Knowledge Relationships

One of the most common ideas around being human is relationship and connection. We are social creatures – we want to have connections with others.

Taking that one step further and we talk about everything being connected – people, planets, energy, nature, animals, and so on. Physics will say it’s all energy and it all interacts with each other. I for one have no doubt of this idea.

What if we brought that analogy to information and knowledge. After all, in its rawest form, information and knowledge are just pure energy as well.

Now information as an idea is far beyond anything we might think of – it’s everywhere. There’s information in every atom, its layout of atomic and subatomic particles. There’s information is every cell in our body about how it’s composed and how it functions. At this level the amount of information is staggering.

Knowledge I’ll condense as taking particular kinds of bits of information and making some sense out of them. Something we learn – from experience, from experiments, from life, from each other, from life. When we do this we are establishing relationships and connections among information! That happens all the time. Eventually we group this stuff into categories and fields of study as we establish deeper and closer relationship and connections.

What I find so cool is when we can connect and relate what we believe are entirely different categories of knowledge. When Neurology meets biology, or biology meets psychology, or understanding virus spread whether it’s human or computer. I love finding new ways to relate data – kind of in the same way that I love it when two friends meet and connect!

Taking it further, every person also has a relationship with wisdom and knowledge as well. It’s similar to having a relationship with a person, but instead of a physical form, it’s an energetic form. Our relationship with wisdom and knowledge constantly changes, it informs us and we inform it.

What if we treated our relationship with wisdom and knowledge like we treated our relationships with other people? I wonder what would happen?

A Little Indulgence

A few weeks ago a friend called and asked if she could do laundry at my house since her washer was broken, and I said sure. So she was at my house doing laundry, reading email, and doing the things she needed to do. I was preparing some dinner and asked my friend if she wanted something to drink or some Kefir, which is a fermented milk drink similar to yogurt. She said yes – so in trying to be a little mischievous and unconventional, I poured some Kefir in a wine glass and gave her that.

It turns out I was the one who was surprised because she said nothing about the wine glass, as if that was the most natural way to drink Kefir.

The moment stuck in my mind and over the past couple weeks when I want something to drink, whether it’s water, or a root beer, or Kefir, I often reach for a wine glass.

For most people, the wine glasses only come out when we have guests, or a special meal, or just for wine. It often signifies something different or something special is happening.

Really though why not offer ourselves the opportunity to feel special, to be special more often. It can be with our own family, or even by ourselves. I’m sure the French have some sense of this as wine is such a normal and special part of a day and a meal.

And really we don’t have to limit this to wine glasses – maybe we have fine china, or a special tablecloth, or shoes we only wear on special occasions. Why not celebrate more often?

So here’s a toast, with my wine glass full of water, to more celebration!

Lists

I used to be a listmaker. Lots and lots of lists. Lists of everything. Grocery lists, lists of when to pay bills, travel lists, lists for cycling events, lists for work. They were everywhere. They never ended. It felt good to cross an item off, but ultimately once half the page was crossed off I’d rewrite the list and add more at the end. The list was never finished.

I am now a recovering listmaker. Before I get to the ‘recovery’, I want to share two influences on my change of habits regarding listmaking.

The first comes from a guy I used to work with 15-20 years ago. He eventually moved into significant management positions being very successful in those. At one point we had a conversation about his style; I don’t know how we arrived at that subject or even what the rest of the conversation was about, but this is what I remember. As a manager he received hundreds of emails every day and could spend all day simply reading and responding to emails, some of which had no significant relevance for him and his position. That wasn’t where his time needed to be spent. While he had long-term objectives he always kept in mind, what he did every morning was scan through as many emails as he could as quickly as he could. From all that he’s find the 3-5 more important and mark those. The importance was also business related and obviously somewhat subjective. He would focus on making progress on answering those 3-5 emails every day so that when he went home he could really be with his family and leave the list nearly empty to start the next day.

The second is a different sort of prioritization system which comes from a long-time nuclear engineer – I don’t know exactly what he did other than that was his title. Again I don’t remember the context or the full conversation, just these bits. He said on the corner of his desk was a stack of folders. The folders came from various people and it was his responsibility to do something with the information in the folders. When he began his work, he always grabbed the top folder and dealt with what was in that first. Then move on to the second one and so on. If someone came back and asked about what happened with a folder, he could either tell them it had been dealt with, or if it was in the pile still, it would immediately be moved to the top. This system has two automatic priority systems – one was the newest items were always dealt with first. The second was that if something was really important, it would be mentioned repeatedly and find its way back to the top. Eventually some folders would drift down to the bottom and he would probably never get to them. If that was the case, it truly wasn’t important that it needed his attention.

While I’m sure both of these accounts have more detail, they do inform my change and list making strategy now.
My ‘recovery’ began perhaps 5 years ago. I made a conscious choice to stop making lists, or at least to reduce the number of paper lists significantly. Instead I would use my mind and my memory. I used a combination of strategies from both my friends – if it was really important I would remember it and if it really needed attention, I’d get to it right away and wouldn’t need to remember it anyway. I also changed how I made lists. I’d make lists based on priority and time, and most importantly I’d keep them short. For example my weekend list might be a few general items like cleaning, yard work, and laundry. With this system I knew what was really important, and at the end of the weekend I could throw away the list knowing it was fully done. I still have some long-term lists, and they clearly have lower priority and don’t get as much attention, but they do exist.

I’ve kept up this system since then and it has worked extremely well. I feel like I get more done, and get it done more efficiently. Life is simpler and easier with so much done, and not seeing lists of stuff still to do. There will always be stuff to do, but I don’t need to constantly remind myself of that, or even worse feel guilty for it. I really enjoy the satisfaction of getting done what really needs to be done.

The Power of Introverts

I recently saw a TEDx presentation called the Power of Introverts – here’s the video from it.

I’ll admit I’m much more of an introvert than an extravert. I enjoy being with people, solving problems together, making connections, sharing a run, laughing together. Still I appreciate the time I have to myself, to read, to write, to sit and listen, to watch the sunset. In this world of constant stimulation and connection, it seems that sometimes introverts get a little too much flack for being who they are.

One of the things I like about this talk is the Susan Cain, the presenter wants to celebrate introverts. She reminds us that in that space of being alone with the opportunity explore, great thoughts and insights can arise, as has happened over and over in the past. It will likely still take a group of people to get something done, but so much has started from those introverted moments.

While Cain gives introverts a reminder that their style is valued, she also makes a strong point for introverts to share themselves with the world, in some way or another. They have powerful ideas, arts, writing, and more. It does no good to have that sit in one place and not be shared.

One last piece I like that Cain shares is about the revolution/evolution of office workspaces. Many new buildings are being designed with the idea of community spaces, shared spaces – where people can bump into each other or meet and spawn new ideas. With that, there is also a trend towards fewer and fewer, even no private workspaces. My office was heading down this path – community spaces and shared working areas. I for one am glad it didn’t happen. I’m all for those community spaces – I’ve even seen the results as my office has those community workspaces (we call them scrum areas after Agile practices). Cain wants to remind us that the world has both introverts and extraoverts, and new office spaces should accommodate both.

Perhaps I can relate with what Cain says with this blog. Introversion suits me well with lots of cool ideas coming through (or at least I think they’re cool). I never know what to do with them. So I’ve started putting them here. Maybe someone will read them, maybe not, but at least they aren’t lost in time.

Give it a try

"It's impossible" said pride.
"It's risky" said experience.
"It's pointless" said reason.
"Give it a try" whispered the heart.

Autotelic

definition from the Encarta World Dictionary
1. done for its own sake: done for its own sake rather than to gain a material reward or avoid a punishment
2. philosophy possessing internal purpose: describes an entity or event that has within itself the purpose of its existence or occurrence

In some ways I relate this to the Zen proverb: "Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water." Once we can do things for their own enjoyment, they are no longer burdens but a way to live and enjoy everything we do. Essentially every activity becomes autotelic.

Alan Watts put it this way: “This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”

What's more fascinating about autotelic is that it has been used to describe a personality type! I believe Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was one of the ascribe this context. This is how he describes autotelics: "An autotelic person needs few material possessions and little entertainment, comfort, power, or fame because so much of what he or she does is already rewarding. Because such persons experience flow in work, in family life, when interacting with people, when eating, even when alone with nothing to do, they are less dependent on the external rewards that keep others motivated to go on with a life composed of routines. They are more autonomous and independent because they cannot be as easily manipulated with threats or rewards from the outside. At the same time, they are more involved with everything around them because they are fully immersed in the current of life."

While I'm not one more labels, I do like patterns and this is a pattern that has many elements which ring true for me. I wonder how many autotelics are there?

Teaching High School Students about Business

This is one of my ideas I really like, though it’s never made it towards the top of my priority list to try it out. I remember exactly when I thought of it. I was driving from Seattle to Sacramento going south on Interstate 5 passing through all the small towns in Oregon. At one point I saw an old outdoor movie theater, it still looked like it was usable and I thought that would be a great way to teach high school students about business!

Everyone who works is either working for themselves, or running a business, or working for someone else. How many of us ever actually understand what is involved with running and sustaining a business? How many people understand taxes, and compliance, and safety, and human resources, and hiring, and budgeting, and marketing. And how much all of these things cost and how quickly they add up. I’ve worked in two small businesses as Director of Operations (COO so to speak) so I have some idea, but it wasn’t until I worked at that level that I understood the details.

What if we could bring that level of knowledge into those entering the workforce to begin with. So they understand what the business owners are going through and can be sympathetic to them and so business owners trust and respect their works because there is some mutual understanding?

So the thought was to revive the outdoor movie theater as a business run entirely by high school students with involvement from business people in the community. The whole thing would be a class students would get credit for. The school year would involve classroom work of teaching about business combined with actual doing work on the business from creating a plan for the next year, to setting up a budget to hiring, and so on.

The students would be responsible for everything. They would choose the leaders (President, Vice-President, Accountant, etc), they could choose titles, they could choose pay, they would do the hiring (and the firing). For every position held by an upperclassmen, they would work closely with at least 1 underclassmen to train them to potentially move into that role as they progressed through school.

As part of this project, I also thought it would be a great way to get business people from the community involved with the students. Some could be advisers to help oversee the project, some could help with the teachers, some could be supervisors, some could be mentors for students. This would be a way of passing on knowledge about running a business from those doing it to the next generation. I think it could also help bridge the divide that sometimes seems to be there between different generations.

On the whole it seemed like a great way to provide give and take between the students (the next generation) and the community, and to bring some basic business knowledge to the new workforce.

Anton's Key

Orson Scott Card wrote an amazing trilogy of science fiction called Ender’s Game over 25 years ago. The three books of the trilogy are Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Xenocide. Card subsequently wrote two more to bring the total to five – Children of the Mind and Ender in Exile. Then he wrote four more books covering the same period of time from the perspective of other characters. I’ve read the original trilogy multiple times and still find it fascinating, not just as a story, but with the combination of topics, philosophies, and modern relevance. If you’re looking for a great set of books, these are great ones to consider.

This post is about Anton’s Key though which comes from the Ender's Game books.. From Wikipedia: “Anton's Key is a fictional genetic modification to human DNA. Though named after its inventor, a scientist named Anton, it primarily afflicts Julian 'Bean' Delphiki; over the course of the novels.” The fictional genetic modification results in unstoppable growth in the brain and therefore incredible intelligence. The downside is the unstoppable growth of the body as well resulting giantism and eventually a significantly shorter life than an average person.

I wonder – do humans have something like an Anton’s Key within their DNA?

Consider this – some of the most amazing artists, thinkers, musicians, philosophers, scientists are absolutely brilliant in their endeavors, sometimes even ahead of their time, and still most of these people also had a significant counter to their skills. A lack of social grace, depression, and so on – something akin to the absent-minded professor who is so smart, but can’t find his glasses on a regular basis and forgets to eat. It doesn’t happen all the time, but why is this so common? Is there something in human genes that has this kind of affect?

There is alternative – perhaps there is so much natural energy and focus towards their chosen endeavor that is leaves very little energy, or time, or desire to fulfill or step into other sides of life.

Or maybe they’re both true.

Like many of my other posts, I have no idea of an answer, other than to postulate the question and wonder …

Copernicus Mirrors

I don't often remember my dreams, but this is an unusual one I did from several months ago. I had a dream where I was in a writing class. In the class, the instructor asked us to write about anything we wanted. I sat there for a while and I couldn’t think of anything to write. The instructor came over and asked if she (or he?) could help, but I didn’t know what to say. Finally she (he?) said write about Copernicus Mirrors. I had no idea what a Copernicus Mirror was, but I figured it was enough to start, so I did.

I was in the in-between state between being asleep and being awake. I seemed aware of what I was dreaming, and somehow able to control it, and still yielding to what might come forth. So I began writing in my mind, and at that point the classroom disappeared as did paper, pen, and any awareness of any reality. All I knew was what I was writing/speaking/expressing words about Copernicus Mirrors.

What came forth was magical and brilliant, full of mystery, full of symbolism and symbolism within symbolism, or at least that’s what I thought as I was immersed in it. But I can’t remember any of it, only impressions! Somehow I fully believe that if I were to be a similar state, I could perhaps produce something equally as powerful. What I do remember it that it was about mirrors, layer, perceptions. Like a story within a story within a story and so on, such as in the movie ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’, or to see an Escher drawing that folds back on itself. In that in-between state I sensed this theme and thought about how to layer it and let that happen in words. And then I thought I should undo a layer, and that happened too. I think I went 4 or 5 layers deep and undid them, some of their own, some with my urging. It was fascinating. The expression came to an end and it was time to awake, and all that was left was Copernicus Mirrors – so I did some research.

Copernicus was an astronomer in the 15^th century who introduced the idea that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe. This was a huge paradigm shift in thought, equivalent to learning that the earth was not flat, or Einstein’s theory of relativity. It changed a fundamental human perception. The heliocentric theory also helped spark the scientific revolution that followed.

Mirrors are reflectors – giving back light in that preserves the picture its reflecting. It can also distort the picture depending on the curvature and markup of the surface. Copernicus even used mirrors in his telescopes.

Somehow the term Copernicus Mirror doesn’t seem so outrageous or unusual even. Perhaps it’s a way of talking about a paradigm shift as a result of seeing the reflection of something in a different way. I suppose the analogy could be taken in other fascinating and curious directions as well.

While I can’t say I know what Copernicus Mirrors might mean or represent, if anything at all, I do like the phrase. And I do like that it offers a combination of two powerful factors and the mystery of how they can come together and produce something different.

Loopholes in human DNA?

This might be considered another part of my theories on evolution, similar to my post on DSM, but an alternate or even complimentary theory.

When software developers write software they do their best to anticipate and respond to most inputs. Usually they are fairly successful. Then they turn the software over to the software tester and they, being more devious and needing to do their job, provide even more inputs and configurations to find more edges. Still software testing can only go so far. Then the software goes to the public for use. At that point the lack of control is gone and sooner or later some user does something entirely unexpected, finding a loophole in the code, and the program gives a fatal error.

When the US Congress writes the tax code, they do their best to close the loops. I’m sure they give it to accountants and others to read and uncover potential loopholes, but again it only goes so far. Then it goes to the public – and guess what, someone finds a loophole!

What if human DNA has loopholes? What if over time evolution has tried out various combinations and said ‘yeah that works’. Humans are created from that DNA and go out into the world. Maybe evolution has its own testing scheme, similar to software, but reality/life is the ultimate test. Maybe part of human DNA has never been tested. After all the last couple hundred years of human existence has proved that humans can create a lot of things nature itself never did and even use nature in unusual ways. There are whole categories – antibiotics, plastics, manufactured pharmaceuticals (legal and illegal), noxious gases, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), mono-strains of corn and other crops, high fructose corn syrup, pop/soda, pasteurization, chemical fertilizers, cell phones – and the list goes on. What we can expect when humans throw all this at a human body? When all of this is never ‘tested’ by DNA, by evolution?

I imagine we see the results of the unexpected, the unnatural – diabetes, or epidemics of obesity, or gluten allergies.

But humans think we’re smarter, so to counter these conditions we develop insulin and then stomach stapling, and corn that can tolerate Round-Up and so on.

Or maybe nature has outsmarted humans already and these aren’t loopholes at all. What if diabetes as a result of excess sugar is an attempt to weed out the undesirable results and hopefully influence human behavior back to more natural forms? What if gluten allergies force us to change our diet and improve our health?

Who knows really – but humans and their DNA will be on this merry-go-round of mutual interdependence for a while!

The DSM – an indicator of evolution?

From Wikipedia – “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders.” Currently in its fourth revision, it covers 297 disorders and is 886 pages long. It should be noted that this is mostly used in the US.  I would imagine similar dictionaries exist in other countries, but the DSM is a good tool for this post.

So what does the DSM have to do with evolution? I have a theory that they may be linked.

We tend to believe that evolution moves in slow cycles. After all it took about a 100,000 years to develop the human brain, the neocortex on top of the limbic system on top of the reptilian brain. I wonder if it’s really the case that evolution moves so slow. After all, we can’t really see it even though DNA may be changing. In fact nature has even more opportunities to play with a population of seven billion humans and about half million new babies born each day. With the rate of change everywhere in human society, doesn’t evolution have to keep up somehow?

What if, what if the DSM is one description of nature’s play? Of nature’s attempt to further evolution? To change human DNA for the next shift, the next leap? Granted most of the conditions in the DSM are not ones we would hope are the future of the human species, but maybe they provide clues for nature. They could just be experiments.

Of course there is no dictionary of the flip side – of the developments in human consciousness. The psychics, the energy healers, telepathic, clairvoyants, precognitives, clairaudiants, psychokinetics, geniuses – maybe they are as much as experiment as those with bi-polar disorder, ADHD, or anything else described in the DSM.

I have no basis for any of this, but it’s fun to speculate, to throw out a different idea. Humans are changing and human culture is changing, but it’s difficult to see that when we as humans are part of that.