever experienced. In June of 1314, the ship sailed away from the Venetian lagoon, arriving two months later in Bruges. The trade expedition was a resounding success, turned around the economy of the area, and served as a basis for Venetian domination of world commerce during the following decades.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to turn around catastrophic situations

2012-01-21T06:06:00.002+09:00

"We will all be dead soon," predicted centurion Millius, looking over the ramparts at the barbarian army surrounding Rome in the year 536 C.E. He had good reasons to feel discouraged, since Romans were outnumbered 30 to 1 by the attackers.

General Belisarius shook his head. "If we use our forces cleverly, we will prevail," he replied. History tells us that the General was right, since he succeeded in defending Rome with 5,000 veteran Roman legionnaires against the attack of 150,000 barbarians.

The heavy losses inflicted by Belisarius on the attackers made them give up the siege of Rome three weeks later. 90.000 barbarians lost their life during their failed attempt to conquer Rome. When they retreated, Belisarius pursued them across Italy and finished off most of the survivors.

How did the General manage to turn a desperate situation into a resounding victory? Belisarius' strategy has been profusely studied by historians. The principles of action applied by the Romans in 536 C.E. can be recommended to anyone facing a major crisis.

First, Belisarius took immediate measures to stabilise the situation. When he heard that attackers were approaching, his legionnaires worked day and night to reinforce battlements and dig deep ditches to protect the foot of the ramparts. In addition, a thick chain was drawn across the river in order to prevent enemy ships from entering the city.

Second, he allocated minimum resources to cover essential necessities. The General assigned each of his lieutenants with a small group of legionnaires to defend a particular area of the ramparts, giving instructions that no man should ever leave his post under any circumstances. Belisarius knew that he had to maintain his line of defence intact, since otherwise, Rome would fall into the attackers' hands.

Third, the General concentrated his forces on fighting the most urgent danger. He picked up an arch himself, drew the first arrow, and ordered the Romans to aim at the closest attackers. The rain of arrows soon decimated the barbarians, making them retreat and allowing Belisarius to focus on the next problem.

Fourth, Belisarius maintained his calm, shifting his limited resources from one pressing emergency to the next. He kept his presence of mind in the middle of the dead and wounded, identifying the most urgent problem to be addressed at each moment. By moving his remaining forces quickly from one critical point to the next, the General multiplied their effectiveness.

Fifth, as soon as he perceived an opportunity, he took the initiative. Each time that Roman archers repelled an attack making enemies flee, Belisarius ordered to open the gates and had his cavalry pursue the barbarians, causing heavy losses amongst them.

During 1400 years, Belisarius' strategy has proved its effectiveness on innumerable occasions. Stabilising your situation, addressing your most pressing problems, keeping calm, shifting your resources as needed, and taking initiative are the key principles to turn around difficult situations. Belisarius' wisdom contains lessons that we all can apply in our own lives.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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Important lessons about how to lead a rational life

2012-01-20T03:18:00.002+09:00

The great period of Ancient Roman prosperity lasted only two centuries, until the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 C.E. Nevertheless, the physical and intellectual assets accumulated during those years have allowed Roman civilization to exert its influence until our day. The teachings of the past should never be forgotten, since the principles of how to achieve happiness and success are immutable. We don't need to waste resources making mistakes that can easily be avoided if we pay attention to History.

From the best times of Ancient Rome, we can learn important lessons about how to lead a rational life. Although technology and social context have evolved, we should still pay attention to recommendations of wise individuals who have learned from their errors, frequently after paying a heavy price. The following principles summarize essential elements of how to lead a rational life and enhance our chances of attaining happiness.

[1] You should aim at becoming an entrepreneur, irrespective of your social origin, since individual initiative has repeatedly proven to be the ideal tool to create wealth, independence, and psychological well-being. During the golden age of Ancient Rome, the number of self-employed people grew faster than in any previous time in History, as large parcels of uncultivated land were put to agricultural use for the first time. In the 21st century, the same phenomenon is taking place on the internet, which has become the great liberator of entrepreneurial energies without distinction of sex, race, age, or personal history.

[2] Devote your efforts only to feasible projects. There are more good ideas around that there is capital to fund them. Although the economy of Ancient Rome experienced sustained growth in the second century C.E., writings from that period show that it was not easy to obtain a loan. Contemporary financial institutions are thousands of times more efficient than the modest mortgage markets of Ancient Rome, but the number of individuals looking to borrow money has also grown exponentially. At any given time, there are always many more people in the world willing to borrow money than there are funds available. Do not waste your energy on projects that have no real chance of obtaining financial backing. Focus only on workable ventures.

[3] Look for alternative ways to achieve your goals. In Ancient Rome, individuals with vision faced similar obstacles as nowadays. How do you fund trade expeditions? Which goods should you import and export? Entrepreneurial men in ancient times quickly realized that the traditional Roman approach to business finance, a mortgage on a piece of land, was inadequate to conduct commercial enterprises. Through trial and error, they created different types of partnership contracts that have evolved through the centuries into our modern venture capital funds. Do not give up when traditional methods prove unsuitable to carry out your ideas. Seek further until you find a practicable solution.

[4] Salesmanship opens the door to tolerance and friendship. Ancient Romans learned the hard way that a commercial attitude was the only way to maintain a high standard of living. The first and the second century C.E. led to massive wealth creation due to an expansion of tolerance and entrepreneurship across Europe and the Middle East. Conflicts, although frequent, were limited in range. In the present context, when millions of individuals across the world are devoting their creativity to international commercial ventures, rationality is respected as the cardinal virtue of those who achieve business success. Effective salesmanship is nothing but logic applied to commerce.

Living in accordance to Nature marks the path to happiness today as it did it in Ancient Rome. Logic and consistency remain the pillars of personal growth. If you doubt that rationality is the best way to conduct your life, read History and study the dire consequences of prejudice and abuse. The events of past centuries prescribe that each of us should become entrepreneurial instead of expecting free help to come to us.

Instead of imitating others, let us learn the lessons of ancient wisdom and keep away deceitful theories that contradict the facts of History. We need to develop enough resiliency to avoid being overwhelmed by other people's opinion or lack of it. Studying Ancient Rome is a very effective method of reinforcing the idea that we should not waste our time trying to establish paradise on earth.

Discarding new proposals that do not work and favouring proven systems is a sign of wisdom. The same logic applies to walking away from situations where people tell us that rationality doesn't count. Let us avoid repeating the faults of the past and do what is right, even if it happens to be unpopular.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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How to become more entrepreneurial

2012-01-19T04:35:00.003+09:00

You can win big in life by adopting an entrepreneurial mentality. It will allow you to overcome problems that other people find insurmountable, enabling you to detect hidden solutions and opportunities in difficult situations.

How can you train yourself to become more entrepreneurial? Taking risks, staying alert, and being quick at exploiting chance encounters are things that do not come naturally to most of us. Nevertheless, like any other skill, entrepreneurship becomes sharper through practice.

The best approach is simply to make a list of those traits that you wish to acquire and work constantly at improving the quality of your thinking. What are the characteristics of the entrepreneurial mind? My own list contains five points.

1. TOLERANCE: What does a moral virtue have to do with entrepreneurship? Everything. Intolerance and inflexibility are deadly poisons when it comes to detecting opportunities and taking initiative. Unless you push yourself to tolerate uncertainty and risk beyond normal levels, your mind will never operate on a high entrepreneurial gear.

2. INDEPENDENT THINKING: Start questioning things that seem self-evident. Why should you follow traditions that make no sense? Can things be improved? Why do we have to wait in line to purchase certain products or services? Is there a better way? When everything is expensive, try cheap. When everything is cheap, try borrowing. The best opportunities lie always below the surface.

3. CONSISTENT AMBITION: There is moral ambition and there is the search of wealth. In addition, many others are embarked in a quest for honours or simply desire to make the world a better place. Pick your choice and keep it present in your mind. What really counts here is consistency. Random changes in your goals will block your entrepreneurial vision. Confusion generates chaos. Consistency of purpose sharpens the mind.

4. DETERMINATION: Whatever path you take, you will face opposition and criticism. Ambition is worthless unless it is accompanied by an iron determination to persist, to try again, to stand up and push repeatedly until the wagon moves. Why do different people possess unequal levels of determination? Personal philosophy plays a major role in this. Those who have a stable, rational, and integrated view of the world tend to advance faster on the entrepreneurial road.

5. A FEELING OF DISSATISFACTION: Contented souls seldom have the drive that is necessary to challenge the way things are. On many occasions, entrepreneurship is linked to personal dissatisfaction with a product, service, or environment. Annoyance and irritation can fuel the motor of change. A strong wish to turn the present into a better future is the thread line of many entrepreneurial careers.

Make your own list of the traits that you want to develop and place it on a visible place in your kitchen or bathroom. The world of tomorrow is shaped by those who reflect on their life's purpose while cooking and brushing their teeth.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Alaskan Dude under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living - How to separate the truth from the chaff

2012-01-18T05:08:00.004+09:00

If you are planning to consult statistics before making a major decision, you'd better check your sources twice. Many proclaimed truths are solely based on opinion. Countless times, surveys do little more than elevate preferences to models of conduct that are to be followed out of convenience or for personal gain. Every morning, we should remind ourselves that serious errors have been committed in the past by placing blind trust in numbers produced by self-interested parties.

There is no future in repeating the faults of History. Our best protection against misguided statistics is not searching for alternative data, but using our common sense to interpret the conclusions presented to us. We should check if the recommendations match our experience and knowledge of the world. We should assess the consequences of the outcome of such surveys, ask ourselves uncomfortable questions, and take the necessary time to think things through.

When it comes to determining the direction of your life, never trust other people's calculations without subjecting them to rational examination. No matter what results from a survey, its conclusions can never be as reliable as your own perception of the world. No matter how sophisticated a mathematical model may be, it will never match the accuracy of your direct inspection of the facts. The following list presents six sensitive areas where you should be particularly attentive to check the logic of any recommendation that is presented to you.

[1] In general, you should not expect someone else to solve your problems. Statistics proving otherwise should be subject to close scrutiny, since they seem to contradict a fundamental aspect of human nature. We all love to help family and friends, but should we believe any survey that promises uncertain help from indeterminate strangers? Check things twice before you act on such conclusions.

[2] Human beings become most effective when they concentrate on work they love, or at least, on work that matches their best talents. Do not decide on your career solely on the basis of statistics. A survey might show you, for instance, what are the average salaries in different professions, but remember that, within each field, there are large differences of income due to individual expertise, ambition, and dedication. Take career statistics with a grain of salt and rather use your common sense to identify which professional path is suitable for you.

[3] In the same line of thought, try to acquire the mental fortitude to discard preposterous expectations. Never trust studies that provide evidence that you can make a quick fortune by entering a business field where you don't posses any knowledge or experience. That kind of statistics, even if based on real data, frequently portrays a window of opportunity that has already closed by the time you hear about it. Be prudent and don't go blindly for things that look too good to be true.

[4] Statistics that prompt you to waste your resources or risk your health should be regarded with utmost scepticism. If someone proves to you with numbers that work and play are equally productive, you should not believe it. If a survey tells you that it doesn't matter whether you take care of your health or not, you should stick to your salutary habits and rational good choices. Such surveys make the headlines precisely because they are controversial and contradict basic common sense. The data might be true if applied to particular circumstances, but the conclusions make little sense as general advice.

[5] Surveys that predict awful consequences from seemingly harmless activities should be assessed with caution. For instance, a study showing that people holding a certain type of job die young might reflect the statistical truth. Nevertheless, if you read its conclusions in full, you will realize that many individuals in that profession live substantially longer than the average. Ask yourself what are the factors that make those men and women reach an advanced age and seek to draw lessons that you can apply to your life.

[6] Trial and error are part of the natural learning process in any field of activity. For this reason, you should question the scientific value of any survey that enthrones a specific method of doing things. Are the conclusions based on local circumstances or do they have general application? Has the study been conducted with impartiality or do you have reasons to suspect the existence of conflict of interests? Whenever you face a recommendation to narrow your field of inquiry, compare the statistics to what you know from experience, and see if the conclusion makes sense.

The purpose of surveys is to extract lessons from reality, but without method and logic, data cannot teach us anything of value. Place your common sense above all statistics and your reason above all calculations. Trust your immediate perception more than a hundred volumes of allegedly scientific conclusions, since in life, you will have to pay for your own mistakes. Always check twice what seems to be lie beyond doubt and question what appears self-evident. Let your own independent judgement guide your life according to reason and reality.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by hyperscholar under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Your most important long-term goals

2012-01-17T04:03:00.002+09:00

Does it pay to hire someone to analyse your dreams? Will it make any difference in your present or future life? I must express my scepticism about the psychological and practical returns on such investments.

When a problem of personal nature comes up, do you really believe that talking endlessly about your past is going to change your future? Should you not rather establish a plan of action and push yourself into implementing it?

The solution to past problems begins with present action. Paralysis only aggravates problems. Relentless action is the best countermeasure. The way forward entails defining goals, making plans, and following them through.

Let me break down my advice in 12 sequential steps:

1. Get a pencil and a piece of paper and draw two vertical lines in the middle, creating three columns.

2. In the first column, write down where you are now, for instance "I live in Detroit and I don't like it."

3. In the second column, write down where you want to be, for example "I want to live in Paris."

4. For the moment, leave the third column blank.

5. Cross from the list all items that are of secondary importance or that you don't wish to address right now.

6. You should be left with no more than six present and future elements. Let those be your priorities, at least for the time being.

7. Classify your six remaining problems and objectives into two groups. One should contain burning short-term issues that need urgent attention, like settling pending bills or avoiding the foreclosure of your home. The second group should encompass your most important long-term goals, like moving to Paris.

8. The less short-term burning issues and the more long-term goals you have, the better.

9. In the third column, write down specific steps that you can take in order to advance, for each issue, from your present status to your future goal. In the geographical example, the actions could consist of selling your house in Detroit, learning French, looking for a job in Paris, finding a house to rent there, and preparing the removal of your possessions from Detroit to Paris.

10. Begin to implement your actions one by one, pushing yourself everyday into carrying them out.

11. Many of your foreseen undertakings will fail or will reveal themselves impracticable. Never mind. Simply cross failed actions from your list and replace them by new alternatives. The fact that you are doing something is already helping you learn what doesn't work.

12. Step by step, your implementation will become sharper and increase the effectiveness of your results.

Relentless action, in addition to producing practical gains, enhances your psychological well-being. The souls of those who live by action also grow daily in wisdom. Peace of mind does not come from immobility, but from the process of pushing forward. The human brain is not made for wallowing in past mistakes. Rational goals and ambitions bring out the best in human beings. Relentless action elevates men and women beyond the weight of personal history.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Just Taken Picks under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Focus on the big picture

2012-01-16T03:37:00.001+09:00

During adverse economic periods, many people are afraid of buying shares of any company. Fresh memories of crashing stock markets test the nerves of local and international savers, who often prefer to hold cash rather than take any risks.

Exaggerated fear is, more often than not, a mistake. If you act prudently, every period can be good to make financial commitments. When bad news and pessimism reign, those are times of great opportunity to purchase shares of solid companies at low prices.

Stories of financial collapse reported by the media succeed in terrifying many people out of the stock market. At the time of writing this, you can hardly turn on the radio or open a newspaper without learning about one more company on the brink of bankruptcy.

However, in investing, like in everything else, realism triumphs over anxiety and pragmatism over worry. Gloomy reporters seldom look objectively at facts. On many occasions, share-holders would be better off if they keep a cool head and avoid liquidating their stocks at fire-sale prices.

The first step to develop self-confidence as an investor is to realize that nobody possesses the ability to predict exactly when shares are going up or down. There is no magic formula for successful investing. The best you can do is to strive to keep well informed and make rational decisions. Those two are the factors that will improve your financial results and increase your self-reliance.

After a period of inflation or deflation has begun, some people will claim that they had predicted what was going to happen, but these are often the same persons who had previously made many wrong predictions. A broken clock gives you the right time twice per day, but cannot provide you accurate time information.

Magic formulas are not a good way of making plans. Reason and realism constitute a superior approach to making investment decisions. If you want to develop self-confidence as an investor, you have to remind yourself every day to have patience. Forget about short-term volatility and look at the big picture. Ask yourself where the world economy is headed for in the next five years.

Move your focus beyond the next quarter and see what the whole year will look like. Look for companies with a strong international presence. Even in periods of generalized gloom and doom, many countries continue to grow at good rates.

Rational investors tend to prefer enterprises that operate in stable markets, in particular if their dividend is maintained or increased. At the same time, risks can be minimized by investing in corporations, such as pharmaceutical multi-nationals, that have world-wide distribution for their products. These enterprises often purchase rights to new drugs from small laboratories and universities in order to distribute those medicines internationally.

How can you increase your confidence in making the right financial decisions? You do not need to know everything in order to become a good investor. Aim at identifying well-managed companies whose shares are priced attractively. If their products meet fundamental human needs efficiently, chances are that those businesses will do well.

Problems that you know nothing about might come up next week and make your shares go down. This is part of the game for better or worse. A claim of infallibility is something that you should leave to those who believe in magic formulas. Accept that you will make some mistakes and do not fall into endless self-recrimination.

Make your investment decisions on the basis of reasonable expectations and stop worrying about the future. If you diversify your portfolio and buy shares of companies that operate in countries with good prospects of economic growth, you should be able to profit from the increasing prosperity around the world.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Enid Yu under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Is there a link between rational living and longevity?

2012-01-15T18:20:00.004+09:00

If human beings were happy all the time, there would be little need for philosophy. If transactions never went wrong, there would be no market for lawyers and arbitration services. If individuals never became sick and died, few persons would choose to become medical doctors. In this light, death is not only the ultimate justification for medicine, but also its most crucial subject of study.

Statistics tell us why people die, but we have to realize that there is much more to death than what the eye can perceive. Road accidents, heart failure, stroke, and cancer occupy prominent positions in every country's causes of decease. Contemporary data point out as well the growing death toll taken by age-related sicknesses such as Parkinson and Alzheimer.

Those statistics show the immediate causes of decease, but do not address the fundamental question of why people have to die in the first place. This issue should not to be dismissed as trivial. On the contrary, unless we get a clear idea of why we must die, statistical data become irrelevant. After all, one could argue, if we are doomed to pass away at 80, who cares if you die of cancer or diabetes?

All animals expire at a certain point and we take for granted that Nature has foreseen a particular lifespan for each species, but is this really true? Could science extend man's life and push death away, decade after decade, allowing individuals to become a hundred years old before their final demise?

The world shows many examples of men and women who have lived longer than a century. What prevents us from transforming their exceptional longevity into a general rule that would be applicable to all citizens? Nowadays, even if we could eliminate accidents as a cause of death, we would still be left with epidemics such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Will they ever be eradicated?

Scientists have put forward many different theories to explain why animals die but, during the last sixty years, most of those hypotheses have been abandoned due to insufficient evidence. The two theories that have remained are considered, in the present stage of knowledge, as work in progress which, so far, seems to be pointing in the right direction.

[A] The waste theory considers death as the final consequence of biochemical decay. From the first moment that an animal begins to breath, its cells act as miniature biological converters that turn oxygen and other substances into chemical products that are consumed to keep the organism alive. That conversion process generates a certain amount of biological waste which slowly accumulates in the body. When the amount of chemical waste surpasses the body's ability to deal with it, the animal dies.

[B] The exhaustion theory regards death as the natural depletion of the body's capacity to replace its own cells. While an animal is alive, its cells are continuously dying and being replaced by new cells, which are almost identical to the ones that have died. According to this theory, cells can only reproduce themselves a limited number of times without losing important genetic information. This limitation is what determines the maximum lifespan of each species, which in the case of human beings is estimated to be around 120 years.

When you hear about these two theories, you realize how little sense death statistics make. Indeed, if these hypotheses prove to be true, there might be a common reason for the most widespread causes of death such as cancer, Alzheimer, and cardiovascular disease. Would it be possible that those individual sicknesses are nothing but symptoms of a general process of biochemical waste-accumulation and cellular exhaustion? If that is the case, the practical consequences are earth-shattering.

What would you say if you woke up some day and realized that your vision of the world had been, until that moment, completely wrong? If the latest scientific theories about death are correct, this means that the mental patterns that most people use to make decisions might be massively unrealistic. The misunderstanding has its roots in our perception of sickness and death as the following sequence of events:

You are born into a certain family and social environment.
You live, eat, and work according to what is generally considered acceptable.
One day, cancer, cardiovascular disease, or other major sickness hits you out of the blue.
You follow a medical treatment in order to combat that particular illness.
Even if the treatment is successful, sooner or later, another disease will come to haunt you.
Finally, when medical treatments fail, you die.

If the theories of waste-accumulation and cellular exhaustion are true, we need to revise our mental representation of what it means to live, eat, and work. Sickness and death take a different significance when they are seen as part of a natural process which we might be able to influence to a larger extent than it is currently assumed. The new paradigm would reshape our vision of life into a sequence of events in which we play a much more significant role:

You are born into a certain family and social environment, which do not always know what is really good for you.
You will be much better off if you live, eat, and work using reason as a standard, irrespective of what other people think of you.
You should learn how to live in a way that slows down the accumulation of biochemical waste in your organism, since your own behaviour is the number-one factor that contributes to keeping you healthy.
When it comes to health matters, prevention should be your main concern. If we trust the waste-accumulation theory, the right behaviour should be able to keep away fatal illness until a later stage in life, allowing us to live longer and healthier.
You should learn to conduct your life in a way that minimizes cell exhaustion, aiming at extending your lifespan towards the ideal 120 years, which seems to be the limit for the human species.
What kills most people is a direct consequence of their wrong way of living. By correcting your mental patterns and daily actions, you can lead a much healthier existence and extend your lifespan.

Imagine the advantages if you could enjoy this world five years longer without being afflicted by debilitating illness. The inspiring aspect of the latest hypotheses about sickness and death is that they reinforce the idea that you, as a rational individual, are in control of your future. We are still far away from understanding all the implications of the new paradigm, but it is clear that the latest scientific theories strongly favour the fundamental tenets of rational living.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by David Masters under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rationality is the way to happiness

2012-01-14T03:28:00.007+09:00

In a world where philosophy is often reduced to catch-phrases and empty theories, this is a passionate defence of logic and consistency as the keys to happiness.

Personal effectiveness, the basis of success and psychological well-being, results from rational goals, workable plans and relentless action. In the areas of career, health, relationships and investments, this essay shows how to:

Let go of wasteful propositions
Pursue compatible goals
Cultivate perseverance and resilience
Minimize problems and maximize opportunities

Inspired by the teachings of Aristotle, Maimonides, Erasmus, Montaigne, Epictetus and Spinoza, the book encourages readers to embrace rationality and adopt an entrepreneurial attitude.

Available at AMAZON.COM

Having the right attitude during difficult times

2012-01-13T04:09:00.004+09:00

"I have never seen times like these," admitted Bernardino. "The pest has wiped out half of the population of Siena." Giovanni Capistrano looked at his friend and shook his head. "We are indeed facing the end of the world," he replied.

"We have run out of salt for the fish, ink for the copyists, and candles for the chapel," enumerated Bernardino. "We don't even have cloth to make robes for the novices!"

Capistrano took in a deep breath and, instead of giving an answer, he murmured a prayer. He was convinced that the catastrophes that had happened during the last years were a punishment from God and that no resistance was possible.

In the year 1419, the economic depression ravaging Tuscany had reached gigantic proportions. Bernardino was 39 years old and he had seen with his own eyes land prices go down by 80% in a twenty-year period. It was difficult to imagine that things could get worse than they were already.

Although Bernardino appreciated Giovanni Capistrano highly, he was also conscious that his friend was more gifted for theological disputes than for solving practical problems. Since Bernardino was the prior of Santa Maria Monastery, finding solutions was his job.

After the morning prayer, he left the chapel through the back door, crossed the monastery's orchard, and walked into the woods. Like every time he had to make a difficult decision, he needed to be alone for a while.

"We have hardly enough to eat as it is now," Bernardino reflected as he advanced towards the river. "Should I tell novices that our monastery cannot accept new vocations at this time and send them away?"

Suddenly, Bernardino stood still and looked around puzzled. Something had changed since the last time he had been in the woods, but he couldn't tell what. Intrigued, he advanced fifty steps and reached the riverbank. It was only at that moment that Bernardino realized what had interrupted his thoughts. It was the noise! He was so used to long hours of silence in the monastery that he had forgotten the relentless sound of nature.

Summer had arrived and Bernardino was immersed in a cacophony of cries from birds, cicadas, and tree frogs. He sat down on a stone in front of the water and tried to concentrate his mind on the most pressing problems.

Like every year, the summer had made the river water level go down by two feet, uncovering in the middle of the stream a long, narrow island. Bernardino knew it well, since it had served him as playground in his childhood, many years ago.

Bushes that had remained submerged during the winter were now showing deep green colours and had become the ideal basis for swallows to build their mud-nests. Bernardino smiled when two yellow butterflies flew above his shoulders, fearlessly headed towards the island.

He lowered his head and prayed silently for guidance. Nine young men had requested to join the Santa Maria Monastery as novices. Bernardino was the prior and it was up to him to decide on the postulants' admission.

The economic depression had drained the monastery's resources to such an extent that there was no way for Bernardino to feed nine additional monks, let alone provide them with novice's robes. On the other hand, additional help was badly needed to cultivate the monastery's land.

When Bernardino returned to the monastery one hour later, he found Giovanni Capistrano sitting on a bench in front of the chapel, reading the Bible. "I have found a solution," announced Bernardino approaching his friend. Capistrano lifted his eyes from the book and scrutinized Bernardino's face. "To the economic crisis?" he retorted sceptically. "Or do you mean a solution to the pest that is decimating the population of the nearby cities?"

"If we cannot change the whole world," went on Bernardino, "let us at least focus our efforts on doing whatever we can to improve our situation." Giovanni Capistrano closed the Bible and stared at Bernardino, wondering what he was talking about.

"I was sitting by the river thinking about our problems," Bernardino continued, "when I realized that the solution was before my eyes. It is summer now and swallows have built their nests on the island in the middle of the river."

He turned around and pointed at the cedar tree beside the chapel. "The energy of nature never stops. Season after season, year after year, animals and plants grow and live further. If there is a storm, birds might stand still for a few hours, but only to move on relentlessly as soon as the weather improves."

"Swallows don't sit around paralysed by fear of the end of the world," continued Bernardino. "They pick up whatever materials are available and build their nests, trying to make the best of any given circumstances."

Giovanni Capistrano shrugged his shoulders. "Indeed, birds are always moving, but they are stupid animals that cannot think about the future. Otherwise, swallows would not build nests on the island every summer. When the river water level goes up in September, the island will be flooded and the nests will be washed away."

Bernardino nodded. "That's the point, Giovanni. We are men, not birds, and we don't have to repeat our past mistakes. On the other hand, we can learn from animals that life is meant to be lived by relentlessly moving forward, not by complaining that things should be otherwise than they are."

"That's very philosophical, but I can't see how it relates to our current problems" objected Capistrano, laying the Bible on the bench and standing up. "That will not help the Santa Maria Monastery feed nine new novices. Unfortunately, we have to send those postulants away."

"No, let's welcome those new vocations and thank God for sending them to us," answered Bernardino. "Those nine novices are the help that we need to cultivate the monastery's land. If necessary, we will pawn our gold chalice to get us through the next months."

Incredulous, Giovanni Capistrano shook his head. "Even if a pawnbroker in Sienna took the chalice, that wouldn't bring us enough money to purchase nine monk's robes for the novices."

"Follow me," ordered Bernardino, starting to moved towards the chapel. With Giovanni Capistrano on his trail, he entered the chapel, walked past the wooden benches, and stood still in front of the brown drapes that covered the wall. "We will use those to make monk's robes. When the economy recovers, we'll have new drapes made for the chapel."

Indeed, the economy recovered little by little. Six years later, by 1425, the Santa Maria Monastery was restored to its old splendour. Bernardino's pro-active attitude in difficult times earned him a well-deserved reputation and, soon after, Pope Eugene IV offered him a bishop's appointment.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by _neona_ under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: In praise of making mistakes

2012-01-12T05:14:00.004+09:00

It takes a while before a man realizes that he is going to die some day. Some people never become conscious of their mortality and continue to waste their days until the very last moment. Drug consumption, including alcohol, is a failed attempt to appease the anxiety created by the fundamental truth that time moves in only one direction.

Accepting that your days are limited is a precondition for making the best use of your time. With happiness as a long-term goal, personal growth becomes a short-term objective. With longevity as a desirable aim, good nutrition becomes a crucial element of the good life. The trend is given by Nature, but each individual must define his own strategy.

Gaining understanding of the fact that each passing day is irrecoverable exerts enormous pressure on the insecure. They wonder incessantly if they are doing the right thing or enough of it. They speculate about a myriad of other activities that they could be carrying out instead. They terrorize themselves with statistics of who is doing what, how fast, and how well.

Should we let anxiety drive our lives? In the pursuit of our goals, how can we strike the optimal balance between peace of mind and personal growth? An hour always has sixty minutes and every new day offers us another twenty-four hours. Exaggerated time-consciousness and focus on achievement may lead men to a psychological misery not better than the destitution of the idler.

Personal growth requires balance as much as it demands passion. The path to happiness should be first drawn with charcoals and then brought to life with oil colours. We learn as we walk. Mistakes are inescapable as we sometimes take the wrong turn of the road. Nobody possesses the ability to make all the correct choices.

No man can at the same time concentrate all resources on his future and enjoy the hours of the present. Each individual is born and raised in different circumstances. Genetic, family, and personal qualities vary heavily from one person to the next, even within the same family. The philosophical approach to happiness should not deviate from the hard rules of reality.

Imagine a young man who, growing in the most favourable environment, identifies his lifetime ambitions when he is fifteen years old. He may well spend the rest of his life pursuing his goals, but there is no guarantee that he will achieve them. Anyone entering a professional field has to learn the trade and assimilate its written and unwritten rules.

Sooner or later, lack of knowledge, bad luck or misunderstandings will slow down his professional progress or bring it to a complete standstill. Any biography that you may read will provide evidence of the universality of this principle. Trains stop from time to time, careers stall, and fortunes are sometimes lost.

Occasionally, evil forces may play a role in the demise of a great ambition, but those cases are more rare than popular accounts tend to portray. More often than not, discouragement is the visceral response to failure.

Summer grows the seeds nourished by spring rain and winter kills the trees weakened by autumn storms. However, when it comes to human beings, our mental versatility allows us to develop extreme resiliency and surmount all disappointments.

What is the best approach to adapt the rhythm of our personal growth to our own conditions and situations? Can we define a formula that applies to all men, all countries, and all historical periods? Experience has taught me that best strategy is to identify your target, start moving immediately towards it, and correct mistakes along the way.

Relentless action will take you farther on any road you choose, but the crucial aspect in the happiness quest might not be motivation but efficiency. Everybody can raise his motivation level, at least for a while, by attending rallies and listening to speeches. You can chant and dance around, you can dream and speak your heart out, but very little will be achieved.

Other people may support your endeavours or oppose your initiatives, but in the long-term, their actions play only a minor role, like the noise of a train running on its track. Indeed, the sound accompanies the train, but what moves the wagons is the engine, not the noise.

Discard motivation and let action drive you to a better life. What you do counts more than what you dream about. Gaining efficiency and speed on your path to happiness are desirable effects connected to the choice and extent of your actions. If you wish, spend some time cultivating your motivation, but do not let it develop into a game of its own. Talking is not tantamount to doing.

Fast and cheap mistakes are the cardinal accelerator of human success. Inexpensive errors are the sweetest way to happiness, in particular when those errors are rapidly admitted and corrected. Learn a lesson from each of them and avoid repeating the cause and effect. This factor alone can compound the positive effects of your work and lead you to levels of achievement that you previously thought beyond your reach.

The experience acquired in a few years of continuous action will teach you more than several decades of exquisite motivational talks. Reality is too complex to be reduced to pure theory. This is why personal growth can be achieved only through experience.

Knowledge is spread in the market like minerals are contained in sea water. If you wish to become a great surfer, you will have to taste the water hundreds of times. Your reflexes will become faster as you learn how to profit from the changing wind. In your search of happiness, let practice take precedence over speculation. From mistakes, you gain insight and a sharper vision, while empty talk will just eat up your limited time. Choose the way of action.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by ellievanhoutte under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Aristotelian philosophy summarized in one sentence

2012-01-11T04:13:00.003+09:00

The great advantage of Aristotelian philosophy is its universality. Nevertheless, for everyday decisions, who has the time to check the validity of long chains of reasoning? The fact is that modern life requires instantaneous choices, professional and private. If we do not possess an effective way to deal with complexity, we run the risk of letting random events determine our priorities.

Is there a way to simplify the thinking process without making it lose its accuracy? Can we summarize philosophy in a brief practical guideline that can be applied in all cases? Whatever your personal situation and constraints, I believe that, in life, one can achieve excellent results by means of a simple rule: think in terms of cause and effect.

The principle can be stated in just one sentence: what you need to do is to develop a clear objective for the remaining decades of your life and then make all choices, substantial or minor, in accordance with that goal. If you manage to get that right, chances are that your years will become an outstanding success.

The formula is difficult to apply, but its results can be spectacular. Few people make the effort to establish a definite direction for their life. As a result, they lack the capacity to move consistently towards a specific goal. In the short term, randomness can be pleasurable, but very soon, problems begin to appear:

1. Money is wasted in useless purchases.

2. The motivation to develop specialized skills is missing.

3. Entertainment becomes an end it itself and turns quickly into boredom.

4. Projects that require long-term efforts are abandoned or not undertaken at all.

5. Erratic behaviour leads to loss of credibility.

6. Maintenance tasks are neglected or ignored.

7. In the absence of a proper perspective, excessive risks are taken.

8. Contradictory desires lead to paralysis.

9. Past decisions cannot be explained or justified.

10. In the absence of strong convictions, one cannot connect deeply with other human beings.

In contrast to animals, human beings cannot let their instincts guide their actions. While dogs and cats perceive a narrow part of reality, our brains are aware of hundreds of interconnected details, past or present, that are relevant in each situation. We do not have the choice of ignoring our rational nature.

The refusal to think long-term is man's attempt to become less than human. Leading an effective life begins with the selection of rational goals that comprise the whole lifetime of an individual. A vision that reaches into the next decades is the most reliable tool for making optimal choices in the present.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by jurvetson under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Deep insights into human nature

2012-01-10T04:02:00.004+09:00

"In matters of love, as well as in all others, time is a great teacher," wrote Giacomo Casanova in his Memories when he was 62 years old. Since his youth in Venice, he had gone a long way, making and losing several fortunes until he had finally found a modest librarian position in the castle of a Czech baron.

From what we know, Casanova was neither particularly handsome, nor wealthy, nor privileged by family connections. Nevertheless, the 6.000 pages of his Memories recount a long string of amorous victories that have made Casanova the archetype of a successful seducer.

Casanova's Memories were published only in 1831, that is, 33 years after his death. Many adventures that he presented in his work are no doubt literary fabrications, but even so, his writings offer deep insights into human nature and love relations.

A contemporary publisher might have titled Casanova's work as "Proven principles of success in dating." The autobiographical nature of Casanova's writings enhances their value as teaching material without making their content less entertaining.

Casanova invites the reader to draw lessons from the misfortunes and mistakes of his literary hero. His advice includes being properly groomed, using flattery, frequenting parties and social events, learning to speak well, ignoring petty offences when courting a prospective lover, being witty, and choosing the right moment to speak out your heart.

Since these are the sort of recommendations that one finds nowadays in any self-help book on the subject, why are Casanova's Memories so special? What particular characteristic makes Casanova's writings so compelling? Why does his personal example remain so vivid through the years?

My answer to this key question is simple: The hero that walks and stumbles through the 6.000 pages of Casanova's Memories is a relentless, driven individual. This is, in my view, the ultimate reason for the hero's success, what allows him to learn from experience and progressively sharpen his skills to perfection.

In dating, like in anything else, you have to play the game if you want to become a master. Forget any fears you might have and get down to action. Relentless practice will maximise your chances of success. As Casanova put it so well in his work "Timidity is often another word for stupidity."

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by jonboy mitchell under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The wisdom of rational action

2012-01-09T01:08:00.002+09:00

When someone is looking look for a job, he sends his resume around, replies to advertisements, and finally, he gets invited to interviews. Being the employment market what it is, candidates are rejected in nine out of ten cases. A week after the interview, they receive a phone call informing them that another applicant has been chosen to fill the open position.

Sometimes, there is a good reason why another person has been selected for that post, but a certain element of randomness influences a large proportion of hiring processes. On many occasions, the choice cannot be rationally justified and one should not waste time trying to figure out mysterious reasons that do not exist.

An element of arbitrariness is not foreign to those cases, as it happens in countless human activities. Why did you buy this make of car and not that one? Would you repeat that purchase today? How did you come to choose your family doctor? Do you remember how you met each of your best friends?

What is surprising is people's reaction to failure and rejection. Chances are that the candidate who has not been selected for a particular job will get to hear from his family and friends that he should improve his attitude, manners, clothing, hairdo, and who knows how many other aspects.

Salesmen who go through a difficult period also get served a menu of motivational speeches and meetings to discuss their attitude. In other professions, such as sports, acting, or management, the story runs a parallel course. The problem, you will be told, is in how you see the world.

Well, luckily, this is not true. Motivation and attitude play a certain role in performance, but their importance should not be overemphasized. If you pause to think for a second, you will realize that the professionals whom you most trust don't seem to be excessively driven or motivated.

What you expect primarily from your doctor, lawyer, plumber, or car mechanic is not that they are greatly inspiring, but that they do a good job and deliver competent service. Action is what we want to see. Service is what we want to receive. Predictable, rational action is one million times more valuable than attitude and motivation.

Action is the essential factor that gets things done, sold, and delivered. The candidate who has not been selected for the job should not spend too much time wallowing in self-recrimination about what he could have done better. If he can draw some useful lesson for the future, so much the better, but in most cases, a failed interview was just a sale that didn't close.

Don't devote your worthy hours to speculate about undefined psychological factors, arbitrary theories, and nonsensical advice. Professional salesmen know that, given enough time and effort, they will find more customers. Watching, hoping, and talking seldom help. Only relentless effort can bring you closer to success.

Athletes are motivated when they compete, but in the end, it is their past training what usually determines who will win the race. Instead of speculative advice, choose the wisdom of rational action. Let others wonder if the world should be this or that way. Move on, redouble your attempts to reach the place you want to be, and let your actions speak for themselves.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by jackol under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

From irritation to breakthrough improvement

2012-01-08T02:18:00.002+09:00

When Ephta learned that Selqart was sick, he was devastated. He didn't tell anyone, but Selqart's sickness was a sign of impending ruin. Lying in bed awake all night, Ephta passed review to his options, wondering what he was going to do if Selqart died.

The next morning, he got up early, ate his morning bread dipped in olive oil, and hurried to the market in search of a physician. "My partner Selqart is sick, come with me to his house," urged Ephta when he found Psamik, an Egyptian physician. "Selqart is an old man, but I cannot afford his death."

When they arrived at Selqart's house, they found him sitting immobile on a chair in his kitchen. After examining the old man, Psamik shook his head. "I can give him some herbs, but they are expensive."

Ephta hesitated. His rich clothes identified him as a merchant and he knew that it was foolish to throw good money into a hopeless case. "Will your herbs cure Selqart?" Ephta asked cautiously.

Psamik looked at Ephta straight in the eye, trying to assess his character. What the physician saw told him that, in this case, it was not advisable to stretch the truth. "Your partner has one day and one night to live," Psamik sentenced in a neutral voice, "with or without my herbs."

"His death will be my end," Ephta murmured, staring at the old man sitting motionless on the chair. The prospect of a future without Selqart had terrorized Ephta all night. The catastrophe was now about to become a reality.

When a patient died, the price of a physician's consultation was a copper coin. "Not much," thought Psamik regretfully as he collected his due from Ephta. "If I had lied," Psamik reflected, "I could have sold him my herbs for a silver coin."

Psamik had moved from Alexandria to Berut in the hope of making a fortune practising medicine, but six years later, he was still living from hand to mouth. In the year 1400 B.C., relentless competition from Chaldean healers made it hard for physicians to earn a living.

Anyway, if Psamik had learned one thing since he had arrived in Berut, it was that it paid to be entrepreneurial when dealing with Phoenician and Babylonian merchants. "Are you looking for someone to replace Selqart?" he inquired.

"Selqart is irreplaceable," Ephta replied full of sadness. "He is an Egyptian priest and he knows the language of silence." Surprised, Psamik looked at the dying old man, wondering how on earth an Egyptian priest had come to join a Phoenician merchant in a business venture.

"I am also Egyptian and I have studied medicine in Karnak," countered Psamik. "I have also learned the language of silence." That was of course a wild exaggeration, since, during his medical studies, Psamik had only learned to read rudimentary texts, mostly formulas for preparing potions.

Learning the intricacies of written language was something reserved to the high priests of Ammon. Ephta knew that Psamik was grossly overstating his knowledge, but being a Phoenician merchant, Ephta could not help appreciating Psamik's drive to push himself forward.

Ephta took in a deep breath. "Without Selqart, my business will collapse in a week," he explained overwhelmed. "Selqart is in charge of recording my transactions in writing and nobody else here knows the language of silence. How will I now be able to keep track of hundred of purchases of tin, copper, and olive oil?"

The next day, Psamik started to work in Ephta's business. He put order to Selqart's notes to the extent that he was able to understand them and took up the task of writing down lists of cargoes from ships arriving at or leaving Berut.

"Making written records is a backbreaking job and the results are far from accurate," Psamik soon realized irritated, since his notes were based on oral reports from illiterate ship's captains. "How can things be improved?"

Psamik's attempts at teaching what he knew of the language of silence to Phoenician apprentices proved unsuccessful. Egyptian writing demanded learning a hundred different symbols and a thousand different combinations of those. No wonder that becoming a high priest of Ammon required nine years of studies.

"Find a way to spread the language of silence and I will make you a partner in my business," Ephta proposed to Psamik one evening. "If I had regular written information from my agents in Tharros and Cirta, I could grow my business tenfold."

The prospect of becoming a partner in Ephta's trade spurred Psamik to look for a solution. Day and night, he tried to figure out what to do, but the problem seemed insoluble. Written language remained too complicated, the learning process too slow.

Psamik turned over all possibilities in his head, but the breakthrough innovation occurred to him only a month later while watching children play. In the sand, the children had drawn a rabbit and a goat and, by adding extra legs to the animals, they were keeping track of the results of their game. The rabbit and the goat were each symbolising all members in a team.

"I have found a way to simplify the language of silence," Psamik announced proudly to Ephta the following day. Indeed, Psamik soon managed to teach an apprentice how to record transactions by using combinations of 21 symbols representing 21 basic sounds of the spoken language.

The invention of phonetic writing in 1400 B.C. made possible for the first time to exchange information at a low cost and paved the way for the later spread of Greek and Latin, literature, and philosophy.

The transition from complex ideograms to phonetic writing enabled human beings to use silent communication and has led to three thousand years of sustained economic growth. The lesson to be drawn from the story? Breakthrough innovation often comes from a mixture of ambition and irritation.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by timheyer under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The great advantage of philosophical clarity

2012-01-07T01:13:00.005+09:00

Although we see friendships begin everyday and fail every hour, in advantageous or disruptive conditions, we seldom take the time to reflect how the process works.

When it comes to making friends, commonplace advice has become integrated in the dominant culture to such an extent that it reigns uncontested. Traditional guidelines have been recycled and rehashed without much regard to veracity or scientific proof. Here are some bromides that are often served as entrée, main course, and dessert:

Smile to random strangers.
Do not express unpopular ideas and avoid making controversial statements.
Listen to others and never contest their views openly.
Be flexible and avoid making clear-cut statements.
Cultivate small talk and avoid criticizing people.
Do not embarrass others by pointing out obvious contradictions.

The list could be extended to comprise a hundred commandments. The issue is to determine whether those recommendations lead to friendship or to something else. What are the results of following such advice?

Exhortations to avoid personal conflict may be meant to protect your career, but they possess a fatal weakness. Their effectiveness in hiding your true opinions becomes, at the same time, the poison that prevents you from developing any kind of deep, satisfying, involved personal relationship.

Rational people do not choose their friends amongst those who avoid firm commitments, appear self-effacing, and sugar-coat their remarks. Playing down your personal views in order to please strangers will certainly minimize the amount of conflict in your life, but it will also render you invisible to potential friends, that is, those who share your values and convictions.

Being yourself is the first step to build satisfactory relationships. If you choose to dissimulate your interests and beliefs for the sake of conformity, you might be accepted by a certain community, but only as an empty human shell. Is it worth it to give up your personality in order to enter a space where you essentially don't belong?

From time to time, when a situation so requires, it may be advisable for you to refrain speaking out your mind. Those cases tend to be exceptional in modern society. As a general rule, a man is better off by letting his philosophy inspire his words and gestures so that others can see him the way he is. In practical terms, this is what an open attitude entails:

Reserve your acts of kindness for people you like.
If you believe that you are objectively right, take a clear position.
Remain open to examine evidence that contradicts your views.
When you make a mistake, apologize, and learn for the future.
By pointing out contradictions to people who are willing to listen, you might prevent a catastrophe from occurring.
Seek truth and steer clear of insincere people. Liars are the sort of persons that you don't want to have in your life.
Choose deep, involved conversations over nonsensical, time-wasting trite.

A realistic theory of friendship begins with a commonality of interests and values. A life filled with empty social engagements is tantamount to an endless nightmare from which you never wake up. Seek out people who appreciate profound discussions and share your rational beliefs.

Offer consistency between form and substance and fly high the flag of your convictions. Be yourself and you will not fail to attract your perfect social match. True friendship is what binds those who share the same road and move forward in the same direction.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by dano272 under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: The payoff of extraordinary initiative and persistence

2012-01-06T01:29:00.003+09:00

If you ever spend a holiday in Egypt, don't forget to visit the place where the barrack of archaeologist Howard Carter used to stand one century ago. When you inquire about the exact location, your guide will point at a promontory in the sand, a small elevation in the Egyptian desert that looks no different from the other dunes.

Tourists who visit the place stand still, examine the spot, and look around, wondering if the guide is telling them truth. Those visitors are actually not interested in looking at the desert. What has brought them there is the story of Howard Carter, a man who, thanks to his curiosity and persistence, became the most famous archaeologist in History.

Despite his modest origins and lack of academic degrees, Carter's profound interest in the history of Ancient Egypt led him to read all available books on the subject and, little by little, he earned a reputation of specialist in Egyptian antiquities. His initiative and hands-on experience in excavations led him to develop the theory that the tomb of one Pharaoh, Tutankhamen, had not yet been found.

Carter's hypothesis conflicted with the prevalent idea at that time, held by professors and specialists alike, who sustained that all tombs in the Valley of Kings had been already found. When Carter was in his early forties, he teamed up with an English wealthy landowner, Lord Carnavon, obtained a concession to excavate the Valley of Kings and began to look for the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.

Visit the promontory where Carter's barrack used to stand and you will see that the sand ends abruptly at the riverbank three hundred meters down the slope. The small boats crossing the Nile these days still offer a sight that is not that different from what Howard Carter witnessed at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1922, Carter went through the lowest point in his career and he must have spent many hours pondering his dark future and unsuccessful past, as he contemplated the boats sailing across the river. His sponsor, Lord Carnavon, had announced that he would no longer be funding Carter's excavations beyond the end of that year.

The belief in the existence of Tutankhamen's undiscovered tomb had not earned Carter any professional distinction. On the contrary, his theory, developed out of his own interpretation of fragments found by other archaeologists, was considered marginal and obscure.

During the previous six years, Carter had spent a good part of Lord Carnavon's fortune in excavations in the Valley of Kings. The results had been so disappointing that Carnavon had decided to put an end to the enterprise at the end of that season.

At that time, Carter was already 48 years old and must have been looking back at his life wondering if he had done the right thing by embarking on a risky venture instead of choosing a safer career as antiquities dealer or monuments inspector. He had no money, no wife, no children, and an uncertain future.

Although he had devoted decades to studying Ancient Egypt, he had failed to secure a high-paying position. The dominant view was that Tutankhamen's tomb had been pillaged and forgotten centuries ago. Only Carter was convinced that the tomb could still be found, buried somewhere under the sand.

Carter's hypothesis and initiative had moved Lord Carnavon to entrust him with conducting excavations in the Valley of Kings, but six years of digging had been to no avail. In fact, the determination to search for Tutankhamen's tomb had wasted Carter's own life and a substantial part of Lord Carnavon's fortune. Europe had been ravaged by World War I and Carter knew that, after his long years of failure, his chances of finding another sponsor for his excavations was nil.

Initiative is a virtue that can be taught only by example. Taking calculated risks to pursue your dream, as Howard Carter did, cannot be emphasized enough as the key to a happy and successful life. The level of risk must be assessed and minimized as much as possible, but in the end, a man must remind himself that he is going to live only once. Extraordinary value cannot be achieved by simply following prescribed routines.

Nowadays, when tourists visit the location of Carter's wooden barrack in the Valley of Kings, their guide usually asks them to take a few steps on the sand, turn around, use their hand to shade their eyes from the sun, and look at the sign on the other side of the dune.

It is the sign that points visitors to Tutankhamen's tomb, which Carter finally managed to find in November 1922, just when his last excavation campaign was to end. He had spent years looking for that tomb and had succeeded only a few days before Carnavon's final deadline. Carter's extraordinary initiative and persistence had paid off against all expectations, in direct opposition to the views of official experts and professors.

History provides countless examples of how entrepreneurship opens the door to striking success. Relentless initiative is far superior to stale knowledge. Those with vision and ambition can always acquire the information they miss. Possessing expertise is not worth much without the willingness to put it to practical use and take the risks associated with innovation.

After discovering Tutankhamen's tomb, Carter lived for another 16 years, enjoying the prestige and financial advantages of being the best known archaeologist in the world. The treasures found in Tutankhamen's tomb have an immense value, but they cannot be compared to the lesson drawn from Howard Carter's initiative and persistence.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by dalbera under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living and ethical consistency

2012-01-05T01:19:00.003+09:00

In traditional education, lying is universally abhorred. Children are taught that one should tell the truth under any circumstances. Such paradigm is usually reinforced with morality tales of liars who suffer terrible punishments. However, when children grow up and become adolescents, they realize that some details do not match in the story they've been told.

The extreme emotionality of teenagers is linked to their moral awakening. At thirteen, they complain that people don't follow the principles they preach. At fourteen, they point out inconsistencies between ideals and facts. At fifteen, they long to see alignment between purpose and means, but where should they find it?

In this context of straight virtues and twisted reality, becoming an adult frequently leads to disillusionment, cynicism, or sectarian self-delusion. As a result, truth is reduced to the realm of talk, actions become unpredictable, and promises unreliable. What an ethical mess, what an intellectual nightmare.

The moral confusion of our age is the natural consequence of contradictory premises in our thinking. You cannot expect people to tell the truth while you overwhelm them with equivocations and misrepresentations. There is no excuse for eluding the issue. There is no answer to this dilemma except for that provided by logic and evidence:

1. The ethical requirement to tell the truth under any circumstances does not hold water and there is no evidence that it has ever worked. Such requirement lacks solid grounds, since it fails to acknowledge the difference between good and evil.

2. When dealing directly with nature, it is in our own interest to remain faithful to acquired data and confirmed observations. Machines and chemical processes operate according to the laws of identity and causality. In those cases, if you lie, you will simply get different results or none at all.

3. When dealing with other people, truth is morally due to those who are themselves honest and reliable. The proportion of genuine and benevolent individuals in your life might include, depending on the context, a few or most people. Indisputably, you should be loyal and faithful to those who are honest.

What about the rest of your social contacts? How should one face individuals who are evil or misinformed, in numbers large or small? For those cases, we need to define clear guidelines for ourselves and our children. For instance, when we have a duty to provide accurate information, what we should do in case of doubt, and so on.

No morality should demand individuals to tell the truth to those who are trying to do them harm. Equally, no ethical system should require people to disclose private details to random strangers. Contradictory ideals lead to random reactions. The key to emotional stability is ethical consistency.

We have seen too often what prejudice has to offer. We have experienced too frequently how chaos arises from contradictions and waste from inconsistencies. Let us place our principles under reason and our actions under logic, for no other approach can ever meet the demands of reality.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by sprungli under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: We cannot live in old History

2012-01-04T04:14:00.003+09:00

Imagine that you are a woman born in a country where war has been going on for 22 years. Your parents are poor, illiterate peasants. As you grow up, a dozen people you know starve every winter. On many days, you have to go hungry yourself.

You visit the only old man alive in your village and you ask him questions. "Was life always like this? Was there a time when things were better?" The old man tells you that, years ago, before invaders arrived, there was peace and freedom.

On your eighteenth birthday, your village is attacked. Your older sister is raped and killed before your eyes, but you manage to escape. That's the day when you decide that you want to change the world. If only you knew how.

That night, you have nightmares about your sister. You wake up in the dark with your body trembling with fever. Then you close your eyes again, praying that you die before dawn.

Suddenly, you see a light above you. Did you fall asleep again? Is this another nightmare? You hear a voice call your name. Who is that? The voice tells you that you, Jeanne, will end the war.

"I am going to set our country free," you announce to your parents the next morning. They shake their heads and tell you to drink your milk. After doing your chores, you walk to the village church and explain to the priest that you, Jeanne, are going to end the war.

The village priest doesn't listen to you and tells you to go home, but you cannot be stopped. The next day, you walk to the nearby garrison and ask to see the commander. You tell him that you know how to liberate the country and put an end to the war.

At the beginning, the commander calls you foolish and laughs at you, but the fury in your eyes makes him stand still. "Take me to the King," you demand. "He will listen to me."

A week later, you arrive at the King's castle escorted by four knights. "Who is this girl?" the King asks dismissively, looking at your dirty ragged clothes. "Is she coming here to beg?"

"My name is Jeanne, Sire," you reply, "and I am the one who will end the war." You hear mocking comments behind your back, but your determination has made the King curious. "I am the one who will set our country free," you continue. "I have come to ask you to give me an army."

"Send her away," the court advisers whisper to the King. "She is just a crazy girl." The King nods to a guard, instructing him to throw you out of the castle. That's when you raise your voice. "If you don't do as I tell you, Sire, the country will be lost and you will be dead before the end of the year."

Astonished by your boldness, the guard turns to the King and asks if you are to be punished for uttering a threat. You stand alone, undaunted, in the middle of the room, waiting for the King's answer.

"What if she is telling the truth?" wonders the King. He knows very well that his situation is desperate. Orleans, his remaining bastion, is about to fall to the invaders. After some hesitation, he gives you a hundred soldiers, his reserve troops, mostly middle-aged men.

You and your men march towards Orleans and scurry inside during the night. At dawn, you see rats in the streets. Nobody is bothering to bury corpses any more, since there are just too many. Those who are still alive have given up all hope.

"My name is Jeanne," you shout as you climb on a wagon in front of the church. "I have come to set Orleans free and end the war." Wounded, hungry men and women begin to congregate around the wagon. "Who is that girl?" they ask themselves. "What is she talking about?"

The next days, Orleans citizens mobilize their last energies. Stones are taken from every house in order to be used as projectiles for the catapult. Every piece of wood is turned into arrows. Boys pick up swords, women heat up oil. Whatever food is left is shared amongst all.

The decisive battle takes place on the tenth day after your arrival. Everybody able to stand on his feet takes up position behind the parapet that defends Orleans. The bastion doors open and the invaders watch in awe how a girl is leading the defenders outside, ready to fight.

During the next seven hours, defenders turn into attackers. Arrows and stones on fire decimate the invader's army. What seemed unbelievable, happens. The citizens of Orleans crush their enemies. By the end of the day, invaders retreat from the area.

In 1428, Jeanne of Arc, an eighteen-year old girl, turned around a desperate situation and changed the course of History. Was her vision a hallucination caused by high fever? We know little about Jeanne's vision, but everything about her determination.

Are you sceptical? Do you think that the story of Jeanne of Arc has no application to your life? "Crises of the past are long gone and our current problems are different," I hear you argue. "We can not live in old History." I fully agree. It's up to us to write our own.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Tempo no tempo (no video) under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living in troubled times

2012-01-03T04:56:00.002+09:00

The 16th century was a period of extraordinary conflict and violence. Disputes about religious and territorial matters divided the population in factions engaged in continuous wars, persecutions, and torture. Luckily, not everybody fell prey to the dominant ideas of the time and a few men taught us lessons that we should strive to keep always present in our mind.

The French writer Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is one of the most interesting personalities of that time. We would probably never have heard of him if he had been more successful in his profession and businesses, or one should rather say, if he had attempted to become more successful.

After learning Latin, the most widespread language at that time in Europe, and receiving some basic training in jurisprudence, Montaigne spent more than a decade as secretary of different legislative councils and courts of justice in the south of France.

Later on, he resided for a while in Paris, but he was clever enough to realize that his natural aversion to lies, flattery, and pretence made him unsuitable for a lifelong career as civil servant. When he turned 38 years of age, in the middle of one of the worst periods of religious conflict in France, he decided to abandon his career and retire to a farm in the south of France.

What followed during the next 15 years was a memorable attempt at living life according to Nature and common sense. Everyday, Montaigne would devote the necessary effort to his farming activities, but not with the purpose of expanding his wealth, but simply to ensure his subsistence and that of his family.

For the rest, Montaigne set himself the goal of reflecting about the good life and writing down his thoughts as he went along. Surrounded by the books that he had accumulated in the previous decades of his life, he wrote continuously during his forties and early fifties.

While his neighbours in the south of France took sides passionately in favour of some ideological faction or other, Montaigne always called for moderation, pleaded for peace, and recommended tolerance as the best policy to ensure prosperity and maintain human dignity.

Montaigne's essays were published in successive compilations, which he corrected and edited further, until he was happy with the result. The principles of common sense, prudence, tolerance, moderation, and learning from experience, permeate his whole writings, from beginning to end.

Since the 16th century, other thinkers have tried to establish the principles of the good life, but few have equalled Montaigne's erudition and literary skills. For those who, in our age, seek to learn how to live in accordance with Nature, Montaigne's essays are, more than four centuries after his death, still a delight to read.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by motumboe under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The rational living perspective: Why I am optimistic about the future of the world economy

2012-01-02T02:07:00.003+09:00

At the time of this writing, newspaper headlines are all tremendously negative. However, if you look beyond the obvious, you will be able to see the seeds of the accelerated economic growth that will take place in the next years.

Indeed, in some areas of the world, the economy is stagnating, inflation is rising and unemployment remains high. As a result, millions of people are seeing their lives disrupted. Those who have recently lost their jobs may have the feeling that finding a new position is going to take extensive efforts and a very long time.

The stock markets are showing daily fluctuations over 3%, an enormous range by historical standards. Some investors have liquidated their holdings in despair and incurred a substantial loss. The current levels of market volatility are testing the faith of the most devoted believers in a better economic future.

The psychological pressures that accompany these events are considerable. The gloom-and-doom atmosphere that dominates conversations inevitably influences people's decisions. Purchases are delayed and changes are feared. When the future looks dark, hesitation seems safer than action.

Nevertheless, despite all these threats and uncertainties, I remain massively optimistic about the future of the world economy. I am convinced that growth will soon resume strongly and take us to higher levels of prosperity. On which facts do I base my optimistic conviction? Are my positive expectations justified by statistical trends?

Yes, in fact there are lots of positive economic data out there if you care to look for them, and not only in China, India and Singapore. Freight volumes are growing and the same can be said of the number of new vehicles sold. More car sales means more steel production and more jobs. For every negative newspaper headline, you can find plenty of data that predict an upwards trend.

Even so, my purpose today is not to engage a statistical discussion. Facts can be measured, but opportunities need to be discovered. Improvements are what you get when you apply creativity to problems.

For predicting the future, structural factors are more reliable than isolated details. If you know a man's character, you will be able to foretell his destiny with greater accuracy than if you know everything he did during the last two days.

Human creativity, or rather, the increased opportunity to exercise it, provides us a solid ground for forecasting a bright economic future. Like a man's character, the level of personal initiative and inventiveness in the world changes only slowly, but one it gets as good as it is now, chances are that it will stay this way for many years.

My overall optimism is based on the following factors, that you will find no difficulty in observing yourself:

[1] Emigration has become easier than at any previous time in history: Millions of people are moving every year from one place to another to take advantage of the expanded opportunities to exercise their talents.

Sometimes, emigration takes place within the same country (between two cities), but very often, it involves crossing the border between countries. As travel costs continue to decrease and regulations become more flexible, companies benefit from the influx of new talent and workers can find jobs that offer improved economic prospects. In addition to the economic advantage, the contact with other cultures also tends to make people more tolerant and open.

[2] Artists can now offer their creations directly to millions of consumers. The tide has turned for creative individuals. If you are a musician, you can now develop your career without having to wait for a record company to give you a break. The same goes for writers, painters, illustrators, composers, and photographers.

Even new film-makers can now make their movies at a fraction of what it used to cost a few years ago. With the help of low-cost digital cameras, free editing software, and internet distribution, many wonderful films are getting made nowadays, films that would have never seen the daylight in previous decades.

[3] The cost of starting a new business has never been so low in history. In some cases, all you need is an innovative idea and the determination to build something from scratch. We live in a world where vision and commitment are more important that the size of your bank account. Money and other resources can always be borrowed if you know how to apply them productively.

The endless possibilities offered by the internet have unleashed human creativity to levels unknown before. You no longer need to relocate in order to have your products designed, manufactured, and sold in other countries. Video-conferences with clients and suppliers all over the world have become virtually free-of-charge. The cost of market intelligence has also been drastically reduced.

What is even better, the time-line for starting a new business has been compressed and shifted. Low-cost software applications will routinely spare new entrepreneurs hundreds of hours of work, and the work that still needs to be done, they can do it during the evenings and weekends.

Never before in history have millions of people enjoyed the opportunity of starting their own business while they can still keep their day job. A lower risk for starting new companies means that more companies will be started, making overall economic growth almost inevitable.

For the three reasons above, I believe that the world economy will continue to grow strongly in the next decade. Of course, the situation will not be equally positive in all countries and in all currencies, but so what? Creativity will always flow to places where opportunities exist and this is the way it should be. Stop listening to negative reports and learn to look beyond the headlines. Things will continue to get better overall as entrepreneurs seize the immense economic possibilities of the 21st century.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Noël Zia Lee under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living in 2012: My six wishes for readers

2012-01-01T01:58:00.004+09:00

Since just wishing a Happy New Year is rather meaningless, here are my six specific wishes for the readers of my blog:

May you improve your diet and lifestyle in 2012, so that at the end of the year, you look younger than today.
May you increase the income from your job or main occupation by 35%, possibly by making one major change.
May you purchase your first house, if you have never done so, or an additional one for investment purposes, if you already own one house.
May your liquid investment portfolio, in particular your stock-market investments, grow by 20% in the year 2012.
May you meet one or several persons who will exert a major positive influence in your private life or in your career.
May you start a new business, or if you have recently done so, I wish you that your new business attains a positive cash flow in 2012.

And having said that, Happy New Year.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by larry&flo under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living and financial foresight

2011-12-31T01:26:00.004+09:00

The Latin expression "carpe diem," which can be translated as "enjoy the day," has been elevated to a main component of our culture. The most popular interpretation goes as far as recommending people to "live for the day." This advice comes often accompanied by sneering remarks about those who save for the future.

The sad story of artists and athletes who make a fortune and end up bankrupt a few years later is told by newspapers with monotonous frequency. The message seems to be that there is no other way or, even worse, that human beings are unable to learn from someone else's disgrace.

Nevertheless, an objective assessment of the problem shows that the great majority of middle-class citizens in any country never go bankrupt. This is not a coincidence, but the proof that self-discipline and common sense are widespread in society.

The horrid reports about financial irresponsibility that one sees on television represent conspicuous exceptions to the prudent mentality of millions of working men and women. This is not a new phenomenon and, without much effort, we can find traces of similar events in previous centuries.

The liquidity crisis that took place in London in the year 1826, almost two hundred years ago, was very similar to what we have experienced in the initial decade of the 21st century. Thousands of investors lost their fortune, including many famous personalities, such as the Scottish novelist Walter Scott.

You might know Walter Scott from his historical novels, such as "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy," which belonged to the the best-selling books of his time. If Scott had adopted the discipline of living within his income, which was considerable, he might have enjoyed longer and certainly healthier years.

Unfortunately, he overextended himself by investing in ruinous printing and publishing ventures, as well as by purchasing a large extension of land and building a majestic residence. When the businesses in which he had invested went bankrupt in 1826, he still had to face massive personal debts, that he was unable to reimburse.

During the next years, he worked frantically, trying to write more books to pay off his debts. His health deteriorated rapidly and, finally, he died in 1832, physically and financially exhausted, when he was only 61 years old. Was it worth it that he had incurred huge personal debts in order to build a mansion? These are some lessons to draw from such stories:

1. Live below your means.

2. Save some money every month, even if it is a small sum.

3. Take insurance to cover critical risks, such as major surgery or invalidity.

4. Conduct your business or profession in a prudent manner.

5. Choose slow but safe growth over wild and risky expansion.

6. Diversify your investments amongst many different assets.

7. Stay away from profligate individuals or businesses. Their tales seldom have a happy end.

The virtues of foresight and saving constitute the backbone of civilization. Despite the negative stories presented by the media, millions of working men and women possess the habit of planning for the future. In fact, their prudent conduct and the ensuing peace of mind are what render them uniquely able to "enjoy the day."

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by StarMama under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: the choice of simple strucutures that are easy to operate

2011-12-30T01:04:00.003+09:00

"Their ships are too small and too frail," maintained King Harold in 1065. "England is perfectly safe. There is absolutely no risk of a Norman invasion." Since the king had himself extensive experience as sailor, the barons and dukes of England assumed that he knew what he was talking about. Was King Harold's conclusion based on facts?

Viking or Norman ships are called cogs due to their simple construction technique, whereby pieces of wood are cut so as to fit together without need of nails. Since cogs were equipped with just one mast and one sail, they were easy to handle.

Cogs were ideal to navigate rivers upstream in order to infiltrate foreign territories behind the lines of defence. In those cases, the sail was removed, the crew picked up long oars, and propelled the small ship by rowing.

Horses and other animals travelled on the open deck next to the crew, sharing the little space available. When it rained, there was no cover. On the other hand, the small size of cogs allowed the crew to pull them out easily when they got stranded.

In 1066, King Harald was told that Normans were about to attack England using a flotilla of cogs, but he dismissed it as a rumour. Those ships were too small to transport horses and weapons. Those ships were too frail to sail away from the coast.

As soon as the Normans arrived in England, they disembarked their horses, regrouped near the beach, and began to march quickly towards York. Two weeks later, the invaders crushed the English army in Hastings.

King Harold was captured in battle, mutilated, and dismembered. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England. The Vikings, or Normans, as they came to be called, had taken over the country by means of their small cogs.

Which lessons can we draw from the story? Does it contain wisdom that is still applicable in our electronic times? Yes, it does. Internet blogs are the digital equivalent of Norman cogs.

Like England in 1066, we tend to perceive our culture as a stable constellation of well-established media. TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines resemble King Harold's barons and dukes. Internet blogs, like Norman cogs, seem too small to carry any cultural weight. If you are a writer with an internet blog, how could you best apply the Norman strategy in order to increase your audience? This is my advice.

1. LIMITED SPACE: The Normans did not have a lot of space on their cogs. Internet readers do not have a lot of time to read. Keep your blog to what's important.

2. EASY TO OPERATE: Cogs were easy to operate. Make your blog easy to update by using a simple format. Do not complicate your life.

3. CONSISTENT HIGH QUALITY: Small ships sailing away from the coast do not allow for navigation mistakes. Make sure to publish only texts of the highest quality in your blog.

4. NO DEAD WEIGHT: Invaders coming from the sea could not afford to carry any dead weight. Reduce your blog to the essential. Few people have time for the rest.

5. ALL THAT IS NECESSARY: The Normans carried with them everything they needed. Horses, weapons, warm clothes, and water. Make sure that your blog possesses everything that is absolutely necessary, such as your biographical details.

6. KEEP IT SIMPLE: Cogs could be built quickly due to their simple construction technique. How long does it take you to update your blog? Could you figure out a way to do it faster?

I am convinced that internet blogs are a growing cultural force. Will they ever replace traditional media? That's difficult to tell, but the fact is that the audience of TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines is progressively shrinking.

Let me state for the record that King Harold of England was probably right when he estimated that cogs were too small. His seafaring experience proved to him that cogs were too frail to invade a country and to take over a culture. Unfortunately for him, he forgot to tell the Normans.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Thai Jasmine under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: knowing which elements are important

2011-12-29T02:11:00.003+09:00

Experienced managers tend to focus on a few key parameters that tell them how their business is doing. Seasoned investors proceed in a similar way. Since they know the kind of opportunities they are looking for, they are able to discard unsuitable investment proposals after checking a couple of critical figures.

No one can take correct decisions without knowing which elements are important. Gathering huge amounts of data will prove useless if complexity cannot be reduced to manageable levels. What you need are simple graphics or tables that show you how you are doing presently and what the trend for the future is.

When it comes to running your own life, could you reduce information to a small number of factors? Is it possible to simplify reality to such an extent? Can a few numbers suffice to express your level of happiness? Can we isolate the crucial components of our existence and make projections for the next decade? Here are some examples:

1. The general condition of your health.

2. Income from your main business or activity.

3. Overall level personal freedom.

4. How many close friends you meet regularly.

5. The size of your bank account and other liquid assets.

6. Level of satisfaction with your home and living environment.

7. How you rate the non-monetary aspects of your principal occupation.

8. Happiness derived from your spouse and other family relationships.

9. Overall perspectives for personal growth.

If routine fills most of our days, we should not allow random events to eat up the little free time we have available. Becoming conscious of the status in each area of our life and pushing for improvement requires substantial effort. Reducing situations to fundamental numbers can contribute to remind us where we stand and where we want to go.

More often than not, one or two figures should be enough to identify the issues closest to our heart. Even when we deal with immaterial elements, such as the non-monetary aspects of a business or profession, we should force ourselves to come up with a number.

Let us establish, for instance, where we are today on a scale from zero to ten and where we want to be in a year from now. In a similar way, trainers encourage overweight people to track their slimming progress by means of a simple graphic.

The sheer exercise of decomposing our life into its main constituents can prove highly beneficial. Turning observations into numerals may, for example, allow latent irritation to be verbalized. The first time that someone takes the time to write all this down frequently results in a couple of surprises.

In fact, if you can figure out the way to do it, the only number that you need to watch is your overall happiness index, where it stands today and how to extend the years you have left in order to raise it to the highest level.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Gusjer under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living: preventing problems so that they never happen

2011-12-28T01:20:00.006+09:00

Every morning, I remind myself that there is no future in repeating the past. After some years of doing this, the message is beginning to sink in. I am now becoming more adept to listening to truths extracted from past mistakes.

In my kitchen, I keep a battered red spiral notebook where I write down principles I should not forget. As I continue to fill its pages, I realize how often I record the same messages. Will I ever learn to...

Never expect someone else to solve my problems
Concentrate on work I love.
Ignore silly rules and preposterous expectations
Don't waste my resources

Mix fun and productivity in every task
View mistakes as learning experiences
Drop false ideas that keep me paralysed
Design my own future and colour my own dreams

Avoid nasty individuals
Delegate as much as I can
Devote more time to my close friends
Seek creative alternatives in every situation

Turn off the news (which are always pretty much the same as the day before)
Learn to see everything in perspective
Read my favourite books more frequently
Put aside my car keys and take long walks

Spend more time thinking about what's important
Never expect magic
Mistrust first impressions and, instead, always go for substance
Pursue my goals relentlessly, irrespective of short-term difficulties

Prevent problems so that they never happen
Cook and enjoy wonderful food
Escape noise, conflict, and nonsense
Remind myself that, in the end, time is all I have

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by mikebaird under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Rational living applied to marketing

2011-12-27T05:42:00.002+09:00

In the last five decades, management thinkers have reflected and debated on how to increase the effectiveness of organizations. Different theories have been put forward, argued, and often withdrawn. Even nowadays, only a couple of management precepts enjoy universal acceptance. The bottleneck principle is one of those few.

This rule predicts that the positive short-term benefits of any action will always be the greatest when efforts are focused on removing a bottleneck from a process. For instance, when the production of furniture is being slowed down by assembly difficulties, such bottleneck could be removed by using a simpler fastening procedure.

This formula has been applied successfully thousands of times to speed up manufacturing and service operations. On the other hand, its application has been rare in the field of marketing and sales. In general, entrepreneurs find easier to create new products than finding customers willing to purchase them.

Selling water to thirsty tourists in the desert places you in the ideal marketing position. In that context, you would be able to charge a high price and hardly hear complaints from customers. The reality that most businesses face in our age is precisely the opposite. Large numbers of players compete in each market and customers have become increasingly difficult to reach.

If we try to apply the bottleneck principle to sales, we are going to face, first of all, the question of identifying the critical problem. In the example of furniture manufacturing, we were able to see the assembly difficulties. In contrast, when it comes to marketing, the primary obstacle frequently remains invisible and might consist of any of these cases:

1. Lack of credibility in the marketplace.

2. Potential customers are unaware that a solution exists to their problem.

3. High perceived risk of purchasing an unknown product.

4. The advantages of the product are difficult to explain.

5. General scepticism of potential buyers about anything new.

6. Established suppliers dominate the market although they make inferior products.

Luckily, there is one sales method that addresses all those bottlenecks simultaneously. Giving free product samples and service demonstrations has become the marketing system of choice for new products in the 20th century and promises to maintain its prime status in the foreseeable future.

You will not have to seek long to find evidence of this phenomenon. Software programmes are installed and run without charge for six months. Novel delivery services offer you vouchers to transport your packages at no cost for a week. Exotic restaurants invite you to try out their menu without having to pay the bill.

The system of free samples can be practised in dozens of different ways. Complimentary demonstrations of new products and services provide the best proof of their value. Whatever your field of business or professional activity, if you are not already using this sales approach, you may be missing one of the most powerful tools for acquiring new customers.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by rduta under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Build your pyramid stone by stone

2011-12-26T06:30:00.002+09:00

"I am leaving behind everything that is artificial," announced Paul Gaugin to his friends when he was 43 years old. "I have decided to go back to nature and devote the rest of my life to painting."

Gauguin left Europe for Central America and later moved to an island in the South Pacific where he produced a series of paintings to which no one paid much attention.

Destitute and ignored by the public, Gaugin died in 1903, when he was only 55 years old. Long after his death, critics recognized him as a genius. Nowadays, each of his paintings is worth millions.

Paul Gaugin's biography is the quintessential story of the unrecognised artist living in miserable conditions. Disillusioned by his lack of success, he became an alcoholic, an aspect that must have contributed to shortening his life.

I do like Paul Gaugin's paintings, although they don't belong to my favourites. I will leave to art critics the job of praising Gaugin's work, since for me, this is not the lesson to be drawn from the story.

My point is that Paul Gaugin made a mistake.

His was the kind of huge error that is often portrayed as heroic sacrifice. The fact is that nobody needs to ruin his life in order to become a great painter, inventor, musician, or entrepreneur.

Do you think that Gaugin would have lived longer if he had stayed in Europe and worked further at his job? Certainly, since he was a stockbroker. Would he had produced such great paintings if he had devoted just his evenings and weekends to art? In my view, that's most likely.

"Paul, your idea of leaving everything behind is pure nonsense," I would have told Gaugin if I had been one of his friends. "There are better ways to do things." I guess that he might have been curious to hear my advice, so here it is.

1. For succeeding in art, like in any other field, persistence plays a much bigger role than talent. A little every day amounts to a lot in the long term.

2. Extraordinary skill and expertise are the result of learning from a long series of failures. Take your time to make mistakes.

3. Giving up something in exchange of nothing is counter-productive. Advance slowly and make each step worthwhile.

4. Innovation in art, business, or philosophy needs a long time to catch the public's attention. You need to be both relentless and realistic.

5. Instead of wasting time complaining, devote your efforts to promoting your work. Flawless marketing comes no easier that perfect art.

Be patient. Build your pyramid stone by stone. One day, your monument will be so high that no one will be able to ignore it. Forget questionable ideas that lead to uncertain results.

Go for the gold. Persistence and patience work in most cases. Giving up everything and throwing yourself to the wolves is not a good approach. When you are faced with unproven ideas, follow my formula: abdicate what you cannot demonstrate.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Mode under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T18:14:00.003+09:00

Merry Christmas to all readers: a great day to enjoy all we have today and to devote some time to thinking how Christmas next year will be even better.

[Image by Tony the Misfit under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Learning on your own: faster, better, cheaper

2011-12-24T06:23:00.007+09:00

Many universities and colleges offer courses to improve your learning effectiveness. In those sessions, usually spread across several weeks, you will be taught to define your goals, to get organized, to be disciplined in your studies, to take notes, underline the main ideas, and review constantly what you have learned.

Judging by the results, one might wonder if those courses work that well. The number of drop-outs from colleges and universities is still substantial. Wasted resources and wasted time. What a pity, people lament, but can the situation be improved? If we take a look at adult vocational training, the situation is somewhat better, but still far from ideal.

Indeed, there is plenty of room for improvement, but this is the kind of problem that cannot be solved by preaching. If conditions are going to ameliorate, this will happen only as a result of personal example. With good reason, people tend to believe more what they experience themselves than what they are told.

Let me tell you a story that illustrates how effective learning can take place at minimum cost. Moses Maimonides was born in the year 1135 C.E in Cordoba, in the south of Spain. His father was a rabbi and possessed at home a few dozen books about Jewish law, medicine, and Greek philosophy.

During his infancy, Moses Maimonides, together with his older brother David, received many hours of instruction from his father, although that cannot be compared to the thousands of lessons that contemporary children receive at school. What is amazing is that, with very limited resources, Maimonides absorbed knowledge like a sponge.

His brother David began a jewellery business and Maimonides also took some part in it, at the same time that he devoted a share of his time to writing a General Commentary on Jewish law. His writings were based on the books that he had read, to which he added his own reflections.

The jewellery business had its ups and downs, but Maimonides continued researching and writing during his twenties and early thirties until he finished his commentary, which today, nine hundred years later, is still considered one of the major scholarly works on Jewish law.

The family moved to Egypt in search of a better life, but a catastrophe was soon to wipe out their resources. Maimonides' brother, David, died in a shipwreck, taking down with him all the family fortune. Stranded in Egypt with no money, Maimonides opted for trying to make a living as a physician, using the medical knowledge that he had acquired in Spain.

As of 1165 C.E., during his thirties and forties, Maimonides practised medicine in Alexandria, the main port in the north of Egypt. His success was so astounding that, although Maimonides was a Jew, Sultan Saladin appointed him physician to the court. That entailed regular obligations and, every morning, Maimonides went to the royal palace to give medical consultations to the royal family and court officials.

In addition, every afternoon, he ran his private medical consultation at home, both for the Jewish and Islamic community. As though this was not enough work, every evening, he tried to devote some time to read philosophy and to continue writing.

By the time he was 50 years old, Maimonides had completed his second major work, the "Guide for the Perplexed," an extraordinary intellectual attempt to reconcile religion with Aristotelian logic. The book had a major impact in later Western thinkers and, nowadays, in the 21st century, it is still in print.

This was just the end of the second period of his writings, since later on, he began to produce texts about medicine, including a commentary on the aphorisms of the Greek physician Hippocrates. How did Moses Maimonides managed to accumulate such an extensive knowledge in different areas? Here is the explanation that I can put forward:

1. Enormous curiosity to learn things that he considered interesting.

2. Getting hold of a few good books in the areas of knowledge that he liked.

3. Reading those books many times, year after year, making his own notes.

4. Taking every opportunity to learn from experts and ask questions, driven by his curiosity.

5. Concentrating on different fields of knowledge one after the other. In the case of Maimonides, he focused his research and writings, sequentially, on the areas of law, for about twelve years, then on philosophy, for about another twelve years, and finally, on medicine.

6. Learning from mistakes and making corrections as he went along.

You may argue that such rules of learning were good for someone living nine centuries ago, but that they have become obsolete in our time. Modern schools and universities, such as those in the fields of law and medicine, impose strict requirements on which subjects are to be covered by students.

Although the environment and demands have changed, I submit that the principles of accelerated learning have remained the same. Curiosity, personal motivation, and a few good books is all it takes to get started. For those who possess the knowledge, passing formal exams has never been a problem. Other elements, such as working experience, can be picked up as you go along.

The ultimate proof of the learning method was provided by Maimonides himself. He got married when he was 50 years old and, soon after, he had a son, whom he named Abraham. The kid read at home the same books that Maimonides had read and, already as an infant, he began to assist his father during his medical consultations.

When Maimonides died in 1204, he was 69 years old. By that time, his son Abraham, who had just turned 19, had already acquired such a reputation as physician that he was also appointed to a position in the royal court. Apparently, the system of learning had worked its wonders once again, but the story does not stop here.

During the following decades, Maimonides' grandson and the son thereof also learned the same profession at a young age and, later on, practised medicine very successfully. During the 13th and 14th centuries, they belonged to the most famous physicians of Egypt.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Mara 1 under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Where personal growth begins

2011-12-23T23:46:00.001+09:00

Entrepreneurship is a special talent, but it is not specific to the world of business. In fact, innovation drives the efforts of few corporations. Men and women of every age tend to be ardent defenders of current conditions with little interest in change.

Creative visualisation is the essential characteristic of the entrepreneur. Few possess the ability and willingness to perceive better options for the future, in particular when those alternatives are uncomfortable, difficult, or controversial.

What enables a person to figure out improvements that remain invisible to others? Do you possess enough self-confidence to challenge realities that everybody else is taking as self-evident?

"Personal dissatisfaction often points out that something should be changed," used to say Robert Fulton, who built a fortune as a steamboat impresario. "Discontent fuels the engine of change."

Ambition goes hand in hand with technical, industrial, and marketing innovations. The desire to improve one's station in life plays a key role in overcoming the substantial hardships involved in the search for novelty.

"My scientific and technical training was non-existent," loved to declare Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. "I just knew that I didn't want to remain a painter for the rest of my life. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I did not hesitate."

It was sufficient for Morse to hear a colleague mention in 1834 some recent discoveries in electromagnetism. At that time, the same information was available to thousands of people. What was the difference? Only Morse was willing to work night and day during the next five years to develop a commercial application.

Becoming an entrepreneur in your everyday life will enhance your ability to succeed in the business and investment world. The following list contains my ten practical suggestions about how to cultivate the seeds of change.

1. REUSE: Before you throw any item away, ask yourself if you could find an alternative use. Could it be refurbished or repaired? Does it contain valuable components? Is it worth it to take it apart?

2. EXPLORE IDEAS: Next time you go to a bookshop, take a look at sections where you usually never set foot. Is there anything that catches your attention? Go to the public library and take a random walk amongst the bookshelves. Do you see interesting subjects worth exploring?

3. TRY OUT NEW A TASTE: Buy a couple of cookbooks about subjects unknown to you. Take a look at the pictures of exotic dishes and choose a couple of recipes. Experiment with new cooking techniques. If you are Italian, you might wish to taste Greek cooking. If you are American, try out French cuisine.

4. QUESTION YOUR ROUTINES: Why not exercise an hour later? Could you skip TV news in the evening and, instead, take up learning a foreign language? Why do you always take the same road to drive to work? Could you find a better alternative?

5. MOVE THINGS AROUND: Imagine that you are a stranger who comes to your house for the first time. Would you place your furniture on the same place that it now occupies? Could you save time every morning if you rearrange the clothes in your closet?

6. DROP TASKS: Do you really need to do repetitive tasks that bring you little benefit? Could you hire someone to do chores at home? Do you need to clean so often rooms that you never use? Is it worth it to maintain household appliances that are too old?

7. REPLACE PEOPLE: Do you spend your leisure hours with people whose company you really enjoy? Have you ever accepted to take part in activities that you find boring? Why are you not rather making efforts to meet new people?

8. TAKE CONTROL: Would you be better off if you did yourself a few things that you have so far entrusted to other people? Could you learn to cut your own hair? Is it really so difficult to change a tab or to do some basic plumbing work at home?

9. REDUCE YOUR COSTS: Are you spending money on things that add little value to your life? Is it worth it to keep an expensive car with high maintenance costs? Could you get cheaper insurance? What about your food purchases?

10. OPEN NEW ACCOUNTS: Is your bank or stock broker giving you good service? Why not explore some alternatives? Go open an account with another financial services company. Try out new investment ideas that entail little risk.

Personal growth begins with questioning the way we live. The ten aspects that I have presented above only scratch the surface of what is possible. The world is full of better alternatives for those willing to change their routines. Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by twoblueday under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The rational response to unfairness

2011-12-22T01:52:00.003+09:00

Unfairness is everywhere and, if you care to look, you will detect more than your equitable share. Some people are born in the right environment, others possess powerful connections, inherit better looks, or simply draw the lucky number in a lottery.

Occasionally, your valuable work won't be appreciated and, instead, people will praise worthless nonsense. You may at times have to endure discrimination or ostracism, with the accompanying financial drawbacks. Disappointment, self-pity, and envy are frequent reactions to those situations.

Those negative emotions result from complex thought processes, which are as widespread as they are illogical. Imagine, for example, the case of an inexperienced person who is appointed to a high position within a bank thanks to his family connections to the detriment of a much better-qualified candidate.

What will be the feelings of the person who has seen his rightful expectations evaporate in a cloud of unfairness? On the one hand, irritation and perhaps anger. In addition, discouragement or even depression. Finally, envy, together with an overall sensation of futility. Let us examine in detail the thought sequence that generates these feelings:

1. The open position should be filled with the most competent candidate.

2. The people who will make the choice should strive to identify who the best candidate is.

3. The selection should be made exclusively on the basis of rational criteria.

4. People should display extra care when they make such crucial decisions.

5. When someone makes important choices for an organization, he should not let himself be influenced by personal interests and family connections.

6. Since I am the best-qualified candidate, I should obtain the appointment.

7. If a less experienced person is selected for the job, that would constitute a terrible injustice.

The ideas described above seem irrefutable at first sight, but they fall apart if we subject them to rational examination. In reality, we all know that some people carry out their duties in an exemplary manner while others are as negligent as you can be. For every person who possesses a strong sense of justice, how many will you find who prefer to look the other way?

Even if you happen to be the best-qualified individual for that particular job, how much of that is the result of luck anyway? If you are reading this, I bet that you have not been born in appalling poverty, deprived of access to basic education, and neglected by your parents to the point of near-starvation. Do take a minute to assess if at least part of your success is the result of pure coincidence or good fortune.

My point is not to state that everything is relative, which is not. Equally, I am not trying to tell you that you shouldn't have ambitions, which you should, by all means. What I am arguing is that envy, a deep feeling of misplaced disadvantage, is mostly a logical illusion.

In a world where millions of people are ignorant, thoughtless, and driven by nefarious ethics, what sense does it make to focus on the unfairness of the day? Lamentations and wishful thinking can bring about certain psychological relief, but they are essentially a waste of resources.

The rational response to unfairness is not envy, but relentless action. Given sufficient time, intelligent persistence tends to weigh off the influences of inheritance and chance. In our example, the person who has not been chosen for the job would do better to put on a good face and start to look around, discreetly, for a better position for himself at a rival bank.

Your time on earth is limited and should be used promoting your own cause in front of rational, fair individuals. For what concerns other people's mistakes, prejudice, or arbitrariness, you will be better off if you shrug your shoulders and move on. In the long-term, life has its own funny ways of settling open accounts without your intervention.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Manjith Kainickara under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Peace of mind does not come from immobility

2011-12-21T04:43:00.004+09:00

Does it pay to hire someone to analyse your dreams? Will it make any difference in your present or future life? I must express my scepticism about the psychological and practical returns on such investments.

When a problem of personal nature comes up, do you really believe that talking endlessly about your past is going to change your future? Should you not rather establish a plan of action and push yourself into implementing it?

The solution to past problems begins with present action. Paralysis only aggravates problems. Relentless action is the best countermeasure. The way forward entails defining goals, making plans, and following them through.

Let me break down my advice in 12 sequential steps:

1. Get a pencil and a piece of paper and draw two vertical lines in the middle, creating three columns.

2. In the first column, write down where you are now, for instance "I live in Detroit and I don't like it."

3. In the second column, write down where you want to be, for example "I want to live in Paris."

4. For the moment, leave the third column blank.

5. Cross from the list all items that are of secondary importance or that you don't wish to address right now.

6. You should be left with no more than six present and future elements. Let those be your priorities, at least for the time being.

7. Classify your six remaining problems and objectives into two groups. One should contain burning short-term issues that need urgent attention, like settling pending bills or avoiding the foreclosure of your home. The second group should encompass your most important long-term goals, like moving to Paris.

8. The less short-term burning issues and the more long-term goals you have, the better.

9. In the third column, write down specific steps that you can take in order to advance, for each issue, from your present status to your future goal. In the geographical example, the actions could consist of selling your house in Detroit, learning French, looking for a job in Paris, finding a house to rent there, and preparing the removal of your possessions from Detroit to Paris.

10. Begin to implement your actions one by one, pushing yourself everyday into carrying them out.

11. Many of your foreseen undertakings will fail or will reveal themselves impracticable. Never mind. Simply cross failed actions from your list and replace them by new alternatives. The fact that you are doing something is already helping you learn what doesn't work.

12. Step by step, your implementation will become sharper and increase the effectiveness of your results.

Relentless action, in addition to producing practical gains, enhances your psychological well-being. The souls of those who live by action also grow daily in wisdom. Peace of mind does not come from immobility, but from the process of pushing forward.

The human brain is not made for wallowing in past mistakes. Rational goals and ambitions bring out the best in human beings. Relentless action elevates men and women beyond the weight of personal history.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Shadowgate under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The philosophy of builders Available at AMAZON.com

2011-12-20T05:01:00.007+09:00

The factors that lead to prosperity and happiness have changed little through the ages. From the lives of accomplished men and women, we can extract the three principles that they have used to build a better future: self-reliance, tolerance and entrepreneurship.

This essay presents how individuals can use these principles to overcome adversity and improve their lives. Through the analysis of situations in the areas of relationships, career, health and investments, it shows how to overcome pessimism and discouragement, walk the path of least resistance, simplify your life and reduce costs, and focus on real opportunities.

The ideas are illustrated with examples from the lives of Paracelsus, Jane Austen, Thomas of Aquinas, Gutenberg, Jules Verne and many other historical figures, showing how they overcame obstacles and built a better future for themselves.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

Always compare several sources

2011-12-19T04:06:00.006+09:00

Most ideas about investment are fairy tales, although pervasive ones. Who could blame you for believing what is daily propagated by alleged experts? Do you spend lots of time selecting stocks that you intend to keep for the long term? Are you aware of the fact that market corrections take place from time to time?

After losing 60% of their liquid assets in the last years, many investors threw away their previous theories. Pain pushed them to change. They have become determined to reshape their practices and take control of their lives.

They have promised themselves that, whatever happens in the future, they will not be paralysed again; they will not be playing sitting duck any more. If investors had to condense all they have learned in a few rules, chances are that they would choose the following ten:

1. Develop long-term ambitions and work on their implementation by devoting daily a fixed amount of time to supervising your investments.

2. The major difference between professional and amateur investors is that professionals are always willing to recognize their mistakes. If facts turn against your theories, drop the theories. Be ready to sell your shares when it becomes obvious that you have made a mistake.

3. In stock market investments, like in real estate, the easiest profits are made by purchasing attractive assets at a low price.

4. You don't need to spend hours on end doing research in order to achieve high investment returns. The cost of a few superb investment newsletters is negligible compared with the time you'll save.

5. The cheapest way to avoid catastrophic losses in the stock market is to place stop-loss orders in every share in your portfolio. It's up to you to decide whether you are ready to take a loss of 10% or 20% before recognizing a mistake.

6. Never invest more than 5% of your assets in one single share or venture. Even if you devote all the care in the world to select your investments, you will never be able to rule out all risks.

7. There are dozens of stock markets in the world. If you live in the US or Europe, take a look at Brazil, China, Australia, or New Zealand. The costs of investing internationally are lower than you may think.

8. Dividend-paying shares with a long history of increasing dividends every year are usually solid investments if you can buy them at a reasonable price.

9. Never invest in something that you don't understand. Avoid obscure companies with unidentifiable sales and profits.

10. Use the internet to the maximum. The amount of investment information available for free is mind-boggling. Nevertheless, remain sceptical, compare sources, and check critical data several times.

Investment mistakes are no different from others. Marketing failures will allow you to improve your product targeting next time. Human resources blunders should help you hire better candidates in the future.

The validity of the lessons we learn is often commensurate with the pain caused by our mistakes. Mismanaged assets, like mismanaged advertising, may lead to a financial loss, but if the loss teaches you a great lesson for the future, nothing has been wasted.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by ricardo.martins under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The spirit that moves the machine

2011-12-18T18:12:00.003+09:00

Most books and articles about blogging concentrate on the marketing aspects. Potential bloggers are advised to choose a subject that is not already taken by someone else. At the same time, they are told to avoid themes that do not connect with an already existing group of avid information seekers.

Under this perspective, the whole undertaking is presented as a platform from which the blogger can preach to those who are already convinced. The idea is that a blog should aim at becoming the focal point of a compact community in a specific field, such as practitioners of extreme sports or lovers of horror movies.

This paradigm dominates the internet scene to such an extent that most blogs have become one-idea shows. No wonder that, after a couple of weeks, their texts become short and consist mainly of references to what other people are doing. Under this point of view, producing content is tantamount to filtering reality.

With this approach, is it not surprising that blogs rarely last longer than a year. Popular recommendations about blogging tend to forget the spirit that moves the machine. Text is made of words. Sentences are made of ideas. Without fresh, wide-ranging philosophical subjects, boredom will eventually take over, followed by intellectual starvation.

Marketing virtuosity might quickly attract visitors to a blog during the initial months, but in my view, the critical element in blogging is not the short-term reading, but the long-term writing. If you have nothing to say, if you are not driven to make yourself heard, why on earth do you want to write in the first place?

In contrast to most internet businesses, such as a website selling personalized birthday cakes, a blog is deeply marked by the personality of its author. The bakery that produces birthday cakes wants to achieve its sales target for the week. What a difference with a writer who orchestrates his blog with a time horizon of decades, possibly his whole lifetime.

A hundred million people go daily on-line. In the near future, the number might grow to five hundred million. Many of them would gladly read more blogs if only they found something that appealed to them, something original, sharp, daring perhaps. Write about what you truly like. Given enough time, people with the same interests will find you. Forget about marketing and let your blog speak for itself.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Taras Kalapun under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Health advantages of leading a balanced life

2011-12-17T05:05:00.006+09:00

The principles of preventive medicine have remained practically the same for centuries. The idea behind those guidelines is that individuals, barring birth defects or misfortune, should stay healthy if they lead a balanced life. Sickness is an exceptional status arising from wrong behaviour or from wounds received in combat or by accident.

In Antiquity, Hippocrates formulated the precepts that a man should follow in order to maintain a good condition. In the Middle Ages, Maimonides compiled and commented Hippocrates' writings, confirming their effectiveness. Here is a summary of those principles:

Ensure proper rest everyday at least for eight hours.
The ideal sleeping time is between sunset and dawn.
A man should not eat more than he strictly needs.
Foods that are difficult to digest should be avoided.
The most healthy drinks are water and wine.
Bowels evacuation should take place at least once a day.
Fruits, legumes, and nuts should be eaten regularly.

Beyond those basic rules, other prescriptions of Maimonides have also been confirmed by modern medicine as highly beneficial. For instance, the recommendation that a man should sleep on his side instead of lying on his back or face. In our age, a common remedy against back pain consists of sleeping on the side, with one leg stretched and the other in the foetal position.

Another guideline from the Middle Ages encourages eating small fish. During the last decades of the twentieth century, this prescription has been confirmed by marine biology studies. Apparently, in areas of the sea polluted by chemicals, large fish, due to their size, are more likely to be contaminated than small sardines or anchovies.

Amazingly, even the contemporary exhortation against saturated fat finds some precedents in Maimonides' writings. Nine hundred years ago, although the chemistry of the different types of fat had not yet been discovered, olive oil was already being recommended as a healthy food. At the same time, man was being advised against eating old cheese.

Most of the great physicians of Antiquity and the Middle Ages spent a good part of their lives working for kings and princes. This fact explains why, in their writings, they placed so much emphasis on recommending a balanced life as the best way of preventing disease. Nowadays, when workers are wealthier than ancient monarchs, such advice remains as valuable as in the times of Maimonides.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Sutibu under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Luck plays only a minor role

2011-12-16T04:57:00.004+09:00

I have a friend who is continuously involved in claims and litigation. He follows every case with passion, spending what I consider a disproportionate amount of time, money, and effort in making his rights prevail.

Since I am almost never involved myself in any court case, he recently asked me for advice about how to avoid getting constantly caught in the legal maze. "There is no magic in this," I replied, "and I believe that luck plays only a minor role."

My approach is based on two simple principles that have rarely failed me:

1. Be ready to give up minor claims, even if you are right, since the effort required to obtain compensation is out of proportion. Being alive involves making decisions and taking risks every day. If you lose a bit now and then, take it as a side effect of playing the game. It is usually better to waive a small claim than to get caught into legal entanglements.

2. Work at improving your judgement of people. The better you are at assessing dangers and strangers, the easier you can avoid them. It rarely pays to devote your energies at trying to change people. If you have serious doubts about someone's honesty, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by not doing business with that person (let alone marrying him or her).

Anyway, if you do wish to seek compensation for damages, see if you can reach an agreement. Settling your grievance out of court will usually be most effective than going through expensive litigation.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Wolfgang Staudt under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Taking the long-term view

2011-12-15T04:02:00.002+09:00

Whenever you move to a new job, chances are that you will have to spend the initial months clearing up the mess left behind by your predecessor. Resources are always limited, in particular time, and your new position might require you to make some tough decisions. Will you maintain the old routines or will you take the risk of antagonizing your colleagues and subordinates?

Entrepreneurs face the same dilemma everyday. Actually, the choice between proven systems and risky innovation has to be made by every person in business, often on the basis of incomplete information. When college students pick up their major subject of study, how many of them have a clear picture of the long-term consequences?

Around the year 70 B.C., Andronicus of Rhodes was elected head of the Lyceum, the school that had been founded by Aristotle in Athens two centuries before. After taking over his new responsibilities, Andronicus must have made an inventory of the assets and liabilities of the Lyceum and concluded that the school was in a sorry state.

Diodorus had been the head of the Lyceum during the preceding decades. Despite his efforts, the school had progressively lost ground to its main competitor, the Academy founded by Plato. Shortly after Andronicus became head of the Lyceum, the Roman legions invaded Greece and the economic situation in Athens turned from bad to worse.

A few years later, the state of affairs had barely improved and Andronicus was faced with the most difficult decision of his life. The implications were so far-ranging that no one could have foreseen all consequences. The Lyceum was going through difficult times, which called for swift action and strong leadership.

For Andronicus, there were two choices. On the one side, he could concentrate all resources on expanding the school curriculum in order to attract new students from Greece, Rome, Libya, and Egypt. On the other side, he could devote the available manpower to compile and edit the works of Aristotle, whose manuscripts were rapidly deteriorating and risked being lost forever.

Although the Lyceum was not a modern corporation listed in the stock market, we should not underestimate the pressures on Andronicus to decide in favour of short-term advantages. Suffice to say than in the preceding two hundred years, under much better economic conditions, no one had undertaken the task of editing and compiling Aristotle's works.

Luckily, Andronicus of Rhodes took the long-term view and decided to concentrate the Lyceum resources on producing a compilation of Aristotle's writings. You might not know that, by the time they began their task, already half of Aristotle's manuscripts had been rendered illegible by decay or eaten up by worms.

The compilation of Aristotle's writings made in the Lyceum under Andronicus' supervision consisted of 47 books. In addition, about thirty books by Aristotle available at that time were left out of the compilation, possibly considering that, since they were so many copies in circulation of those other thirty books, there was little risk of them disappearing.

That assumption proved catastrophically wrong, since with the passage of time, all other works of Aristotle have been irrecoverably lost. The last copies of those other Aristotle's manuscripts may have burned down in the fire of the Alexandrian Library, together with many other writings of Antiquity.

In our days, few students realize that, when they study Aristotle's ideas, they are mostly relying on Andronicus of Rhodes as historical source. In fact, a good part of what we consider Aristotle's works might have been written by Andronicus himself or by one of his colleagues in the Lyceum.

Had Andronicus not undertaken the arduous task of editing and compiling dozens of disparate manuscripts written by Aristotle, later centuries would have taken a different path, no doubt, for the worse. As it frequently happens, one man's long-term vision changed the course of History.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by katesheets under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The art of avoiding pointless discussions

2011-12-14T04:32:00.005+09:00

It doesn't pay to engage in verbal fights with irrational people. They will dismiss your well-thought arguments. They will ignore facts and figures. They will wear you down and, in extreme cases, they might make you doubt your senses. Most of us would be already millionaires if we had been paid for all the hours that we have wasted in useless discussions.

Nevertheless, no matter what business you are in, you probably make part of your money through your dealings with irrational customers, colleagues, or employees. The world being what it is, there are few ways to make a living without having to deal with some overbearing individuals. Your efficiency and happiness will depend to a great extent on your ability to deal with this kind of persons.

Avoiding nonsense altogether is hardly a feasible approach, since no one can remake the world according to his personal preferences. Getting angry doesn't work either, since you would only create stress for yourself without improving anything.

A workable system to put an end to a pointless debate consists of admitting that you don't know. Saying words such "maybe" or "possibly" in a polite tone has the same effect. This approach is not a compromise with irrationality, but a necessary method of self-protection. Let me show you a few examples of what happens when you use this strategy against everyday nonsense.

[1] When someone tells you that the world is coming to an end and that you should be anxious and depressed, you can admit that possibility and indicate that you will start worrying when you actually see civilization fall apart.

[2] Should you get to hear that saving is useless and that you would be better off by living in the moment, thank that person for the advice and reply that you will stop saving when you have tangible guarantees that your financial future is properly taken care of.

[3] A similar approach can be used against someone exhorting you to read the newspaper every day, warning you that, without constant new information, you will soon lose your competitive edge. Remain serene and refrain from giving a snappy reply. Say that you take note of the remark but that you are satisfied with the effectiveness of your limited-information approach.

[4] From time to time, you might also be told that eating healthy food is a waste of time, since cancer can hit anybody any time and that there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Do not allow such comments to affect your tranquillity. Respond that you will think about it, but that your good nutrition habits have kept your healthy so far.

[5] Scaremongers will tell you that markets are going down and that opportunity is shrinking. Should you be concerned? Should you engage in a pointless debate? Not at all, not for a single moment. Admit that the overall economic situation is difficult and that, precisely for that reason, you prefer to pursue whatever opportunities remain available.

[6] Some people will scorn you for thinking long-term, arguing that there is no point in looking beyond the next quarter. You can confirm that this is true in some areas, but that on the other hand, a long-term vision has always helped you in the past to make good decisions. Keep your statements short and polite. Do not waste time in worthless duels and go quietly your own way.

[7] Occasionally, you will have to face people who sustain that all attempts at happiness are doomed because, in life, everybody has to endure frustration. A good response to such statement is to acknowledge life's difficulties and let it go at that. Do not become agitated and engage in endless discussions, since you have better things to do. Let reality restate the truth. You know that nothing prevents you from looking for solutions to your problems and achieving as much happiness as you can.

[8] Those with a pessimistic view of human nature tend to love long debates. They will tell you that society is hard and mean. They will complain that, nowadays, you rarely find good people any more. When you hear such remarks, don't get upset and don't get into a debate. Simply admit that there may be a lot of bad persons in the world and use that as an extra incentive to seek out rational and honest people.

Avoiding pointless discussions is not an endorsement of nonsense. Staying out of useless debates does not evade logic nor supports mistakes. On the contrary, your keeping away from irrationality is an essential aspect of your right to act according to your own rational interests.

Don't waste time debating with people who are not listening. Silly ideas and unrealistic projects always fall apart on their own. Never engage in heated disputes where your opinion is not going make any difference. Choose the path of reason and let the foolish go their own way.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by puliarf under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Making your message sharp and fast

2011-12-13T04:54:00.003+09:00

You might be surprised to learn that, for a substantial part, comic-book readers are neither children nor teenagers. Enthusiastic collectors know every Spiderman adventure by heart and, nowadays, internet sites allow people to trade old editions of Superman adventures. We cannot tell exactly how many adults are still burning with that flame, but the number goes into the thousands.

Romantic movies and pocket books are steadfastly consumed by many women from the cradle to the grave. The details portrayed in sentimental tales have become more explicit in the last decades, but the old feelings are still there. The size of the market, if we include romantic TV serials, amounts to billions of US dollars per year.

The demand for stories continues to grow worldwide, 24 hours a day, never taking a single day of vacation. Since Ancient Greece, the three acts are still played out relentlessly, as though the world had never changed. The discovery of a kindred spirit, the abandonment to passion, and the victory over difficulties fill our television screens, movie theatres, bookshops, and popular magazines.

What lesson can be learned from this flood of adventure, action, and everlasting hope? If you think that this is a meaningless phenomenon, please pause and make a list of the people you know who never watch such films, buy such books, or follow such stories on TV. Chances are that your list will be short. Here is why:

1. An important segment of the population draws their ethical convictions from popular fiction, whether in the form of novels, films, or television episodes. Intellectual approaches to morality, philosophy, and happiness are as rare as purely rational investors.

2. There are good reason why human beings prefer to take their ethical cues from fiction rather than from professional philosophers. If only because movies, TV films, and comic-books are more fun, cheaper, and more readily accessible than sophisticated moral discourse.

3. Amongst a wide variety of abstract ideas, it is difficult to tell which one is true. On the other hand, fiction can be quickly judged as entertaining or boring, satisfying or disconcerting. Well-constructed stories present self-contained value assessments that can be instantly apprehended.

The conclusion is not that you should discard organized thinking and research as tools for establishing the truth. By all means, push your intellectual and business pursuits forward, but do not underestimate the difficulty of communicating complex chains of thoughts to unfamiliar audiences.

My point is that stories offer a short-cut for presenting ideas. A dry exposition will always lose against a sequence of dramatic images held together by clear motivation. Making your argumentation easily accessible is frequently as important as ensuring that you are building your thoughts on consistent premises.

When it comes to the ability to show what is right and wrong, comic-book characters and romantic heroines form the most effective group of teachers to learn from. Let us acknowledge the power of sharp story-telling, extract the best it has to offer, and use it to our advantage.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by neilh205 under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Using random events as stepping stones

2011-12-12T01:03:00.003+09:00

Have you ever wondered why human beings cannot perceive opportunities in their immediate surroundings? For years, I have been taking the same route to work. I was absolutely convinced that it was the most efficient way to get to the office. I was even proud that the drive took me only 40 minutes every morning.

Two weeks ago, local authorities happened to decide to begin works simultaneously on two roads in my area. Those two roads were precisely my main route and my back-up route to get to the office. The road works created a gigantic traffic jam, which most drivers took more or less philosophically.

On the first day, I got out of the main road and tried to circumvent the works by driving through a village whose existence I had barely noticed until that time. I got lost a few times, but I got to the office in about 50 minutes. Not bad, considering the circumstances.

The following morning, I explored the possibility of driving through another village, which allowed me to reduce my travel time by another 10 minutes. Amazing. Even with the road works, I had managed to keep to my usual driving time of 40 minutes.

By Friday that week, I had explored more and more of the area, managing to reduce my travel time further. Now I am at 31 minutes, which is a whopping reduction of my driving time. Compared to my old routine, the new route is saving me one and a half hours driving time per week.

The possibility of radically reducing my driving time had not even crossed my mind until road works disrupted my daily pattern. For years, I had been driving my car more constrained by the rigidity of my ideas than by physical limitations.

I am not going to stop here. I have decided that this improvement is just the beginning. Forget about driving time, there are so many other things that I want to do better. It is ideas that transform random events into stepping stones. Next time you hear me talking about my car, please remind me that I should rather be focusing on my destination.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Subhash Chandra under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Purpose is what creates the distinction

2011-12-11T18:52:00.005+09:00

Thick books full of equations deter most people from learning economics. The suspicion that there might be something wrong with the whole science is not unfounded. Otherwise, if economists are so knowledgeable, how do you explain that most of them are not wealthy?

Every course on economics begins with the law of supply and demand, which is considered the baseline of the science. This principle teaches that consumers buy fewer units when prices are high, but that on the other hand, when prices are low, for the same amount of money, you can get much more.

Since people have been acting in this way since the beginning of time, one might wonder if such wisdom justifies the cost of taking an economics course. My answer is rotundly positive. No matter how simple principles look, their applications demand subtlety and can lead to many blind alleys.

When it comes to applied economics, the most important paradigm is not mathematical. Understanding it can help you make better decisions and, above all, avoid many traps in your private and business life. If you choose to study only one thing about economics, let me suggest that you learn to tell the difference between consumption and investment, in particular:

Investments are not characterized by a high acquisition cost. A large house on the beach that you buy to spend your summer holidays every year can be expensive, but is not an investment, since it does not produce you any income. In comparison, a small low-cost apartment that you rent out to tenants does constitute an asset.

Investments are not defined by their long durability. A refrigerator that you purchase for your kitchen may last 10 years, but does not generate you any income. Such acquisition is not an investment. In contrast, a set of liquor glasses that may last 3 years is an investment if you buy them for use in your restaurant.

Purpose is what creates the distinction between consumption and investment. Classifying buildings automatically as investments without considering their purpose may lead to wrong decisions and expensive errors.

The fundamental economic difference between assets and expenditure lies in the use that we give to items, not in the accounting rules regarding depreciation and tax deductions. A laptop computer to play video games is a consumption item, unless you get paid for playing those, for instance, because you write reviews for a video-games magazine.

The consequences of this principle are wide-ranging and encompass all fields of our lives. Being conscious of the difference can help you, for instance, to buy your clothes more efficiently, to discard worthless investment proposals quickly, and to reduce the cost of starting your own company.

Misunderstanding what truly constitutes an investment results in the waste of enormous sums of money every year. Do not fall into that trap. Not every big-ticket item is an asset and not all inexpensive purchases are consumer goods. When you make decisions, you will be much better off if you weigh each element according to its veritable nature.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Rosa y Dani under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Starting all over again? Here is how

2011-12-10T04:46:00.006+09:00

Soldiers died like flies during the First World War. If you were sent to the front, there was no place to hide. If shrapnel, bullets, gas, and dynamite did not take care of you, army doctors did.

Although doctors tried their best to save the life of wounded soldiers, amputations and other surgery took place under appalling sanitary conditions. There was little hygiene amongst eviscerated corpses. When the German army ran out of aesthetics, wounded soldiers endured such deep pain during surgery, that many died from the shock.

German doctors shrugged their shoulders, disposed of the dead bodies, and let it go at that. Since no further medical supplies were to be expected, a young German doctor began to experiment with natural anaesthetics. His name was Max Gerson.

After the First World War, he continued to try out organic treatments based on fruit and vegetable juices. During the next twenty years, Max Gerson did more and more research. He reached the highest point in his career when his experimental therapy led to cure several terminal cancer patients. In the Second World War, Max Gerson lost everything and had to emigrate to America.

He was 55 years old when he arrived in New York, a destitute immigrant. Without a US medical license, Max Gerson was not allowed to practise medicine in New York, so he began to learn English. That took him some effort, but then he enrolled for the exam to obtain his medical accreditation in the US. He began a new life on his 57th birthday, when he opened a modest medical practice in New York.

During the remaining twenty years of his life, Gerson's revolutionary organic-food treatments helped many patients recover their health. Many of those patients had been considered incurable and sent home to die. Next time you lose everything, you know what to do.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by jurvetson under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Sensible goals, consistent action

2011-12-09T05:05:00.004+09:00

Traditional behaviour models are crumbling in our midst. Old morality is taking the blame for current problems, although often through spurious argumentation. Never mind. Ethical decay has reached such an extent that many parents have given up all attempts to provide moral guidelines to their offspring.

Where are we headed? Should we conclude that principles are relative? That happiness is unattainable through individual action? That success is more dependent on luck than on personal effort? To answer these questions, we must point out the connection between personal effectiveness and happiness.

Rationality establishes the basis for making productive decisions and developing valuable skills. Even in an unfavourable environment, individuals who possess strong values and motivation grow more effective with each passing day. Principles are not luxuries, but practical tools that enable progress and achievement.

Logic and consistency are the keys to quick learning and rapid implementation. A well-organized mind absorbs information more effectively than a mind affected by anxiety. Ethical certainty nourishes psychological stability and personal productivity.

Sustained personal growth relies on universal ethical principles. Virtues such as openness, tolerance, and honesty render individuals efficient and self-confident. Prosperity and happiness result from consistent action in pursuit of sensible goals. Nobody can predict the future accurately, but no matter how difficult the situation becomes, rational individuals will do better than average.

There is too much noise in the world and too many offers compete for our attention. We cannot accept every proposal that promises to improve our condition. Focusing our efforts on becoming more effective is a simple way to increase our chances of leading a more satisfying life.

New fashions that entertain your spirit for a while will distract you from important matters. We all want to experience the fresh before it becomes stale, but do you want to waste your days chasing the latest novelty? Leading a chaotic life is self-destructing. Without focus and personal effectiveness, there can be no real happiness.

Overcharging our agendas and accelerating our life is the equivalent of a sugar-coated sedation. The pursuit of faster results makes no sense if those are irrelevant to our long-term goals. Actions that contradict our plans and ambitions rarely produce beneficial consequences.

Empty pursuits cannot still human hunger for happiness. Leading a meaningful life requires consistent ethical values, long-term plans, and effective implementation. The link between personal effectiveness and happiness cannot be denied.

The life of the Ancient Roman writer Titus Livius (59 BC-17 AD) provides a good illustration of this point. When Titus Livius turned thirty-five, he looked back at his life and realized that he had not accomplished much. Like many Romans of good family, he had enjoyed a solid education, read widely, done some travelling, and also a little writing.

He had tried his hand intermittently at everything and achieved pretty much nothing. Since his life lacked purpose and ambition, Titus Livius felt ineffective and unhappy. He asked himself if he should continue living in the same way. Was there something that he could do to give meaning to his days?

The prevalent philosophies in Ancient Rome, stoicism and hedonism, did not provide an answer to his questions. Hedonism encourages man to live for the pleasures of the day and ignore long-term consequences. Stoicism seldom provides other contentment than the quiet acceptance of misfortune.

We do not know what made Titus Livius change his ways, but we do know the results. Instead of continuing to pursue random interests, he conceived a wide-ranging project that would take him decades to accomplish. Instead of wasting time in abstract speculation, he fixed himself an ambitious goal and figured out how to accomplish it.

By the time he turned thirty-six, he had already formulated how he was going to spend the rest of his life. He would write a History of Rome unlike anything ever written before. He would speak not only of facts, but also of heroes. He would recount not only events, but also the values that had inspired them.

Titus Livius' plan comprised researching hundreds of documents and writing 150 books, an enterprise that nowadays would keep busy a complete university department. He did most of the work himself and it took him four decades.

Apparently, he was very happy devoting his time to such a demanding undertaking. Such devotion to a single long-term purpose is essential to improve a man's personal effectiveness and psychological well-being.

When Titus Livius died, he was 77 years old. His only regret must have been that he had not started his project earlier, since he only managed to complete 142 books out of the 150 that he had initially planned.

Do you have similar objectives and plans in your life? Have you established long-term goals for yourself? Do you have a strategy that consistently favours your personal growth? Are you becoming more effective at what you do day after day?

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by ed7929 under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

On the need of sharpness of intent

2011-12-08T04:17:00.002+09:00

Contrary to trains, cars can change direction at the driver's will. Along the highway, billboards invite us to stop by and visit all sorts of tourist attractions. On the car radio, advertisers present us their wares, some useful and convenient, others pricey and counter-productive.

Distractions are many and increase by the hour. The longer the trip, the harder it becomes to keep the vehicle on the right track. If you carry passengers in your car, they will express their views about what you are trying to do. "Turn around and return," you will be told, "stop and let it go."

Our environment offers us support at the same time that it places obstacles in our path. Physical barriers are visible and material problems can be directly faced. If you experience hunger or extreme discomfort, your attention will seldom be deviated from the issue at hand. Pressing needs demand immediate action.

Stonewalls will seldom prevent your progress, since they can circumvented. Nor the price of gasoline, food, and lodging. Your delays will be caused more often by doubts than by certainties. Your lack of progress will be more frequently due to shifting convictions than to insufficient means.

Thinking is not automatic. Observing reality and reaching correct conclusions requires effort. Focusing your mind on what is relevant involves selecting and discarding. Establishing goals and taking consistent action demands concentration. No one but yourself is going to ensure that your current concerns are aligned with your long-term interests.

Unless you remind yourself daily of your priorities, chances are that you will spend your time dealing with the latest emergency, only to discover later, that the problem was inconsequential. Noise distorts music in the same way that fashion distorts principles. Not by contesting them, but by making them inaudible and invisible.

The reason why men read old philosophers is not to learn about the latest scandal, but to reaffirm essential truths. The news of the hour may entertain your attention and satisfy your curiosity. Novelties might provide you subjects for small talk with strangers, but superficiality leads to anxiety.

Foolishness arises not so much out of ignorance, but out of the willingness to obliterate what we already know to be true. Balance and motivation require sharpness of intent. Unless you find a way to restate your goals every day, nonsense will contaminate reason and your determination will wane.

Personal objectives are meaningless if plans are not implemented. Relentless activity ensues from self-confidence, not from self-effacement. You need to find the manner to keep your purpose in view and your understanding fresh. Restate truth at every turn the road and ignore signs that tell you to stall.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by PhillipC under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Failure and hesitation as prerequisites of achievement

2011-12-07T04:24:00.003+09:00

When I was a kid, I never really got to believe what I was told about success. Life seemed to have many more tracks that the one that was being officially preached. There were too many interesting destinations and I saw no justification why only one of them should be correct. In fact, I reasoned, how could anyone dare to formulate a model lifestyle that all people were supposed to follow at all times?

The tenets of the success philosophy were simple and have changed little ever since: failure is scary, so work hard and don't fall behind; keep it safe and don't take risks; don't be different and stay with the group; it is better to be warm with the majority than being left alone in the cold; and above all, you should avoid fundamental doubts and never question what everybody else is taking for granted.

Reality, however, soon proved my doubts justified. For starters, I never met anyone who could be considered really successful according to the demanding standards that had been preached to me. Secondly, whenever I met people who called themselves successful, I found them so lacking in wisdom that I felt pity for them.

At that point, I began to realize that the kind of people that fascinated me never felt into the standard success category. The artists I liked were usually struggling or just getting by. The philosophers that I appreciated were far from being famous and wealthy. The movies I loved had no violence, no stars, and no special effects. What was that supposed to mean?

The years passed and, reluctantly, I embraced part of the official philosophy of success, although my conversion was uncertain and superficial. It did not take long before the old doubts came back to visit me, in the beginning every week, then every day, and finally, every night.

Whenever I made a pause and took the trouble to look around, the original questions returned to hunt me more strongly than ever. Human life seemed to be made more of dishevelled threads than of steel frames. The people I liked best had managed to strike a balance between their ultimate purpose and their immediate attachments.

In my eyes, determination without benevolence turns a person into a jerk rather than a success. Motivation without consideration makes people reckless and empty. Ambition without resilience results in anxiety. Engagement without perspective leads to intolerance. Definitely, I told myself, this is not the way to happiness.

Then one day I happened to read a biography of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the English naturalist that formulated the theory of evolution through slow variation and adaptation of animal species. Since its inception, Darwin's theory has opened more wide-ranging discussions in society than any other idea in history.

Before reading about Darwin's life, I had assumed that he had come up with the theory of evolution at some point during his scientific expedition to the Galapagos, that he had quickly published his results, and that he had enjoyed for many years the prestige and wealth arising from the subsequent controversies.

I was as wrong as you can be. Darwin's life story was much less glorious than I had expected, since it shows a man who had only moved towards success with utmost shyness and insecurity. In Darwin's actions, I found more hesitation than determination; in his doubts, I saw the reflection of my fundamental questions; in the middle decades of his life, I saw more risk aversion than entrepreneurship.

If failure is the equivalent of immobility, I concluded, then a good part of Darwin's life consisted of failure. Believe it or not, the man who is reputed to be one of the greatest scientists in history, procrastinated for fourteen years before publishing his theory. It is believed that Darwin's hesitation came out of his fear of criticism, although other factors may have also played a role.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that Charles Darwin might have died before taking the step to make his theory public. Apparently, by the time he turned 35, he had already put his thoughts in writing, but he only took the initiative to make his conclusions public when he was 49 years old, that is, fourteen years later. I suggest that you stop here for a second and ponder what you are planning to do with the next fourteen years of your life.

What is even more amazing is that Darwin was only prompted to publish his theory out of the fear of seeing another scientist come out first with a book on the subject. Only when Darwin received a letter from Alfred Russell Wallace in 1858 did he realize that, for him, it was going to be now or never.

Wallace had come up with the same theory while doing research in the Malay Archipelago and, in his letter, he had presented a summary to Darwin. After fourteen years of paralysing doubts, Darwin swiftly made up his mind, prepared his notes for publication, and took the decisive step. All his fame and success come from that critical step, for which it took him fourteen years to gather enough courage.

Darwin's story made me wonder if failure and hesitation, instead of being the inhibitors of human success, should not be rather viewed as the harbingers, almost the prerequisites of any substantial achievement. Maybe, I thought, although failure is disruptive and scary, we can only appreciate its meaning when we place it in a long-term context.

Failure changes our way of thinking and our future actions, often turning us into wiser and more successful human beings. Indeed, failure is frightening, but only to a certain point. That's the point at which each of us is given one more chance to turn our lives around.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Per Ola Wiberg (Powi) under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Actions speak for themselves

2011-12-06T04:27:00.003+09:00

Unless you love to do things for no reason and work for free, you belong to those who expect to receive adequate compensation for their efforts. It does not have to be money, since humans do a million things to help each other without payment, but fair enough, we all want to see concrete results and a minimum of gratitude.

Groups of all sorts welcome those who want to give a hand. Since there are conflicting views about which direction is best, lots of efforts are devoted to discussing where to go and who does what. To the thousand organizations that call for your support, a new one is added every day.

When it comes to pursuing abstract objectives, it is up to you to decide how much time and resources you wish to invest. If you possess a generous heart, you will never lack opportunities to share what you have. Problems are everywhere and seem to multiply by the hour.

Strange enough, despite massive efforts and dedication, little is achieved when we pursue general goals. You might argue about percentages of improvement, but still, the alleged solutions remain mostly invisible. Trouble persists and alternatives stall, to the extent that one could doubt if anything is being done at all.

Checking propositions thoroughly should never be seen as a sign of disrespect. If we ask for proof of what has been achieved so far, we might be regarded as cold-hearted, but when things are not clear, raising questions about methods and means is perfectly appropriate.

On the other hand, when we focus on our business or profession, things seem to get better at an amazing speed. Products are made, services rendered, invoices sent, and customers content. Companies grow or, at the very least, become more efficient. On many occasions, we don't need to advertise to gain credibility, since this is something that we earn through out daily work.

Before contributing to this or that new initiative, is it not fair to ask if our support is going to make any difference in the result? Is it not rational to remain sceptical when facts are inconclusive? A man cannot be expected to believe any story that he is told. Most of us expect paths to have clear destinations.

My point is that devoting time to grand theories and hopeless causes is never a good use of our energies. Experience shows that the best way to move someone to our views is to let our actions speak for themselves.

The most effective use of our resources seldom comes from following other people's agendas. To accomplish our chosen work and goals, that's what we are in this world for. As Confucius put it so well, "teachings are worthless without personal example."

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by wili_hybrid under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

How to become a poet

2011-12-05T01:02:00.001+09:00

If you wish to become a poet, I can give you some clues, but please take your heart medication before you read this through, since it contains some strong truths.

First, you have to realize that nobody cares about what you want to be, so don't go around complaining that you are misunderstood. Artistic sensitivity is fine, but please keep it to yourself, since there is already too much noise in the world.

Second, you should just start writing poetry and do not ask anyone for permission. If you do happen to ask someone for permission, you most likely won't even get a response. Again, it's not that most people won't understand you, it's simply that they are too busy with their own lives.

Third, you have to develop a thick skin. This is a quintessential requirement for any artist, as it is for salesmen and lawyers. People will criticize your work for no reason, editors will correct the unique syntax that you have worked so hard to create, and bookshops will place your poetry books in the cooking section.

Fourth, you have to push your work around and try to find the small percentage of people who might like your poetry. No matter how good a poet you are, that percentage will always remain small, but remember that there are 6.7 billion people in the world. Even if only one person in a thousand likes your poetry, that still makes 6.7 million people.

I know that you are going to ask me when you will know for sure that you are a poet. This is an easy question for me to answer. You will know one day in the evening, after many years of taking daily steps towards your goal.

By that time, you might be already discouraged and ready to quit poetry altogether, but take heart. On that evening, you will be invited to a party by someone you barely know. You will attend in the hope, after so many years, of meeting a publisher who will really appreciate your work.

Ten minutes after you arrive at the party, your hope will vanish. Nobody will pay any attention to you and you will wonder if you have received the invitation by error. You will retire to a corner to sip your green tea in loneliness, but then, you will realize that two young women are staring at you from the opposite side of the room.

The two will cross the room and stand still a meter away from you. "Can we ask you a question?" one of them will say. "Sure," you will reply, wondering if they are mistaking you for someone else.

"We want to become a writers," they will continue. "Could you give us some advice about how to write a book?" At that point, you will frantically try to figure out a brilliant answer, something that will identify you as a successful poet.

You will look around the room, a little desperate, realizing that you have no good advice to offer. You will wish that someone would join the conversation and give you the answer, but of course, no one will.

As you mumble your piece of advice, you will feel embarrassed by your lack of ideas and imagination. "Writing a book is easy," you will say, "you just start at the beginning and finish at the end." Then you will blush, ashamed of having spoken out such triviality.

The two women will stare at you in silence for a long time and then exchange a satisfied look. "I told you he was a poet," one of them will comment in awe. "You were right," the other will concur. And at that moment, at that very moment, you will know yourself for sure.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Peter Fuchs under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Opportunities that you had not seen before

2011-12-04T18:02:00.002+09:00

People become discouraged and despondent in relationships because, at a certain moment, they believe that they have no options. This is not true, unless you suffer from terminal illness and you have no time left. Wherever you live, whatever your occupation, alternatives exist to bad relationships.

An active mind is a precious treasure that is given to every human. If you doubt this, look at children. Their curiosity and excitement are irrepressible. An entrepreneurial spirit is not something you have to acquire, but your natural due. If later in life, you find that missing, you just need to reclaim it.

There are plenty of unexplored possibilities when it comes to meeting new friends and lovers. In each case, you might need to exert effort, look around, and experience some rejection. That's part of the price you pay for growing as a human being.

Once we are equipped with an entrepreneurial attitude, we should actually love it when someone calls our dreams unrealistic. In particular, when that person adds some trite remark, such as "in life, we cannot always get what we want." That's a sign for us to take action.

If your parts supplier expects you to make your purchases at exorbitant prices, find a new supplier. If your internet provider acts as though you have no choice, change providers. If your computer repair shop informs you that they are the only experts in that brand of computer, throw away the old computer and purchase another brand.

If your bank announces that you have no other place to save, open accounts in three other banks. If your plumber tells you that your have to pay too much, learn how to replace the water tabs yourself. If a painter tells you that you can do things only his way, hire someone else to paint your house.

The examples above apply equally to a bad relationship or marriage. The time to get out of them is now, even if you cannot immediately figure out where to go next. You should make your priority number one to escape a situation that makes you feel unappreciated and belittles your best qualities.

What about geographical constraints? Moving to another region or country to build a new life seems so complicated that most people don't give it much thought. Nevertheless, every year, millions of men and women go and live in another country in search of better conditions or to break completely with miserable past relationships.

When someone says that you have no choice, give yourself a break. Look hard at your situation and question why, when and how. Once you decide to replace a failed relationship with a better future, your eyes will begin to detect opportunities that you had never seen before.

When people express the view that you should be content with what you have, don't get upset and refrain from giving a snappy reply. Useless discussions are not going to save the day. More often than not, you will be better off if you just nod, smile, and move on.

The world is full of possibilities to connect with wonderful people and build great relationships. Don't waste a minute with those that believe that there is only one path to walk. You have better things to do.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Mikerhoads under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Why you should extend your range of vision

2011-12-03T04:20:00.002+09:00

There is no deeper disappointment in life than seeing your fundamental convictions contradicted by unexpected events. When facts turn upside down what you have believed all your life, disorientation ensues. In those situation, doubts spread like wildfire across your philosophy, leading you to wonder if your other ideas are equally false.

How is it possible that you have been wrong all this time? Have you perhaps misunderstood the teachings of antiquity? Does modern life require giving up all traditions, values, and principles of previous eras? To whom can you turn to seek confirmation, or at the very least, consolation?

Nowadays, millions of people are asking these and similar questions. The last decades have been particularly hard on those who had placed their trust on prudence and loyalty. The issue is whether thrift and careful investment have lost their sense and purpose.

Adversity and misfortune prompt victims to question their beliefs. The spectacle of great financial losses incurred by conservative businessmen is not edifying. In this context, it is perfectly fair to doubt your convictions. In a world that seems to reward chance rather than constancy, should one remain faithful to ethical rules?

Take heart and do not give up. Current events offer an incomplete picture of the story. Superficial and nonsensical ideas can only enjoy ephemeral popularity. The balance of time will soon regain its accuracy. Rational measurements will be restored.

Short-term defeat is just a temporary disturbance of the universal rule that links cause and effect. The principle of causality alone governs reality. None of us can escape it, ignore it, or contradict it. Correct principles remain uncontested through the ages. Essential ethical guidelines are meant to show us the way especially during difficult periods.

The law of causality, however, does not prevent connections between facts from working according to their own calendar. Consequences from past events can be wide-ranging. Sometimes, effects are only felt several years after their cause was initiated. The timing of History is seldom designed to fit our linking:

(a) An employee who has worked loyally for a company during several decades loses his job due to the economic recession and finds himself on the street. Was he wrong in devoting so much effort to his work? Instead of performing excellently, should he have done as little as possible in his job?

(b) A middle-aged manager who has been saving laboriously all his life now witnesses a stock market crash that devalues his assets in half. Was he mistaken in trying to secure his retirement? Rather than investing, should he have spent his income on frivolities?

(c) A loving wife who has dedicated her best years to care for his family is suddenly confronted with her husband's infidelity. Was she too naïve in trusting him? Should she become sceptical of truth in human relationships?

(d) A couple who lives frugally for decades in order to pay off their mortgage sees their home damaged by a flood. Instead of saving money every month, should they have spent as much as they earned?

No wonder that people feel overwhelmed, physically and psychologically, when they go through such circumstances. Unmitigated disaster can demolish our most cherished principles together with our hopes, savings, home, possessions, and social and family connections.

In the face of catastrophe, the only way to overcome doubt is to extend our range of vision. The law of cause and effect always works, even though its results may be slower than we wish. Great victories are always won at the margin, through consistent application of fundamental principles. Do not desert your convictions when short-term events turn against them.

No human story is exempt from trouble. This is why, given enough time, a sensible lifestyle always wins. Your long-term investment plans may suffer a setback, but their value shall be restored as soon as economic conditions return to normality. Your job may be lost in the business disruption caused by a recession, but you were right in trying to perform your best every day.

Do not question your good habits during bad times. Remain calm in the face of adversity and reaffirm your rational values. Recovery might be around the corner. Now it is no time to throw away your virtues. Learn to look beyond present disaster and figure out how to regain ground.

During a crisis, the best traits of your character become even more valuable. Honesty, frugality, and productivity ensure that you will be able to seize the next opportunity to get back on your feet. Stay alert and do not grow discouraged. Great victories are always won precisely at the moment when everything seems lost.

Linear thinking, so natural to our minds, is rarely accurate in seizing facts. Reality does not change at a steady pace. Prosperity seldom arrives at the moment we expect it. Success is the outcome of relentless, focused action carried out through the years.

Great victories are always won at the margin, by hanging on a little longer, by making an extra sale, and by saving an extra dollar. Virtues such as productivity and frugality allow us to enjoy life more intensely because they establish a permanent link between present desires and foreseeable rewards.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Rene Ehrhardt under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Good health through rational living

2011-12-02T05:36:00.004+09:00

For the individual, no other asset is as valuable as his health. Money, friendships, and business connections won't help much if your body exceeds the limits of what it can reasonably withstand. Medical services can be purchased, often at a great expense, but they cannot always help.

Maintaining an optimal level of vitality should be one of the main priorities in life, but unfortunately, for many people, it is not. Too much is taken for granted and, after irreversible damage has occurred, little can be done beyond reducing the pain. Prevention is better than cure, in particular, low-cost prevention.

The principles of staying in good shape have been known for centuries, although in the last decades, details have been worked out in many areas. Barring inherited illness and extreme bad luck, the way to an excellent health depends on five factors, namely:

1. Avoid situations of serious physical danger.

2. Sleep long enough for your needs.

3. Do not eat or drink harmful substances.

4. Choose a sound diet that you can easily follow.

5. Make sure that you do a minimum of exercise everyday.

The first aspect is frequently overlooked by wellness experts, but it plays a crucial role in allowing individuals to reach an advanced age in good condition. Combat sports and exotic vacations draw crowds in search of excitement, but they entail risks that cannot be easily averted.

Insomnia, when it happens, should be counteracted with natural means. On many occasions, the underlying cause of sleep difficulties are psychological. Peaceful nights frequently return after measures have been adopted to reduce stress, overcommitment, and relationship problems.

We should remind ourselves from time to time that people suffer illness equally for their actions as for their omissions. It is as important to identify what we should eat as what we should refrain from eating. There are countless books on the market about the elements of good nutrition and, if you have not done so already, I encourage you to read a few of them.

For the purpose of enhancing our well-being, exercise does not need to be complicated or costly. Do visit a sauna or swimming pool if that is your choice, but inexpensive habits, such as cycling and walking, are also effective means to keep in shape. If you make the effort to acquire healthy routines, maintaining a good condition will become automatic and you will spare yourself plenty of trouble down the road.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by jet200nyc under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The art of focusing on good news (while minimizing the effects of bad news)

2011-12-01T04:09:00.008+09:00

Adults living in industrialized countries spend more than 300 hours per year watching news on television, listening to commentators on the radio, and reading newspapers. That time exceeds what they devote to reading books or acquiring knowledge in any other way.

The greatest part of the information that is absorbed during those hours consists of catastrophes, disruptions, violence, poverty, divorce, vengeance, dishonesty, criminality, incompetence, hostility, complaints, abuse, and decay.

In view of the messages that fill the airwaves and newspapers, it is no wonder that many people suffer from anxiety or depression. If a man is convinced that the overall situation is deteriorating and that he is doomed, he won't be motivated to improve his life.

Should reporters be blamed for the negative bias given to daily news? Is it not true that those are the sort of reports that people want to read? If television news focus on negative events, are they not responding to their audience? If debates on talk radio are conducted in a harsh tone, it is not because this is what listeners want?

The media deliver negative news to those who are thirsty for them. Depressing television programmes confirm the views of those who believe that man cannot improve his lot. Bitter discussions on talk-radio reinforce the listeners' conviction that life consists primarily of conflict.

Dispiriting messages attain their targets with the precision of a laser. No discouraging word is wasted and no gloomy prediction remains ignored. The machine that destroys hope and inspiration works with outstanding efficiency.

Those who love dire forecasts expect to find them in the media. Those who want to hear about poverty and dereliction want television stations to cover those subjects. Those who believe that the next crisis is going to destroy the world expect their favourite talk-radio host to share that view.

Nevertheless, despite the massive barrage of depressing messages, other individuals remain unaffected by anxiety and depression. Instead of seeking out alarming news, these persons read newspapers sparingly. Instead of watching calamities on television, they prefer to devote their energies to improving their own lives.

How did this minority arrive at their independent thinking? What is the key behind their psychological stability? How can we protect our serenity against the negative bias of daily news? The following ideas can help you preserve your peace of mind:

[1] Transform risks into numbers: Most reported threats refer to events that, most likely, will never happen. For instance, every few years, newspapers discuss anew the possibility of an asteroid hitting the earth and killing millions of people.

Such calamity would be terrible, but you should not allow vague menaces to disrupt your tranquillity. Instead of losing sleep over risks, you should transform them into numbers or percentages. What are the actual chances of an asteroid hitting the town where you live? If the result of the calculation is one in a million, how much are you willing to worry?

[2] Set a limit on damages: Companies operating in consumer markets inevitably incur risks of civil liability. If you deliver products to millions of people, an accident will occur sooner or later, for example due to the failure of an electrical component.

No one is exempt from occasional mistakes and this is why liability insurance exists. Entrepreneurs who wish to limit their risks can purchase insurance coverage so that, if the worst happens, their financial losses will be limited.

Similarly, if you live in an area with a high risk of floods, you should insure yourself against damages caused by water. The rational approach to dealing with potential catastrophes is to reduce risks. By setting a limit to damages, you can protect your peace of mind against gloomy forecasts aired by the media.

When commentators predict a stock market crash, you can protect yourself by converting part of your investments to cash or by purchasing other assets, such as gold or real estate, whose performance is not correlated to the price of shares. In general, if you set a cap on potential losses, you will be able to stop worrying about catastrophes.

[3] Face problems by taking action: Uncertainty, more than any other factor, is what causes anxiety and fear. The feeling of not knowing what to do can render you insecure and lead you to make mistakes. Indecision causes physical tiredness and disrupts sleep at night. The solution is not to ignore risks, but to face them by taking action.

If your neighbourhood is becoming increasingly dangerous, you can choose between taking action or worrying yourself to death. Assess the problem and see what alternatives you have. Should you install an alarm system at home? Does the situation justify that you move to another part of town?

As soon as you make a decision, your preoccupation levels will diminish. People who lead serene lives tend to be incredibly proactive and organized. Those persons are always the first to adopt measures to prevent problems.

[4] Use only quality information: This is a key factor for maintaining your peace of mind. Why would you want to read gloomy articles in newspapers and magazines? What's the point of devoting your time to watching depressing reports on television?

Negative information is highly addictive and, without a strong will, the habit is difficult to break. You have to make a firm decision and stop paying attention to distorted news. You have to make the effort to filter out the noise and focus on quality information.

In most cases, you can keep yourself well informed by spending a few minutes a day on a few selected websites. If you make yourself deaf to nonsense and discouragement, you will have more time for pursuing your primary objectives.

Protect your peace of mind against negative news by transforming risks into numbers, setting limits to damages, facing problems with action, and using only quality information. Every minute of anxiety that you eliminate from your life will add positively to your well-being.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Rach ScottHalls under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

A healthy, rational view of the world

2011-11-30T06:26:00.004+09:00

Self-confidence is the most admired character trait that actors play in movies. For most people, it dwarfs any other psychological or physical attribute in terms of desirability. What is the key to attaining self-assurance? Does it come from internal sources or from external validation?

Most advice given on the subject consists of isolated prescriptions without logic or context. Telling people to repeat in their head that they are capable and positive does not help much. Focusing on external aspects, such as clothing, might lead individuals to think that they lack fundamental value.

For two thousand years, the writings of philosophers have linked personal happiness to a feeling of certainty. The serenity that comes from trusting the future cannot be replaced by artificial beliefs.

Self-reliance is the consequence of following the essential principles of reality, namely:

1. What happens in the world is determined by the law of cause and effect.

2. Human beings possess the unique characteristic of being able to set their own goals.

3. Consistent purposeful action is the decisive factor that shapes the future of an individual.

4. Ambitious long-term goals can be achieved by means of relentless activity in the chosen field.

5. Progress is a natural process driven by persistence, mistakes, learning, and refocusing.

Despite the impression that one might gain from watching films, self-assurance is not a supernatural quality that chance bestows on certain people. It is not an innate talent or physical capacity that only a few inherit, but the result of continuous personal growth. It takes substantial effort to develop and maintain self-reliance.

Lack of trust in the future is originated by the conviction that nothing can be done to improve one's situation. The size of problems and obstacles is exaggerated. Opportunities are overlooked. Alternatives are not explored. The impact of external forces is magnified beyond measurement.

The opposite process takes place when we acquire a healthy, rational view of the world. We become conscious of the fact that, primarily, our actions will define how our life turns out. We learn to deal with the undesirable aspects of reality by taking appropriate steps. We focus on steadfast activity rather than on elements that we cannot control.

Uninterrupted focus on one area allows accelerated learning. Incessant alertness permits to discover opportunities that remain invisible to most. Self-reliance is the result of implementing rational thinking through long-term undertakings. If you pursue worthy goals through consistent action, self-confidence is your natural due. Claim it.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by kudumomo under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Your first priority

2011-11-28T02:54:00.004+09:00

When people talk about priorities, they usually refer to items on which they spend substantial sums of money. A comfortable car and a large house are on the top of the list of many individuals, together with a well-paying, stable, and interesting job.

Health is also important for the great majority of men and women. Products sold in supermarkets and convenience stores respond to this concern by promoting low-calories drinks, low-fat cookies, sugarless sweets, and cooking magazines.

Organic-food stores represent the last step in the evolution of this trend. Consumers want to buy the best produce, the purest bread, and fresh natural pastries. Even though the cost associated to those choices can be considerable in some cases, customers seem to be willing to pay for it.

The problem with spending additional money to consume so-called healthy products is that it does not seem to make a lot of difference. Those who devote more financial resources to purchasing sophisticated food and to joining health clubs are not necessarily the people who enjoy the best physical condition. Paradoxically, in the field of health, more investments do not always result in additional benefits.

Making health your first priority is an excellent choice that works better if you implement it as inexpensively as possible. Are you surprised? Does this sound illogical to you? Before you discard this theory, you might wish to check out longevity statistics around the world. Those who spend the most to preserve their health are not necessarily the people who live the longest.

The Ancient Greek physician Galen (circa 130 - 200 AD) recorded many interesting ideas on this subject, which was later expanded by other medics in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Although many centuries have passed, many discoveries of antiquity are still adhered to by modern medicine.

Galen spent his youth learning about sickness and treatments before he moved to Rome in the year 162. He has gone down into History as much for his medical discoveries as for his tremendous output as a writer. Even though a great part of Galen's work has been lost, what remains fills more than 20 volumes.

His aphorisms, which condense medical truths in short sentences, reflect fundamental aspects of physical and mental health. One of the threads that runs through his writings is the search of simplicity. His advocacy of straightforward methods to improve man's well-being contrasted with the semi-magical medicine that was still being practised by most of his contemporaries.

Galen maintained that health and philosophy are closely connected. As a consequence, a man who wishes to maintain his vitality will do well to act prudently and respect ethical principles. Galen's four prescriptions for preserving health do not demand large financial resources and can be followed by most individuals. Here is a summary of his four fundamental precepts:

[1] Maintain a balanced diet: At the time of Galen's writings, the biochemical properties of vitamins and minerals had not yet been discovered. Nevertheless, what he had learned from other physicians and his own observations led him to recommend vegetables, fruits, and herbs on many occasions. Nowadays, those are items that most people can afford to purchase without making extraordinary efforts.

Ancient medicine believed that each element in the universe had a purpose. This conviction led Galen to experiment with different dietary treatments in response to sickness. His goal was to find the right combination of elements that fulfilled the purpose of health recovery. A balanced, prudent diet was also advocated in the Middle Ages by Maimonides, a famous physician who was familiar with Galen's work.

[2] Take up moderate exercise: While modern times favour body building and other forms of muscle training, Galen was an advocate of moderation. In his own life, he gave example of this precept by avoiding strenuous assignments. When he was offered a post of physician in the Roman army marching against the barbarians in Northern Europe, he declined and stayed in Rome.

One of Galen's aphorisms says that sickness caused by excessive strain should be cured by rest. In this sense, the inordinate professional stress that many people endure in our age should not be exacerbated by further tensions in their private life.

Spending time with friends, cultivating hobbies, and enjoying art will do more to re-establish balance in your life than watching television or practising demanding sports. Galen also recommended walking as a beneficial form of exercise.

[3] Practise good hygiene: Even though bacteria and viruses had not yet been discovered in antiquity, Galen's books show that he was conscious of the major role that external influences play in human health. The purpose of medicine, he wrote, was to re-establish the patient's health in relation to his environment, taking also the seasons into account.

Galen's early training as physician took place in Greece, which at that time comprised part of the Middle East. Ancient Greeks considered thermal baths salutary and those attracted far-away visitors seeking to cure physical or mental illness.

In those days, a journey to a renowned thermal location involved disproportionately high costs that few individuals could afford. Luckily, modern plumbing, shampoo, and tooth brushes now allow practically everybody to enjoy excellent levels of hygiene inexpensively.

[4] Adopt preventive measures against health problems: The need to preserve the natural limits of life is a theme that permeates Galen's books. The best way to maintain our health, he wrote, is to adopt preventive measures to counterbalance excesses.

He warned against lack of moderation and advocated measures against exaggerated eating as well as against insufficient food intake. Similarly, he advised to avoid excessive immobility and immoderate exercise. The purpose of prevention should be to maintain the natural balance in all areas of our lives.

Galen's principles emphasize the importance of preserving health at the same time as the need to do it in a simple and straightforward manner. By all means, do elevate health to your first priority, but make it a cheap and workable one. Your goal should be to develop effective habits that maintain your vitality with minimum effort and expense.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by iowa_spirit_walker under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Wisdom begins with price consciousness

2011-11-27T19:22:00.002+09:00

"Inquiring about prices is sinful," wrote scholar Hugh of St. Victor in the year 1130 C.E., "since it only serves to aid the vice of avarice." The medieval mind saw the world as immobile and human beings as passive spectators. Life was something that happened to you. Silent acceptance was regarded as a virtue.

Nine centuries have gone by. The universe has not changed, but we have erred and learned. In our age, looking up prices occupies a good part of our time. We cut off coupons from newspapers and compare discounts from car dealers. We listen to commercials on the radio and participate in auction sales.

Our activities have taken a new course, but to a certain extent, our thinking remains anchored in the Middle Ages. Reflect for a minute and count the people you know who actively pursue price information in their endeavours and act consistently on that knowledge.

How long is your list of those who look around and compare offers? What percentage of men and women carefully assess cost before making decisions? If you write down names, chances are that they will be few, since whole segments of the population prefer to ignore price information:

* CHILDREN are foreign to cost considerations, since their priority is to have everything right now, irrespective of the price. Instilling sound economic judgement should be one of the objectives of a good education. Psychological growth demands perception of the bond between effort and reward.

* SMOKERS must be also excluded from any list of cost-conscious individuals. How many of them are unaware of their increased health risks? Anyone who watches television or reads newspapers can hardly claim ignorance of the massive cost of cancer treatment.

* COMPLAINERS spend their days deploring problems which, on closer examination, could have been easily avoided by looking at the market. Depressed prices or exaggerated valuations do not prompt rational men to lamentation, but to cautious action.

What is proper for youth looks ridiculous as men age. Acquiring consciousness of prices is part of becoming an adult. Irrationality makes people despondent, leading them to sell their property at reduced prices. Obsession deprives men of understanding, inducing them to pay too much for fashion.

Fear cannot justify foolishness. Conformity cannot excuse willingness to delude ourselves or the world. Ignorance is unacceptable when knowledge is freely available. Wisdom begins with consciousness of our environment. For products, services, or convictions, there cannot be valid advice without reference to price.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Paul Mannix under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

New opportunities are being created every day

2011-11-26T04:58:00.005+09:00

Please turn off the radio and TV for a while and let me give you some realistic opinions. Despite all the gloom and doom, there are solid reasons for being optimistic in our times. If we keep our head cool and assess facts objectively, this is what we find:

1.- ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING IS CREATING WEALTH. As a result of the current crisis, some companies are going bankrupt. In most cases, this means that assets are being taken over by a different management, people with new vision and ambitions. Those companies will stop producing what few want to buy and, instead, focus their efforts on better opportunities. Restructuring can lead to creating new wealth.

2.- MOVING HAS BECOME CHEAPER. It used to be costly to move in order to take a new job, but things are changing. The cost of housing has been reduced in many areas of the world. If you want to move in order to pursue new opportunities, there has never been a better time. Even if you decide to change cities only for a while, you can now rent furnished apartments cheaply in many areas. The cost of moving can hardly prevent anyone from pursuing his dream.

3.- VIOLENCE IS DECREASING. Despite grim news in the media, violence is decreasing around the world. There are still many unresolved problems and dangerous places, but overall, the situation is improving. The reason for this is purely practical: violence is bad for business. Production and commerce get people together. Selling things to each other goes a long a way towards preventing conflict.

4.- MANY ASSETS WILL APPRECIATE. While some businesses and currencies are losing value, other assets are appreciating. Instability creates opportunity. Although it might be uncomfortable and risky, remember that only dead matter is stable. Human beings thrive in change. Look for currencies and assets that are appreciating, invest your savings wisely, and you will be rewarded. Life flows in the direction of opportunity.

5.- TOLERANCE AND GOODWILL ARE INCREASING. There are many different opinions around the world. Some are foolish and unrealistic, but they hardly justify heated debates. Live and let live, people say. Tolerance is carrying the day amongst thinking individuals. As people travel and see the world, tolerance and goodwill increase.

6.- FLEXIBILITY ALLOWS NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. If your industry faces a shrinking market, it is painful to lose your job, but try to look at it from a different perspective. Economic changes shift resources from low-profit to high-opportunity areas. The speed of that process shows the health of an economy. There can be no progress without change. Be flexible and use your creativity to adapt to the new situation.

7.- EDUCATION COSTS ARE DECREASING. Inexpensive internet access and mp3 players have cleared the way for low-cost transmission of knowledge in all fields. Lectures that were accessible only in universities, can now be downloaded for free or for little money. For those who wish to learn, the opportunity is continuously expanding.

8.- BENEFIT FROM ENORMOUS BARGAINS. For a short while, we are living in an environment of decreasing prices and this is something that we all can profit from. Things that used to be hardly affordable have become cheaper for millions of people around the world.

9.- IMMIGRATION CONTINUES TO CREATE JOBS. Frontiers are opening in many countries and millions of people move every year in search of a better life. Immigration continues to create opportunities for many. A promising future in a new environment. Immigrants bring ambition, knowledge, and tolerance to society. Immigration creates wealth for open economies and its positive effect can be felt in many areas around the world.

10.- LOW-COST COMMUNICATIONS ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY. With television cameras and internet access everywhere, it has become increasingly difficult to be evil. Problems are immediately reported and people take action to improve things. When transparency increases, people become more ethical.

Do not let daily news get you down. Instead, look at the world with rational optimism. Some currencies are losing value and others are appreciating, but opportunities are being created everywhere. Two thousand years ago, Roman philosopher Epictetus said that a wise man focuses his effort on things he can control. That's something that we should keep in mind every day.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by kevincure under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Acquiring an unshakable serenity

2011-11-25T04:53:00.002+09:00

If you want to pursue ambitious goals and protect yourself from discouragement, your best ally will be resilience, not luck. Numerous men and women start their careers full of enthusiasm, only to succumb to the first difficulties. The path leading to achievement seldom runs straight. When obstacles stand on the way, detours are inevitable.

A healthy psychology depends more on steadiness of character than on a sunny disposition. Wise men do not allow adverse circumstances to deter them. When they encounter obstacles, they use their creativity to find passage. They face difficulties with courage, avoiding wishful thinking and exaggerated optimism.

Their resilience is based on a realistic assessment of their possibilities and their constancy on the knowledge that perseverance can overcome disaster. Their prudence rests on their past experience of success and their alertness on the wish to seize opportunities.

Some individuals never get the blues and, if you adopt an entrepreneurial mentality in all areas of your life, you can become one of them. Initiative and creativity will help you in private and business matters, in your dealings with friends as much as in those with customers.

Can you increase your resilience as a way to prevent problems for the future? Is it possible to render yourself immune to low spirits? What steps can to take to get rid of fears and doubts? A steady temper is the consequence of a person's history and convictions. The former is influenced by chance, the latter determined by one's will.

Use rationality to develop resilience. Those who think logically rarely fall prey to anxiety. If you view life in perspective, you will never be immobilized by depression. Keep your beliefs anchored in reality and your actions aligned with essential truths.

Individuals who possess a steady character tend to be persistent and entrepreneurial. If they ever worry, it will be only for the short time they need to change their course of action. They make the best of past mistakes and draw lessons for the future. Each of us can acquire the five elements that form their character, namely:

[1] A fair assessment of the impact of time on human affairs: In an era when most people expect to live at least 70 years, we should never allow adversity to sink our spirits. A man who has acquired a proper perspective of life does not get angry at inconveniences.

Provided that you have sensible goals, you have plenty of time to pursue them. Even though success is not guaranteed, your heart should remain confident and serene. Banish discouragement from your thoughts and commit yourself to developing a calm perspective.

[2] Understanding the long-term benefits of consistent behaviour: Animals such as cats and dogs show occasional persistence, but cannot make plans and implement them consistently. Steadiness of purpose, a uniquely human characteristic, constitutes the foundation of serenity.

The pursuit of long-term goals multiplies the effectiveness of human action. Resolve turns prototypes into marketable products and transforms ideas into profitable businesses. Experienced managers know the advantages of keeping an unvarying course. If you place your goals above short-term adversity, you will be able to preserve your peace of mind.

[3] A desire to avoid waste and economize resources: Complaining to those who cannot solve our difficulties is a waste of energy and time. In contrast, people who draw lessons from past mistakes know how to concentrate their efforts on finding solutions.

The longer you conserve your resources, the faster you will overcome adversity. Individuals who protect their assets look confidently at the future. On the contrary, those who dilapidate their possessions fear the day when their luck will change.

[4] Relentless curiosity and interest in learning: When unexpected events disrupt well-constructed plans, victims tend to react with irritation, condemning anyone who stands on their path. Their lamentations, however, have little effect on problems, except perhaps making them worse.

On the other hand, if you approach failure with curiosity, you will be able to draw invaluable lessons for the future. Innovators are individuals who have learned to view problems as questions and obstacles as delays. Opposition, instead of irritating them, makes them wiser.

[5] A perception of the asymmetry of markets: The idea that life offers limited possibilities is false and brings about exaggerated concerns. If you are afraid of blowing your only chance, your obsession is likely to block your success.

Markets are asymmetric because opportunities come and go. Prices can be low today and high tomorrow. Customers often modify their tastes and preferences. Constant change is a source of endless possibilities. If you take this fact into account, you will be more alert to future openings in your field.

People who are well prepared for the future make the best of every hour. Positive circumstances advance their interests and negative events increase their knowledge. These persons have learned how to look ahead, prevent problems to the extent possible, and let time play in their favour.

Commit yourself to economizing resources and focus your efforts on promising initiatives. Pursue your goals single-mindedly and understand the long-term benefits of consistency. Prepare yourself for the future and acquire an unshakable serenity based on rational expectations.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by the_tahoe_guy under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Why you should abandon contradictory goals

2011-11-24T04:11:00.003+09:00

Culture and fashion are calls for conformity. Relinquishing individual thinking and embracing a standard lifestyle bring enormous advantages. They save you time when it comes to taking decisions. They spare you embarrassment when it comes to disguising the truth.

The opposite side is filled by non-conformity, which is just a different sort of style. Holidays are not spent on the beach, but practising dangerous sports. Hobbies do not include watching movies, but wandering in the tropical forest. Clothes, instead of well-fitting and colourful, are torn and monochrome.

You can choose either way to fill your years, not with happiness, but with souvenirs. Imitating someone else's pictures is not the way to create great paintings. Adopting values that make no sense will not move you forward nor render your feelings more intense. Downtrodden tracks lead to dejected spirits. For sure, that is not a path you want to take.

There is an alternative, the same that has always worked. You don't need to spend your days wondering which fashion leads to less dismay. Wisdom does not entail rejecting principles that are preached, but comparing them with reason, and selecting those that work.

Individuality can only draw meaning from private reflection. Sound choices are the result of man's logical evaluation of the world. Before we start to compose our own song, we must allow our mind to filter out random noise. These are my three suggestions about how to move from inherited values to consistency with reality:

First, stop believing in myths: Neither specific clothes, nor gadgets, nor locations lead to happiness. The majority might bestow moral credibility to arbitrary standards, but you are not obliged to buy in. The idea that things have to be done in one specific way is, more often than not, false. Shun rigidity and look around for original answers.

Second, abandon contradictory goals: Irrationality is synonymous with inconsistency. False ideas conflict with facts and with each other. Anxiety is the mark of those who move at random, without destination. Animals do not need perspective, but humans do. Drop ideas that do not make sense and rebuild your thinking structure.

Third, determine your direction: Universal principles can be distilled from observation, but each has a myriad of different applications. The law of cause and effect drives all existence, but your context is unique. No one can tell you how to lead your life best. Let your reason establish your ambitions and priorities.

Realize that the short-term contentment of imitation adds little worth to your experience and much expense to you detriment. Shrug your shoulders at unrealistic advice and ignore insincere invitations. Happiness calls for stable purpose and continuous action. Choose the way of reason.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Rene Ehrhardt under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Five factors that contribute to good health and longevity

2011-11-23T04:08:00.005+09:00

Studies in different areas of the world have tried to identify the common causes of extraordinary longevity. In Europe and Asia, certain villages, valleys, and islands are home to a large proportion of healthy octogenarians and nonagenarians. This is the case of Sardinia in Italy and Okinawa in Japan.

Medical research has identified the elements in local diet that help residents maintain an excellent health at an advanced age. Some factors, such as landscape and climate, are linked to specific areas; other determinants, those of a more general nature, can contribute positively to human vitality irrespective of geography.

It stands to reason that the driving factors of extraordinary longevity must correspond to those of excellent health. The issue is to identify elements that we can take up in our daily life without incurring disproportionate effort and expense.

Even if we possessed evidence that some exotic herb is the key to excellent health, such knowledge would be of little help to people who cannot afford to purchase that plant on a regular basis. What we need are ideas that are, at the same time, beneficial and workable.

The island of Sardinia, located in the Mediterranean Sea, is a favourite vacation destination for many Europeans. Its weather and landscape, however beautiful and pleasant, are not much different from other locations around the world. This factor alone renders the study of longevity in Sardinia particularly interesting.

Lessons drawn from the diet in Sardinia can be applied in other regions of the globe. This aspect is crucially important, since studies conducted in other areas of the world often link the enviable physical condition of youthful nonagenarians to herbs and plants that are unavailable to the populations of other countries.

Another remarkable outcome of the research carried out in Sardinia lies in the apparent simplicity of the formula. In contrast, if you have read any modern book on nutrition, you will have noted the extreme complexity of the advice it presents. Page after page are filled with long lists of recommendations and tables showing the specific dosage of each ingredient. Who can remember all that?

Like in business, success in health matters tends to depend on just a few factors. Minute instructions telling salesmen how to close a deal are useless in a commercial environment. Life is too fast for knowledge that cannot be summarized in a small number of consistent principles. The human mind is constructed to reduce knowledge to the essential and forget cumbersome details.

What are the few factors behind the excellent health of the elderly living in Sardinia? The conclusions of the research can be presented in five rules that are logical and easy to remember. These recommendations can be practised inexpensively by individuals in most countries of the world.

[1] Eat fresh food, above all vegetables and fruit: This truth may seem deceptively self-evident. In reality, few people make the effort to select fresh ingredients for their meals. The great majority of packaged food, whether intended for breakfast or dinner, does not contain fresh vegetables or fruit.

If you eat out frequently, you might go a long time without tasting fresh ingredients, except for the occasional salad. Can you figure out alternatives so that you consume more vegetables and fruit? What can you do to reduce your dependence on packaged food?

The reason why few people consume fresh food has to do more with inconvenience than expense. Eating fresh fruit and produce requires frequent visits to the supermarket, to the detriment of more pleasurable activities. Are you willing to make the necessary effort to protect your health?

[2] Use olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is consumed widely in Mediterranean countries. Italian, Greek, and Spanish cooking include olive oil as necessary ingredient in many dishes, as well in salads, marinades, and sauces. The use of butter and margarine for cooking is considered an inferior choice for your health.

The retail price of olive oil has diminished in the last decade due to changes in packaging. The traditional dark green glass bottle has been replaced by a hard plastic bottle of the same colour, which seems to preserve the characteristics of olive oil equally well.

If you don't live in a region where olive oil is in abundant supply, you might have to pay a few additional dollars per bottle. All in all, the decision to incorporate extra virgin olive oil in your diet might increase your food budget by a couple of hundred dollars per year, which is a modest investment if you consider the advantages for your health.

[3] Lemons and oranges: Citrus fruits contain high doses of vitamin C, which reinforces our immune system and helps combat cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C is also known to protect human cells against the accumulation of noxious substances.

Fresh oranges and lemons are available in most regions of the world at reasonable price, depending on the season. Grapefruit, papaya, strawberries, and mango are good substitutes for oranges and lemons.

Amongst the vegetables, vitamin C is also abundant in spinach and broccoli. Irrespective of your place of residence, eating citrus or similar fruits is an affordable habit that you should acquire.

[4] Eat fish often and, occasionally, lean meat: The reason behind this recommendation lies in the beneficial type of fat that is present in fish. Fish, in particular oily fish such as mackerel and sardines, is rich in a type of fat known as "omega-3." This element has proven to reduce dangerous cholesterol in human beings.

Fresh fish is a major component of the traditional Greek, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese diets. Unfortunately, this dietary habit has declined in the last decades, leading to an overall deterioration of the health level of the population.

Wild salmon, whose consumption is known to be particularly beneficial, is neither part of the traditional diet of Sardinia nor widely available across the world. Luckily, in most countries, you can find at least one or two types of fish that are affordable. Eating fish is a habit that you can easily take up and which can bring substantial advantages to your health.

[5] Drink moderately and mainly red wine: The red wine produced in Sardinia, in particular the type known as "vino nero" due to its dark colour, contains high doses of poly-phenol. This element, which comes from grape skins, has been proven to have a positive effect on the human cardiovascular system.

The consumption of red wine might explain why extraordinary longevity in Sardinia is mostly a male characteristic. Octogenarian and nonagenarian women are also present in the island, but their number does not reach the unusual proportion of healthy elderly men.

Red wines produced in other countries may contain less poly-phenol, but a moderate consumption should also produce a beneficial outcome for your health unless there are specific reasons that advise against your consuming any alcohol at all. Quality red wine is available around the world at reasonable price and most people love its taste.

If you want to improve your overall health, forget about complicated rules. In the field of business, successful entrepreneurs know that the best results are obtained by concentrating your energies on essential areas. Similarly, when it comes to enhancing our vitality, we will be better off if we acquire a few effective and pleasurable habits.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by R.Duran under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

The essential ingredient of self-confidence

2011-11-22T04:26:00.003+09:00

You cannot drive a car without traffic signs, a map, or at the very least, knowing where you want to go. A sense of direction allows man to make decisions, assess costs, and trade off alternatives. Most people are aware of the importance of setting goals in life, but in order to avoid losing motivation, it is crucial to keep your objectives visible to yourself. There are four reasons for that:

First, long-term thinking requires sustained effort: Without reflection and concentration, human life tends to decay into a succession of events without order nor enjoyment. Using your days wisely and making the best of your life is impossible without long-term thinking. Keeping your major objectives in front of your eyes enables you to steer out of time-wasters.

Second, the most scarce resource is invisible: Time continues to flow whether we have a great life or not. In the end, our days will be gone anyway. The question is how to live them in the best possible way. Happiness is never automatic. It requires thinking, goals, action, and progress. Keeping your dreams visible makes you aware of the passage of time and prompts you to move in your chosen direction.

Third, self-confidence wins over random noise: Daily events are meaningless without perspective. In addition, the random noise of nihilism and nonsense tends to discourage clear thinking. Maintaining a list of your goals in a visible place helps you ignore the noise of the world. Knowing where you are going is an essential ingredient of self-confidence. It allows you to discard what cannot work and persist in what will. Only by ignoring noise can we put our energies to good use.

Fourth, steady progress is a major achievement: The term success is frequently attributed only to spectacular victories. On the other hand, one should never forget that, behind every major achievement, there are years of preparation and relentless action. Place your long-term goals where you can see them everyday. That is the best manner to remind yourself that something needs to be done right now in order to keep advancing towards your objectives.

You cannot reach your destination without a plan, a list of actions, and the will to correct mistakes as they happen. Long-term goals allow man to evaluate alternatives, discard wasteful undertakings, and learn from experience. Setting goals in life is essential, but without constant action, little will be achieved. Keeping objectives present in our mind is what enables us to align present reality with future achievement.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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A shortcut to happiness

2011-11-21T01:29:00.003+09:00

Since nobody likes to hear negative answers, the word "no" has almost disappeared from polite conversations. Instead of rejecting requests straight away, people often make vague promises or simply reply that they don't know. Even when refusals are uttered, they are usually phrased as "possibly, but not at this moment."

At least, outright rejections can push you to correct your approach. In contrast, indefinite answers only lead to doubt and paralysis. When someone tells you that he is not interested at this moment, he is implying that he might change his mind in the future. Is he inviting you to try again next month? How much time should you devote to pursuing undefined opportunities?

There is hardly a bigger waste of time than waiting for future events that never come. Vague promises of attention, advice, jobs, funding, or friendship should not be taken seriously. You have to face the fact that, instead of substance, you are being served worthless hope. Do not expect much from such assurances. Instead, move on and search for better opportunities.

In those cases, you should not only write off the promise but also the person who made it. Speculating about the seriousness of empty words is unproductive. You will be much better off if you devote your energies to seeking alternative solutions. Take action and do not waste a minute. You will be able to achieve much more on your own.

The same principle applies to the cardinal purpose of philosophy, that is, the search of happiness. Although many ideas, groups, and individuals promise well-being and prosperity, few deliver anything worthwhile. Excuses and apologies are the likely output of unrealistic assurances.

The story will play out in an all-too-predictable way. If you ask to receive your due, you will hear that the time is not ripe. You will be asked to be patient and wait a little longer. Your rational demands will be played down as immature. Your claims will be ignored and your plan of action, postponed.

In that context, you need to ask yourself how long you are willing to wait for happiness. Will you delay your dreams until all pieces of the puzzle fall into place? Are you ready to make further investments in projects that fail to generate profits? How many chances are you willing to give people who repeatedly let you down?

Although hope is universally presented as virtue, this should not always be the case. When hope is not based on facts and logic, it can destroy your life. Irrational expectations can make you waste your days waiting. Inconsistent wishes can pull your forces in opposite directions. Exaggerated expectations may submerge you into conflicts that cannot be resolved.

Amongst all false philosophies, the worst ones preach that you cannot be happy until the whole world changes. Putting your life on hold until the world becomes better is the ultimate folly. Unfortunately, millions of people fall passionately for this idea, which seems to feed on every sort of misery and pain.

In past centuries and nowadays, many individuals show willingness to spend their lives waiting for tidal changes. Such persons talk persuasively and paint pictures of a better world. They make speeches in favour of present sacrifice in exchange for indeterminate future compensation.

A life spent waiting will be devoured by emptiness and diluted by nothingness. Happiness cannot be attained through irrational hopes and exaggerated expectations. Problems rarely get solved on their own. Irrational hopes, instead of elevating your soul, will bury it in a deep black hole.

Difficulties can be turned into prosperity only if you make workable plans, take swift action, stabilize the situation, and pursue feasible improvements. Passive waiting never leads to happiness. Chance will seldom reduce inconveniences in your environment. Luck cannot be trusted to remove obstacles from your path.

Look at yourself in the mirror and ask how long you are willing to wait for happiness. The higher your self-confidence, the more determined you will be to advance your cause. Never trust promises that cannot be fulfilled. Instead of putting your plans on hold, redouble your efforts to attain your goals.

The faster you recognize unworkable theories, you better off you'll be. When people request you to wait indefinitely to receive your fair share, discard their assurances and search for alternatives. Life is too short to be wasted in pointless waiting. Do not let vain words interfere with your plans. Make sure that you pursue your objectives with relentless passion.

If someone promises you a job at an indeterminate date, keep on searching for a suitable position. If people tell you to be patient, thank them politely for their advice and look for a short-cut to your goals. If your environment favours passivity, figure out how to motivate yourself to work harder in order to accomplish more.

Write down your answer to the question of how long you are willing to wait for happiness. Are you going to stop chasing your dreams until the world becomes a perfect place? Are you going to devote your best years to pointless discussions? Would you accept just to grow older without ever improving your situation?

To those who preach endless waiting, let your reply be short and determined. Shrug your shoulders and tell them the truth. Life is too short for trusting uncertain predictions. It is up to each individual to face problems courageously, stabilize his situation, and transform it into opportunity. Your willingness to wait for happiness should not go beyond what circumstances dictate as absolutely necessary.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Al Ianni under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

What you need to do to move forward

2011-11-20T17:07:00.005+09:00

Most business books revolve around a single idea that is presented from different angles. The same goes for many scientific essays, which tend to be longer, but contain few new ideas. Occasionally, hundreds of pages will be devoted to justifying points which readers might find self-evident.

Darwin's book on the origin of species was the result of ten years of study and reflection. He actually wrote several outlines before he got down to drafting the book itself. The text, which you will need hours to read, contains dozens of elaborate descriptions and examples. Nonetheless, the message of the book can be summarized on a single page.

My message is not a call for brevity, but for realism. There is a reason why apparently simple ideas require a long exposition. Authors of those books are, for the most part, neither foolish nor focused on selling overblown banalities. Certainly, that was not the case of Charles Darwin's thick volumes.

A high dose of realism is the rationale for the extensive treatment of subjects. On the same grounds, engineers take safety margins when they design a new bridge, a ship, or an aeroplane. The truth known by every conscientious professional is that failure lurks around every corner. For sculptors, poets, and performers of all sorts, failure is called rejection.

Romantic movies paint situations where chance aligns all factors for success. A happy end ensues as protagonists collect their dues without effort and against all odds. Fiction of the worst kind renders credibility to fantasy, leading readers to feel dejected by reality and disappointed by life. This is something that you want to avoid.

You will much better off if you face obstacles using reason and experience as your allies. This is what skilled entrepreneurs do. Whether you take up playing golf or acting, you'd better prepare yourself for strenuous practice and open criticism.

In difficult undertakings, your efforts might remain only moderately effective for an extended period of time and rightly so. Lengthy expositions acknowledge the fact that even simple ideas will be misunderstood by many people. TV advertisers address their commercials to millions, knowing that the great majority won't buy their products.

The rule of the world is that most things won't work and that most attempts won't result in success. Rejection and miscommunication are not exceptions, but everyday events. Face negative results and use wisdom to deal with them. Great ambitions are never easily accomplished. Achieving them requires effort and patience. Those two elements are what you need to move forward.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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The path to high resilience

2011-11-19T05:01:00.003+09:00

Until the worst happens, we tend to consider ourselves immune to catastrophes. However, sooner or later, you may have to face a critical situation in your life. Sickness, loss of a job, a flood, a car accident, or poverty can happen to anyone.

Misfortune may knock on your door without warning. If it catches you unprepared, it will inflict you more damage than the absolutely necessary. When adversity takes the upper hand, you won't be able to prevent all negative consequences, but you should at least strive to minimize them.

How can you remain alert and detect danger before it grows to threatening proportions? What measures can you take to cut your losses and stabilize the situation? Which qualities should you cultivate to strengthen your forces and resources?

In difficult times, there are three assets that prove particularly valuable: psychological resilience, the ability to view problems in perspective, and the willingness to take continual action. If you fall off a ship into the water, those are precisely the sort of skills that will allow you to stay afloat, orient yourself towards the coast, and swim vigorously to attain safety.

None of those three assets can be acquired overnight. Those abilities can be neither borrowed nor purchased, only cultivated. Patience and persistence play a key role in developing self-reliance, thoughtfulness, and decisiveness. Strangely enough, the three qualities that enable you to react to threats quickly can only be acquired through sustained effort.

[1] Psychological resilience: Only a small percentage of individuals are highly resistant to irritation, discouragement, and anxiety. Self-reliance provides you with serenity, avoids foolish reactions, and multiplies your effectiveness. Fear and despair seldom affect self-confident people. What steps should you take to reinforce this quality?

[2] The ability to view problems in perspective: Sound philosophical convictions do not develop by chance. Those who possess a logical mind enjoy overwhelming advantages when they face trouble. Individuals who make rational decisions don't worry about short-term inconveniences. How can you increase your ability to view problems in perspective?

[3] The willingness to take continuous action: When a natural disaster occurs, injury and material losses paralyse large numbers of people. In contrast, other victims gather their remaining possessions and begin to fix the roof of their home immediately after the catastrophe. Individuals who have developed the habit of continuous action tend to overcome adversity faster. What can you do to strengthen this aspect of your character?

After suffering damage, your most urgent goal should be to stabilize your situation. If you lose your job, you don't want to lose your house too. If you catch the flu, you don't want it to turn into pneumonia. If you get a flat tyre while driving, you don't want to lose control of your car and crash against a wall.

Should you fall into a well, your immediate objective is not to drown. You know that you must attain this goal at all costs; other concerns become secondary or irrelevant. Your energies and senses align to ensure your survival. Your physical and mental resources concentrate on a single task to guarantee its accomplishment.

This must-do attitude that makes you unstoppable is precisely what you need to cultivate your critical assets. Self-reliance, thoughtfulness, and decisiveness are the cardinal skills that will help you in times of adversity. None of them can be artificially implanted into your personality.

These skills can only be developed in progressive steps. You cannot improvise psychological resilience more than you can cook perfect crème glacée if you have never set foot in the kitchen.

You cannot magically learn to view problems in perspective more than you can drive a car if you've never sat before behind the wheel. When you are facing a major threat, you will only be able to react quickly if you are already used to taking initiative.

Enhancing your self-reliance, thoughtfulness, and decisiveness is a long-term process. Those immaterial assets are worth more than physical wealth. If you possess them, prosperity will be within reach; if you don't, chances are that you will waste whatever wealth you may already have.

Do not be satisfied with trying just one method to attain your aim. Reading good material may increase your self-confidence, but so will taking risks, travelling overseas, public speaking, team work, sports, joining a social club, dancing, taking cooking classes, and many other activities.

What about acquiring thoughtfulness? Meditation and self-knowledge may be of help in this respect, but so will be lectures, work experience, learning how to write effectively, staying abreast of the latest news, and discussing with intelligent people.

The same principle applies to decisiveness. Your willingness to take continuous action can be cultivated not just by making to-do lists, but also by identifying your priorities, cutting losses, spreading your risks, having a back-up plan, and developing a support network before you need it.

When disaster hits, those three assets may prove invaluable to you. They will help you identify which actions are critical, stabilize a bad situation, and build a sound basis for improvement. Commit yourself to developing those qualities until they become second nature to you.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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The most beneficial option

2011-11-18T04:23:00.001+09:00

Energy is used most effectively when applied to a specific goal. Gasoline engines propel cars, but little is achieved by pouring fuel on the ground and setting it on fire. When coal stoves were around, most preferred to heat one room in the house well rather than all rooms badly.

Nature demands neither concentration nor disaggregation of resources. Rivers that run in the same direction might merge their flows, but frequently, they don't. During a fire in the savannah, animals perfectly capable of running alone, join elephants in a stampede and get crushed every bone.

The capacity to determine goals and assess alternatives is uniquely human. Everyday, we make choices, hour by hour, selecting on each occasion the most beneficial option amongst the countless offered by life.

In order to reduce complexity, we try to automatize as many decisions as possible. When we drive to work, we usually take the same road. When we go out for dinner with friends, we often go to the same restaurant.

Routine works fine to get repetitive tasks done, but it cannot be trusted for life's fundamental choices. A woman seldom falls in love with a man just because he happens to be her neighbour. Students rarely decide to study medicine just because their dorm lies next to a hospital.

Making the right choices and following them through leads to happiness, barring cases of extreme bad luck and catastrophes. Who knows what he wants from life, has no difficulty making decisions. If consequences prove disappointing, he will simply rectify his mistake and move on.

On the other hand, deciding on fundamental matters is hard for those who lack a clear vision of the future. Confronted with a multiplicity of paths, pilgrims always know what to ask, which is, for random walkers, an impossible task.

Unmade choices have devastating results. Anxiety and diffuse fear reign in the realm where all things are relative. Energy is consumed by doubt and half-hearted actions, wasted throughout. Without goals, there is no focus; without consistency, no resiliency to withstand even minor adversities.

Man needs stable convictions and non-contradictory personal objectives in order to live his days to the fullest. Otherwise, psychological disintegration will soon put an end to his every aspiration.

Sound design and dependable workmanship keep buildings in good shape for decades. Consistency of purpose provides the structure for a lifetime of happiness. Against tornadoes, wise men put up concrete walls; against indecision, long-term goals.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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An advantage of entrepreneurship that is seldom mentioned

2011-11-17T04:51:00.004+09:00

Medicine and other sciences have advanced immensely since Antiquity. Unfortunately, many of their fundamental principles have barely spread beyond the circle of professionals and specialists. Even in the 21st century, important segments of the population still know less about their own health than about sports or entertainment celebrities.

Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the most famous physician of Ancient Greece, already identified basic rules for protecting our health. However, although many generations have passed, his major discovery, the idea that sickness rarely happens by chance, is still ignored by millions of people.

Centuries ago, the belief that illness was a matter of bad luck was widespread in society. In our days, even though such conception has become less prevalent, it still plays a key role in determining how we live, how we see ourselves, and how we make important decisions.

According to Hippocrates, medical practitioners should above all allow Nature to exert its curative powers on patients. Artificial remedies should be avoided because they interfere with the self-healing capacities of our body. Treatments should be mild and gentle, aiming at helping patients recover their energies and strengthen their natural defences.

Illness, better than cured, should be prevented whenever possible. Hippocrates named the three essential risks that are, in most cases, responsible for our physical decay: our food, our environment, and our personal habits. The conclusion that follows is that each individual is primarily responsible for his own health, barring irresistible accident or catastrophe.

Modern holistic medicine has adopted many of Hippocrates' precepts, emphasizing a balanced diet, adequate rest, mild exercise, and peace of mind. Does it not stand to reason that it is immeasurably less expensive to avoid sickness than to cure it? Why do millions of individuals destroy their health thought self-defeating behaviour?

No one possesses perfect knowledge of the impact of each of his actions on his own health, but we do know enough to be able to prevent a large number of self-inflicted diseases. How many people are actually unaware of the perverse effects of smoking? What percentage of heavy drinkers can claim to ignore the dire consequences of excessive alcohol intake?

The answers to those questions point out to individual responsibility. In ancient times, patients used to blame sickness on supernatural forces. Nowadays, victims of their own faulty behaviour frequently blame third parties for illness or injury. In some cases, this is done with the aim of seeking a financial reward or other type of compensation.

During the last fifty years, massive efforts have been devoted to raising public awareness of fundamental health issues. The results, however, are all but encouraging. Advertising campaigns aiming at making individuals more responsible for their own health have still to provide evidence of long-term success.

If we look around, we still see millions of people making the same mistakes that citizens of Ancient Greece made in Hippocrates' time. We remain passive in the face of environmental threats to our health, we eat the wrong food or too much of it, and we lead unsustainable lifestyles that end up damaging our body.

What is the reason of the failure of most attempts to increase personal responsibility in health matters? Are people impervious to rational arguments? Is the message not sufficiently powerful or interesting? Shouldn't the importance of a good health not be self-evident to an adult audience?

The root of the problem might lie more in the theory than in its implementation. The whole discussion about responsibility might be missing an essential factor whose role in health protection is little understood, namely, entrepreneurship. Individuals who possess personal initiative want to take their destiny into their own hands, not only financially, but also in the area of physical and mental well-being.

Entrepreneurship helps prevent sickness because it trains the mind to compare current actions with future consequences. Medical doctors advise patients to behave and eat rationally. Similarly, businessmen assess markets, identify what consumers want to buy, and design their products accordingly.

They know that going against the facts of reality will fail to produce profits or, even worse, might push them into bankruptcy. Mistakes teach entrepreneurs what doesn't work. Errors force them to correct a misguided course. Their efforts are channelled productively into worthy pursuits.

Business is at the same time self-regulating and self-encouraging. In the market, virtuous behaviour tends to occur naturally because it furthers businessmen's own interests. There is no reason that would prevent a similar process from taking place in the field of preventive medicine.

If we want to improve our health, entrepreneurship is a workable, although far from self-evident solution. Few people change their lifestyle before they internalize the necessity to do it.

Smokers who quit their noxious habit have often been shaken by the realization that they are shortening their days. Their transformation frequently takes place after witnessing a fellow smoker die of lung cancer.

Rote learning rarely instils personal responsibility, neither in the field of preventive medicine nor in other areas. Entrepreneurship is a much better approach to encouraging individuals to take command of their health.

Hippocrates' principles should not be engraved in stone, but in our souls; they should not be presented as dead words, but as promises of a better future.

The essential characteristic of entrepreneurship, the need of constant focused action, promotes rapid learning to an extent that no education system can equal. Telling someone a hundred times a day that he should behave responsibly will simply put him to sleep.

In contrast, showing him the advantages of entrepreneurial action might whet his curiosity and prompt him to action. What man learns through example and experience is rarely forgotten. Hippocrates, who also made a point of practising his own theories and preaching by example, lived to be 90 years old.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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The first step for making improvements

2011-11-16T04:53:00.002+09:00

In the 12th century, philosophy was simple and inflexible. A man was born into a certain family and inherited his father's trade. A peasant raised his children to follow into his footsteps. Perspectives were narrow and improvement unthinkable.

The fate of each person was to accomplish certain prescribed tasks and preserve tradition. A good part of a person's earnings was spent to maintain his position: to keep housing, attire, and diet according to his condition. Those who succeeded in improving their social status represented a very small minority.

The medieval mentality encompassed a mixture of short-term frenzy and long-term resignation. On feast days, banquets were held and wine consumed, but during the rest of the year, passive acceptance was the rule. Silent suffering was viewed as a sign of wisdom.

People in the Middle Ages focused on immediate advantages and lacked long-term plans. A peasant in the 12th century would not have viewed a good harvest as an opportunity to save money, move to the city, and start his own business. In his mind, a good year was just a temporary escape from misery, not a step towards a better situation.

Our age offers almost unlimited opportunities to those who possess ambition and initiative, but it demands a radically different philosophy. Unless you acquire sound financial habits, chances are that you won't be able to seize those opportunities.

Unfortunately, not everybody makes the effort to pursue improvement. If you doubt my words, ask yourself the following questions: How many people save regularly in order to achieve financial independence? How many make to-do lists regularly? Material growth is linked to psychological development. Wealth is the consequence of vision and persistence.

Our world offers numerous opportunities to individuals who want to exercise their creativity and entrepreneurship. Businesses can be started with little capital, digital technology can be used to enhance productivity, and the internet allows everyone to sell his products around the globe. If you want to improve your situation, there are no limits to what you can achieve.

No excuse can justify renouncing this immense array of possibilities. The barriers to change are mostly psychological. Irrespective of your current situation, you can embrace transformation. If you take action, you can improve your life.

The transition from the Middle Ages to modern thinking began in the 13th century, when Thomas of Aquinas wrote down his observations on the nature of individual initiative. His views about risk represented a major advancement vis-à-vis medieval beliefs. His understanding of the existence of different prices in various markets put an end to the medieval mentality and introduced the world we know, where each man determines his own destiny.

Nowadays, if you ask people about what is blocking their progress, you might hear the same answers that were given in the 13th century: insufficient resources, limited opportunities, excessive competition, and lack of contacts. Even though the world has drastically changed, not everybody is conscious of the opportunities.

Unlike peasants living in the Middle Ages, we no longer inhabit an immobile world that limits our ambitions. Is it your goal to further your education and accelerate your career? Do you dream of starting your own business?

Usually, saving some money is going to be the first step for making improvements in your life. You are going to have to let go of your impulse to spend money today and focus instead on the opportunities down the road. Time will reward your efforts if you define your objectives and carry out a plan to attain them.

Living frugally will allow you to save the funds that you need to take advantage of the next opportunity. In the Middle Ages, there was no way to move forward, but in the present world, real possibilities exist. Here are three ideas to help you gather that initial capital:

[1] Redefine what is essential: You can make important savings if you acquire frugal habits. Your utilities bill can often be reduced. You can cut down your energy consumption, for instance, by turning off the heating in rooms that you are not using all the time and by improving the isolation of windows and doors.

[2] Extend the lifetime of your possessions: Clothes constitute a good example, in particular business suits. If you handle your wardrobe with care, it can serve its purpose for a long time without need of additional purchases.

For office work, it is usually a good idea to choose conservative designs and colours. They are less subject to the vagaries of fashion and you can wear them for many seasons. White shirts are particularly easy to match with dark clothing. Frugality can also apply to items such as mobile phones. If the old one is still working fine, do you really need to purchase the latest model?

[3] Reduce detours and unnecessary travel: Avoid the come-and-go that accompanies indecision. Thinking ahead is as important on the road as in other areas of life. If you plan your journeys carefully and drive smoothly, you can make substantial savings in motoring expenses. Make the effort to programme your trips for maximum efficiency.

If you need to buy groceries, can you find a supermarket on your route to work? If you are planning to visit a computer store, can you run some errands on the same trip? If the location of your home allows it, you may even be able to ride your bicycle instead of using the car, a practice that would be also advantageous for your health.

Stake your claim for a better future and redefine what is essential. Declare yourself willing to exchange short-term benefits for permanent advantages, and ignore the words of those who preach passivity. The world is more open to personal initiative today than ever before. If you reduce your lifestyle to the essentials, you will increase your ability to seize the next opportunity.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

[Image by Mikael Miettinen under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us]

Making the right move in a crisis situation

2011-11-15T04:37:00.002+09:00

How long will it take until you have to face an emergency? Earthquakes are unusual in most parts of the world, but few men are exempted from the risk of fire at home or at work. How would you react if you were attacked by a tiger? What would you do in case of a flood?

Misfortune tends to hit at the most inconvenient moments. When bad luck runs wild, it may cut its path across our lives and destroy the work of decades. Do you have a system to deal with emergencies? Have you prepared a back-up plan for cases of catastrophic failure?

Most people who study Socrates (469-399 BC) as a philosopher retain few teachings of substance. This Ancient Greek philosopher is reputed for his skill at asking long series of questions aimed at revealing contradictions, discarding fallacies, and establishing truth. However, the most interesting lesson from his life is seldom pointed out.

According to Plato (428-347 BC), Socrates loved to question what everybody else considered self-evident. He would engage debates with prominent Athenian citizens and use his sharp mind to demonstrate the immorality of some comforts, the inconsistency of certain principles, and the difficulty of many truths.

Most of what we know about Socrates concerns his death. By the time he turned 70 years old, he had accumulated many friends but also a substantial number of enemies. While a minority of citizens appreciated Socrates' passion for philosophical conversation, he was detested by the subjects of his constant criticism. At one point, his opponents raised charges against him and demanded that he was put on trial.

Although the accusations against Socrates did not make much sense, the important point is that such trial could lead to a death sentence. If we trust Plato's recollections, the charges must have not taken Socrates by surprise. He had spent most of his life in Athens and was well acquainted with its customs and procedures. He knew what he risked if he was convicted.

The fact of being indicted causes great distress to any human being even if the complaints against him are false. One can hardly imagine an emergency most pressing than having to face a jury invested with the power to weigh your every word and put an end to your life in this world.

Plato's account of the trial describes Socrates' eloquent and passionate defence. The old philosopher countered the charges against him with facts, logic, and courage. He argued for his innocence and invoked his previous services to Athens. He pleaded with arguments that appealed to reason and emotion, expecting to be acquitted or, at worst, mildly reprimanded.

Even so, despite all his strenuous efforts, Socrates was condemned to death. The sentence was executed by making Socrates drink a mixture of hemlock, a Mediterranean plant whose poisonous effects are similar to those of curare: the muscles of the victim become progressively paralysed until he can no longer breathe.

What makes the story fascinating is that Socrates had the possibility to flee but refused to do it. This aspect is so intriguing that Plato devoted one of his works to explain why Socrates agreed to face his accusers at the peril of his life.

Crito, an Athenian businessman, was one of Socrates' friends who stood by him at all times during the trial. When Crito proposed a plan to escape jail, Socrates did not consent. When Crito volunteered to bribe the prison guards, Socrates did not accept.

Twenty-four centuries later, Socrates' decision seems as incomprehensible as it must have been in Ancient Greece. If you ask anyone in the street about what to do in case of fire, he will tell you to run. When human beings face emergencies, survival instincts often prove more reliable than essays on ancient philosophy.

Although Plato wrote extensively to explain why Socrates did not flee, the truth is that we have no idea. Xenophon (430-354 BC), an Ancient Greek historian, argues that Socrates was too old and had lost the will to live. How accurate is this theory?

Defeatism, which might apply to those who are terminally ill, seems difficult to conciliate with Socrates' energetic defence during the trial. If he had given up on life altogether, why did he bother to refute the accusations? Why did he try to convince his opponents of his innocence?

Even though we'll never know which version of the story corresponds to the facts, there is a crucial lesson to be drawn. What would you have done? Would you have accepted Crito's offer to escape jail? Would you have fled your city and gone away?

Irrespective of the soundness of the charges against Socrates, the tale of his trial might denote a negative aspect of the great philosopher's character: vanity. Did Socrates' desire to demonstrate his innocence and prove his point prevent him from running for safety?

Plato's account shows that Socrates must have been aware that he could not expect a fair trial. How can we understand Socrates' unhealthy reaction to such an emergency? If given the possibility, any rational man would have fled, stabilize his situation, and later tried to erase his accusations.

Taking swift protective action is the proven system for dealing with emergencies. Once you are safe, the next step is to achieve stability and come up with a recovery plan. We cannot ascertain if vanity did Socrates in, but the principle is valid all the same: when an emergency breaks out, put your pride aside and take the necessary action.

[Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com]

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