Opinion Archives » Page 11 of 23

Magical Thinking: Bombarded with Truth

11:05am Tuesday

Good day! I’m following up on some client phone calls this morning while my kids hang out with my mother-in-law.

Sunday evening, she and I talked late into the night about the coronavirus, a possible return of students to schools in the fall, and —because everything is political these days— the politics of it all.

One thing she brought up was Trump’s recent tweet that we’re getting closer to a vaccine.

“It’s magical thinking,” she said, to raise people’s expectations when there’s no evidence to support it. “Trump does this all the time. He makes things up that just aren’t true.”

Truth, however, isn’t as apparent and unchanging as we’d like to believe.

How to Agree Even When You Don’t Agree

Almost any discussion breaks down when one side stops listening to the other side.

Which is to say, almost every discussion.

You have points that you want to make and obviously the other side doesn’t have their facts straight. Because if they did, they wouldn’t be on the other side.

Different Realities — Which Do You Live In?

11:05 pm

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Years ago, when I first started reading and writing about persuasion, I found myself moving further to the political right. Or, perhaps, further from the current political left.

Learning about the tools and techniques of persuasion, I could see the manipulation of the population and how easily our energy is directed.

Persuasion, at its core, is getting someone to see the benefits of an action or a believe, and to change their behavior ‘for the better’ because of it.

Manipulation, on the other hand, benefits the manipulator but not the manipulated. Rioting, anyone?

When you’re the first to mention an idea, you “win” that mind space. This is the purpose of a Blue Ocean strategy, that you define a new market and you’re the only one serving it.

But when someone already has an idea and you’re hoping to persuade them to see the benefit of its opposite? Much harder.

Divided We Fall

7:45am

Saint Paul

Late last night I wrote about the divisions we see around us.

People are hurting, people are pointing fingers, people are acting and reacting and ratcheting up their responses.

My city, and others, are being destroyed because we’re being divided. Divided by labels, instilled through fear of Us vs Them.

Opportunity Knocks at 30fps

One thing that most people won’t see during an economic downturn is opportunity.

But opportunity is out there.

And not the $25/hr Deskside Computer Support position that just landed in my inbox.

Real money. Like, $300 to $1,000 for a few hours of work.

When you make a compelling offer to solve someone’s legitimate problems, they’re happy to give you work. (Check out my review of The Secret of Selling Anything, here)

And if you’re decent with a camera and a computer, here are two opportunities I see right now:

21 Words that Shift the Blame

I used to work in computer security.

Security was always top of mind for our department, and we were on the lookout for ways to improve security.

*“Old Computer” by Marlo Mckenzie, Flickr, CC-By-2.0*

For many non-IT people, however, it seems that their own jobs are top of mind for them (duh). Most employees aren’t focused on security, but on communication and convenience to get their own jobs done.

Convenience and security are often at odds.

Denny Hatch’s 7 Emotional Buttons to Get People to Take Action!

Denny Hatch is an “old-school” marketer and copywriter that cut his teeth with direct mail, long before the internet was a thing.

The emotions Hatch identifies in his out-of-print book The Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button COPYWRITING get people’s juices flowing.

Emotions, it should be said, are the basis for most decisions that people make (but I suspect you already knew that, you wise cookie you… and if you didn’t know it — good on you for wanting to learn!)

Creativity Comes from Crisis Mode

7:30am Saint Paul Minn

Good morning,

I’m sitting down to work with a cool cup of coffee —my favorite— and a quiet house. My parents have the kids today and I’m hoping to get some good work done.

I have my laptop, my notebook and pencil, and my newest favorite album playing loud, ARC by Anthony Roth Costanzo (check it out here on Spotify or YouTube— it’s not for everybody).

*How’s work treating you? “Old Computer” by Marlo Mckenzie, Flickr, CC-By-2.0*

Work, across the world, is starting to look very different for many people. Hours are cut as we try to balance our new home life with whatever we can accomplish remotely. Businesses are cutting back on expenses, resources are running low, costs are high, patience is thin.

How to Stop Worrying

Humans have the unique ability, so far as we know, to think abstractly about the future and make plans around those possible outcomes.

Abstract thought is a driver for human growth and ingenuity. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to plan for the future. You wouldn’t be able to tease apart cause and effect. You wouldn’t have scientific advancements and would be forever stuck in a world of superstition.

Will You Ever Learn?

My daughter is crying that her piano lessons make no sense. It’s been all of about a week, and she’s ready to give up.

Sharps, flats, finger positions, counting the beats. It’s difficult.

Instead she wants to learn violin.

“How will that be any easier?” I ask.

But she’s too frustrated to have a rational conversation, and has no experience with violin to give an answer.