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.
Don't devote your worthy hours to speculating about undefined psychological factors
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.
Instead of speculative advice, choose the wisdom of rational action
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 speculating 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
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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.
Putting yourself in a position to be creative, productive, and remarkable
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.
How to use each day for your personal growth
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.
The best policy to ensure good human relationships, prosperity, and dignity
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 good human relationships, prosperity, and 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
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Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
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 well-being and
success, 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 a self-reliant,
entrepreneurial attitude.
Table of Contents
1. The untold key to success and happiness
Ten positive trends rarely reported by the media
The way to independent thinking
Trust only your own statistics
Achieving happiness through rationality
Wake up to a sharp vision of reality
Important lessons from history
In search of principles that make sense
2. Fundamental skills that everybody should master
Relentless initiative creates opportunities
An active mind looks for alternatives
Cultivate perseverance and resilience
Avoid waste and embrace frugality
Shun overcommitment and worry
3. The easy way to prosperity
Select a career where you can make a good living
Principles of accelerated learning
Using Ancient Mongol tactics to find employment
Discard the myth of career planning
Growth sectors in the 21st century
Those who can sell are always received well
4. Philosophical ideas to make the best of your life
Take the perspective of a lifetime
Focus on practical solutions
Self-confidence arises from preparedness
Pursue compatible goals
Concentrate your resources on essential tasks
5. Get out of losing situations
Immobility is the enemy of achievement
Train yourself to face nonsense calmly
Throw away unworkable plans
Read the writing on the wall
Take simple measures to protect yourself
You have more options than you think
6. Avoiding major mistakes
Preserve your independent thinking
Don't make the same mistake as Confucius
Entrepreneurship is the opposite of resignation
Abandon perfectionism right now
Waiting for the world to change is a waste of time
7. How to find love without making a mess of sex
Rational values are the basis of great relationships
Overcoming the main obstacle to meeting new people
The high cost of short-term romantic involvement
The entrepreneurial factor in love and friendship
What is the crucial success element in dating?
Break free from artificial social constraints
8. Saving and investing to secure your future
Take control of your financial life
Principles of rational investment
Techniques for reducing risk
How to develop self-confidence as an investor
Saving regularly brings peace of mind
The advantage of turbulent times
9. Principles of optimal health
The teachings of Maimonides
Living in accordance with nature
How psychology can improve your health
Modern theories about prolonging life
How some people live to become 100 years old
The low-cost approach to good nutrition
Effective methods for minimizing stress
Sleeping well by natural means
10. Seeking personal growth one day at a time
Embrace rational principles
The link between personal effectiveness and happiness
Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life
Do not be discouraged by your limited resources
Clear thinking gives you the ultimate advantage
It is on slow days when you make big breaks
11. Conclusion
The human need for logic and consistency
Achieving happiness in a chaotic world
Philosophy summarized in a single sentence
It takes a while, but it can be done
Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
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.
Carpe diem, the philosophy that gives you nothing and takes you nowhere
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.
Happiness requires sustained effort, focus, and a good amount of stability
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:
- Live below your means.
- Save some money every month, even if it is a small sum.
- Take insurance to cover critical risks, such as major surgery or invalidity.
- Conduct your business or profession in a prudent manner.
- Choose slow but safe growth over wild and risky expansion.
- Diversify your investments amongst many different assets.
- Stay away from profligate individuals or businesses. Their tales seldom have a happy end.
The virtues a man needs, he has to earn them himself
The
virtues of foresight and saving constitute the backbone of civilized
society. 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
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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.
How to get established with no background, no connections, and very few resources
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:
- Lack of credibility in the marketplace.
- Potential customers are unaware that a solution exists to their problem.
- High perceived risk of purchasing an unknown product.
- The advantages of the product are difficult to explain.
- General scepticism of potential buyers about anything new.
- Established suppliers dominate the market although they make inferior products.
The method that addresses all those problems simultaneously
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
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Sleeping pills have
become an everyday accessory in modern society. In Europe or America,
Asia or the Middle East, rare is the bathroom closet that does not
contain some pharmaceutical product to induce slumber. The solution has
become so commonplace that few dare to question it any more.
How insomnia warns you about necessary changes in your life
How
did we arrive at such widespread social acceptance of chemical
dependence? Certainly not because sleeping pills provide a fully
satisfactory solution to the problem. If given a choice, the great
majority of insomniacs would prefer to find a remedy for their condition
that does not involve using chemical substances.
Sleep
difficulties, like any other health problem, can be treated by
addressing its cause or its symptoms. Herbs and pharmaceuticals focus on
the symptoms of insomnia. Their goal is to replace the natural process
of falling asleep by a chemically-induced slumber that lasts a few
hours.
Addressing the cause of insomnia is a much more demanding
undertaking, since it requires introspection and personal growth.
Contrary to what you might have heard, most people usually have little
trouble figuring out why they cannot sleep well. Leaving aside
environmental aspects such as noise or an uncomfortable bed, the most
common causes of insomnia are these four:
- An unpleasant job:
too boring or too demanding, poor pay, too long hours, high risk of
redundancy, an aggressive supervisor, nasty colleagues, professional
health risks, excessive stress or fatigue, continuous travel, and so on.
- Financial worries: for instance, excessive debt, poverty, investment
losses, imminent mortgage foreclosure, risk of bankruptcy, difficulties
to collect from debtors, negative cash flow, or being involved in
litigation.
- Family or personal conflicts: spouse with
antagonistic values or interests, betrayal, exploitation, or
abandonment, dealing with hostility or discrimination, social isolation,
or lack of friends who share the same values and interests.
- Health problems: facing heart surgery, awaiting results of critical
tests, getting old, suffering from debilitating illness, cancer, or
invalidity, extreme overweight or underweight, and any other serious
medical condition.
Problems are opportunities for self-development
At any given time, most of us will be going
through one or several of the above-mentioned situations. Since problems
tend to succeed each other at an amazing speed, one will never lack
excuses to resort to sleeping pills. Nevertheless, in each case, we will
be much better off by using philosophy to achieve serenity.
The
antidote to insomnia is peace of mind. No other alternative, cure, or
remedy can address successfully the cause of sleep difficulties. All
other options have failed and serenity is the only one that works. What
is the process of acquiring and maintaining peace of mind? Which steps
should one take?
Eliminating anxiety and stress permanently is
equivalent to modifying the structure of a house. Such fundamental
change can be carried out, but only with care and little by little. If
done properly, it will not weaken the building. The resulting edifice
will offer additional space and a more pleasant environment to live and
rest.
Focused action is the best approach for attaining peace of mind
Dozens of self-help books propound auto-suggestion as the
key to achieving success in life. Even if that promise proved true,
would it also put an end to insomnia? Let us not forget that sleeping
well is a direct consequence of achieving peace of mind, which must come
from consistent thinking. For this reason, I submit that the best way
to attain serenity and a good sleep at night comprises five elements:
- Identify your most important problem and write it down.
- Find out who has solved a similar problem satisfactorily and how he did it.
- Study the solution, adapt it to your life, and make a detailed plan.
- Start implementing the plan right away by taking the first step.
- Follow up your progress and remind yourself daily that you are on the track to recovery.
A
dramatic example will illustrate the process. Imagine an individual who
has just been diagnosed with cancer. He is told that his illness is in a
beginning stage and that he has sufficient time to explore different
treatments with good prospects of recovery. On hearing the news, his
anxiety mounts and, at night, he has difficulties to sleep.
Such
situation leaves little doubt about what your most important problem is.
Taking sleeping pills, assuming that they are not contraindicated for
cancer, may help you get a few hours of rest, but will not reduce your
preoccupation during the time you are awake.
The rational
approach starts with gathering information about available treatments,
reading success stories, and possibly talking to some of those who have
recovered. Once you choose a path of action with reasonable chances of
success, you will begin to turn your worry into uncertainty.
As
you learn more details about the treatment, your mind will progressively
consolidate a schedule of events. You will know what you have to do, at
which time, and the results that you can expect. In parallel, your
general mood will improve. Your newly-found positive anticipations will
lead to regained self-confidence.
Rational solutions are the only ones that work
Implementing your plan,
tracking your results, and making any necessary adjustment in your
actions, will in most cases reduce your anxiety and stress. This process
should naturally lead to better rest at night without need of sleeping
pills. In addition, you will be now equipped with a higher level of
self-reliance that should benefit all areas of your life.
Does it
sound difficult? No wonder, because few endeavours are as demanding as
changing our fundamental patterns. A victory over insomnia without
resorting to sleeping pills usually results from facing effectively a
major problem in our lives, whether professional, medical, or in
relationships. May your success be uncontested so that, after a while,
you will remember all this just as another milestone in your personal
growth.
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
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- Abundance Tapestry
- Albert Ellis Institute
- Always Well Within
- Advances in the History of Psychology
- Anxiety No More
- Anxiety Slayer
- Art of Non-Conformity (Chris Guillebeau)
- Art of Charm, The (Jordan Harbinger)
- Association for Psychological Science
- Barrie Davenport
- B Brown Random Tagline
- Brian Kim
- Bold Life, The
- Bounce Blog, The
- British Psychological Society
- Calm Monkey, The
- Chance Scoggins
- Craig Harper (Australia)
- Daring Adventure
- Deric Bownds Mindblog
- Do it myself (Glenda Watson Hyatt)
- Dragos Roua
- Dumb Little Man
- Early to Rise
- Egoist Blog, The
- Ellis, Debbie Joffee
- Elliott Hulse
- Empower Blog (Dr Hiten Vyas)
- Enjoying the Small Things (Kelle Hampton)
- Escape Adulthood
- Experimental Philosophy
- Extraordinary Ordinary, The
- Fancy Feet (Heidi Cave)
- Flourishing Life, A
- Four-Hour Work-week (Tim Ferris)
- Gail Brenner
- Gala Darling
- Greater Good
- Happiness in this World
- Happiness Project, The
- Happy Girl
- History of Psychology
- Home-life Simplified (Australia)
- Hope to Cope
- Ian's Messy Desk
- Influence People (Brian Ahearn)
- Inspire Me Today
- James Altucher
- John Vespasian
- Jungle of Life, The
- Kimchi Mamas
- Larry Winget
- Les Brown
- Life Dev
- Lifehack
- Life Optimizer
- Literary Lawyer, The
- Live Bold and Bloom
- Living Rationally
- Living with anxiety
- Love and Smiles
- Maverick Philosopher
- Manage Your Life Now
- Martin Poldma
- Meant to Be Happy
- Mindful
- Mindhacks
- Miz Meliz
- Mudita Journal
- My Super-Charged Life
- National Association of Cognitive Behavioural Therapists
- Oliver Burkeman
- OK Dork (Noah Kagan)
- One Crafty Mother
- Optimistic Life
- Panic and Depression
- Partially Examined Life, The
- Penelope Trunk
- Personal Excellence
- Personal Success Factors
- Personal Success Today
- Philosophers Anonymous
- Philosophy and Life
- Philosophy Blog, The
- Philosophy Etc
- Philosophy in a Time of Error
- Philosophy Talk
- Pick the Brain
- Please Feel Beautiful
- Positive Blog
- Positive Provocations
- Positive Sharing
- Prolific Living
- Providentia
- Psych Central
- Psycholocrazy
- Psychological Science
- Psychologies Magazine (United Kingdom)
- Psychology of Well-being, The
- Psychology Today Blogs
- Psychology Tomorrow Magazine
- Pursuit of Happiness
- Radiant Soul Space (Otiti Jasmine)
- Ramble. Focus. Ramble.
- Rational Philosophy
- Rationally Speaking
- Recovering Engineer, The
- Reflecting a Life
- Research Digest on Brain and Behaviour
- Richard Koch
- Robert Ringer
- RSD Nation
- Start of Happiness, The
- Sensophy (Jacob Sokol)
- Shake Off the Grind
- Simple Productivity Blog
- Situationist, The
- Splintered Mind, The
- Steve Pavlina
- Talent Develop
- Teaching High School Psychology
- Time Shifting
- Tiny Buddha
- Today is That Day
- Try to Stay Positive
- Unclutterer
- Unlimited Choice
- Up Popped a Fox
- Vishnu's Virtues
- Wisebread
- Zen Habits
Millions of people spend their days trying to convince themselves that
change is impossible. They feel trapped by their profession, job,
spouse, friendships, or financial obligations, to the extent that any
attempt at improving their situation seems destined to fail. Time goes
by and, after a while, they give up all hope of amelioration.
Christmas should not be a justification for immobility
There
are many reasons to experience such feeling of being driven by external
events. If you look around, you might find some justifications for
immobility, but do not let them make you feel powerless. The truth is
that, every year, thousands of people throughout the world undertake
such fundamental changes. Here are some examples:
- Sell their house in the city, move to a village on the coast, and build up a new life there.
- Drop out of their current circle of friends from one day to the next and seek out people with other values or interests.
- Go through their kitchen, throw away all unhealthy items, and commit to purchase exclusively wholesome food in the future.
- Look for a job in a field unconnected to their previous experience.
- Buy a bicycle and ride it every day for an hour.
- Unplug their television set, throw it away, and never spend another minute watching TV.
- Learn a foreign language and find a job in another continent.
- Cancel their affiliation to an organization that has been part of their
lives for decades and cut off links to former associates.
- Liquidate their assets, move to a tax heaven, and change their nationality.
- Throw away all tobacco and alcohol that they have at home and never purchase or consume those again.
- Start up their own business during evenings and weekends, while keeping their present employment.
- Study nutrition, learn to cook, and lose any extra weight that they have accumulated over the years.
- Tell your spouse that you want a divorce, move to another place, and start building a new life.
People who embrace major personal changes come from all walks of life
These
cases are not as rare as you may think. People who embrace major
personal changes come from all walks of life. Middle-aged or old, male or
female, they hesitate long until, one day, they make the decision.
Their determination to take a new road frequently antagonizes family and
friends, who find their old expectations undermined.
It takes
enormous courage to embark on this sort of journey. More often than not,
what moves individuals to alter essential elements of their existence
is the realization of the limited time they have. This may happen as a
result of a major illness or simply because they outgrow their previous
living conditions.
Have you redefined your long-term objectives?
What aspects of your life do you wish to improve? Stepping out of our
routine and taking a few days to reflect might be the initial step. Are
you considering embarking on a major change or taking an unconventional
path? Should that be the case, let me wish you a wonderful Christmas day.
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
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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.
How to reduce stress, in particular at Christmas time
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. This is a technique that can help you reduce stress, in particular during the Christmas period, when so many things seem to come together at the same time.
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:
- The general condition of your health.
- Income from your main business or activity.
- Overall level personal freedom.
- How many close friends you meet regularly.
- The size of your bank account and other liquid assets.
- Level of satisfaction with your home and living environment.
- How you rate the non-monetary aspects of your principal occupation.
- Happiness derived from your spouse and other family relationships.
- Overall perspectives for personal growth.
A technique for gaining an overview and taking decisive action
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 best method for accelerating your personal development
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. And with this, I wish all my readers a great Christmas.
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
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The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
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 book
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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Achieve basic stability
Never underestimate what one man alone can do
Establish the foundation of long-term achievement
Attack problems one by one
Do not allow vanity to paralyse you
Pay attention to danger signals
Build on existing strengths
Learn to view problems in perspective
Wait only the strictly necessary
2. Overcome pessimism and discouragement
Assess risks rationally, not emotionally
Quantify what you can expect
Passive acceptance is not the way to go
Dispute negative thinking patterns
Embrace a philosophy that leads to happiness
Avoid inconsistent decisions
Read inspiring authors
3. Walk the path of least resistance
Discard unworkable plans
Use realism to avoid waste
Look at what people are actually buying
Adopt a lifestyle that suits your temperament
Use long-term goals to determine your direction
Stay out of hopeless ventures
Avoid relativism and scepticism
Find an outlet for your talents
4. Take measures to prevent problems
Be prepared to face misfortune
Concentrate on crucial factors
Pay attention only to quality information
Identify potential threats
Look for simple prescriptions
Protect yourself effectively
Increase your resilience against adversity
5. Simplify your life and reduce your costs
Don't fall in the trap of short-term thinking
Enjoy the benefits of the immigrant mentality
When should you be willing to overpay?
Choose inexpensive alternatives
You can learn the basics quickly
Being healthier by consuming less
The solution to stress: simplification
6. Start new projects with minimum resources
Gather support as you go
The danger of getting stuck in abstractions
Avoid inaccessible markets
Do not be intimidated by other people's achievements
Most barriers are psychological
Small but regular steps often lead to success
7. Focus on real opportunities
Select a low-risk approach
You can profit from troubled times
How to identify promising ideas
Should you worry about the state of the economy?
Use low-cost marketing techniques
Redefine what is essential
Value creation begins with observation
8. Adopt productivity as a way of life
Do not assign excessive weight to mistakes
In case of doubt, opt for a logical explanation
Steady work is preferable to occasional jobs
Choose stories that promote achievement
A change of speed might be all you need
Work only on one major project at a time
Let go of linear expectations
Never entrust your future to chance
Keep flexible and alert
9. Take relentless action
Fill your days with worthy activities
Experiment to find out what works
Adopt effective routines
In crucial matters, do not leave anything untried
Continuous action breeds opportunities
Rewrite your personal history
Can you turn adversity into an asset?
Action is the best way to overcome obstacles
The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
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.
The teachings of Maimonides: How to stay healthy and happy
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. (Sufficient rest is of crucial importance for preventing stress, anxiety, and depression).
- 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.
A good health is a prerequisite of personal growth
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.
An invaluable element of effective living
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. A good health is a prerequisite of personal growth and an invaluable element of effective living.
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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.
How to deal effectively with situations of unfairness
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.
Circular thinking leads to stress, anxiety, and depression
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:
- The open position should be filled with the most competent candidate.
- The people who will make the choice should strive to identify who the best candidate is.
- The selection should be made exclusively on the basis of rational criteria.
- People should display extra care when they make such crucial decisions.
- When someone makes important choices for an organization, he should not
let himself be influenced by personal interests and family connections.
- Since I am the best-qualified candidate, I should obtain the appointment.
- If a less experienced person is selected for the job, that would constitute a terrible injustice.
Choosing happiness and personal growth instead of anger
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.
What is the rational response to unfairness?
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 often has its own funny ways to settle accounts without
your intervention.
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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?
Why ignorance of economics generates great amounts of stress and anxiety
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 decidedly 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.
A factor that will enhance your happiness and accelerate your personal growth
Mistakes in this respect can easily lead to great amounts of stress and anxiety. If you choose to study only one thing about
economics, let me suggest that you learn to tell the difference between
consumption and investment. Learning this difference is likely to enhance your happiness and accelerate your personal growth.
First, 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.
Second, 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.
The
lesson is that the aspect that creates the distinction between
consumption and investment is psychological. Classifying buildings
automatically as investments without considering their purpose may lead
to wrong decisions and expensive errors.
Are you placing too much emphasis on the wrong things?
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.
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Imagine that you have been born with amazing talents that allow you
become anything you want. On the one hand, your unparalleled mechanical
abilities can serve you to start up an engineering company whose
innovations would be sold around the world. On the other hand, your
extraordinary knowledge of anatomy can secure you a place amongst the
best physicians.
Why happiness is impossible without a good amount of stability
In addition, your talent for drawing and
composition can allow you to become an internationally-renowned artist
and produce hundreds of paintings that would be avidly purchased by
collectors. All doors are open to you and the whole world is at your
feet. Powerful men seek your friendship and everybody respects you.
To
make things even better, Nature grants you a reasonably long life so
that you can accomplish as much as possible. You get to live 67 years
and enjoy an overall good health. You are born in a country that offers
wide opportunities and your family encourages your initiatives.
How
much would you achieve in your lifetime? Would you concentrate your
energies on one field? Or would you rather change occupation every few
years? Which goals would you set for yourself? Would you choose a
profession or business that allows you to accumulate a quick fortune?
Two
weeks after your 67th birthday, your time is up. You find yourself
terminally ill and look back on your life to see how much you have
actually accomplished. When you count your material assets, you realize
how little you possess after decades of work. When you review your
output, you feel shame about how few tasks you have actually finished.
Personal development depends on persistence as much as it depends on creativity
At
that point, you cannot help thinking that you have wasted your life.
What will remain after you are gone? Why did you squander your talents
in conjecture and speculation? You have started many projects, but
abandoned most of them half-way.
With trembling voice, you
dictate your last will. Since you never married nor fathered any
children, your few possessions are to be divided amongst servants and
friends. The house where you are about to die is not yours either. When
you close your eyes for the last time, you beg for extra time to
complete all that you have left unfinished, but now, it is too late.
Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519) died in a house that the King of France had lent him. His
last will, which was published after his death, names his meagre
possessions. His wealth amounted to a few books, a small estate in
Milan, some money, and a few paintings. Not much for someone who many
regard as the most talented man who has ever lived.
Except for a
few dozen paintings, Leonardo da Vinci rarely finished anything he
started. He made copious notes about inventions that never took off the
ground. He spent two years making drawings to illustrate an anatomy book
that was never published in his lifetime. He also made designs for
churches that were never built.
The importance of having a constant purpose
If you have a talented son that
leads his life in imitation of Leonardo, your patience won't outlast
your disappointments. You will come to regret your son's inability to
focus on a specific field and advance his career. You will also have to
endure the sight of your son's being surpassed in honours and wealth by
others who possess less talent but more determination.
Reality is
structured in a way that rewards constant purpose. Zigzagging can be
psychologically rewarding, but seldom leads to extraordinary
achievement. Even highly talented individuals need time to acquire
expertise and establish themselves in the market. Customers pay for
finished products and services, seldom for preliminary designs.
When
you study History, you will hear great things about Leonardo da Vinci.
Art teachers will tell you about his genius as a painter, physicians
about his prodigious knowledge of human anatomy, and engineers about his
visionary design of a flying machine.
Fair enough, but if you
look at all those projects with the eye of a tax accountant, you will be
forced to classify most of them as "work in progress." My point is
that, if Leonardo da Vinci lived today, he would probably attain only
modest success.
In our century, innovation and competition are
fierce in every field. Artists, scientists, physicians, and inventors
never rest in the age of internet. The global economy guarantees that
someone, somewhere is about to overtake your achievements or your
company.
There is so much to learn in every field that
contemporary professionals rarely engage in unproductive ventures. The
market wants reliable products and services. Nobody cares if you are a
genius. What counts is whether you are able to deliver value to paying
customers.
More often than not, zigzagging slows you down and
wastes your opportunities. The difference between Leonardo da Vinci and
his contemporary Raphael da Urbino (1483-1520) provides a striking
illustration of this principle.
The key is not how many projects you start, but how many you finish
Raphael, one of the most talented
painters in History, only lived 37 years, but authored more than a
hundred paintings. In contrast, Leonardo, who lived to become 67 years
old, only produced a few dozen works. How many other brilliant paintings
could Leonardo have created if he had focused on this line of activity?
Leonardo
spent his life moving from one project to another. At 28, he
interrupted his work on his painting "St. Jerome" and never found time
to finish it. At 29, he went to Milan and abandoned in Florence his
half-way completed painting "Adoration of the Magi," which he never
retook.
At 40, Leonardo obtained a commission for an equestrian
monument in Milan, but the project also remained uncompleted. Leonardo
did manage to produce a clay model of the horse, but by the time he was
ready to cast it in bronze, his client decided to use the bronze to
manufacture cannons.
Long-term achievement demands a consistent
purpose. If zigzagging ever leads to success, it will be of sort
duration. Personal efforts go farther when they are compounded by time.
Each step of a career consolidates yesterday's accomplishments and
prepares the next. Constant improvement requires a good level of
stability.
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