For me it's a combination of three things: 1) cultivating a sense of curiosity so that interesting problems can grab my attention when I chance into them. 2) Having my attention grabbed by a problem, I allow myself to get totally absorbed by it, sometimes to the point of obsession. Once this happens, it rarely subsides until I've completely thought the matter through and solved the problem. 3) Refusing to work on anything that does not't interest me just for the sake of doing something. This can become a problem -- for example, it almost ruined my graduate studies when I ran out of steam. But it is also a major element of the successes I had in spite of my general laziness. So yes, cavfancier, I think it's mostly a Taoist "Just let it happen" attitude.
Strange, this is the second time today that someone throws the idea of Taoism at me and I like it. I definitely have to pursue this further!
-- Thomas
this is a serious question right? you guys might have fooled me?
husker, it's as serious as you want it to be, we are all friends here....I intended it more as a discussion, so feel free, there are no right or wrong answers.
Lack of Thinking. I must keep my mind busy to have a succesful moment for my thoughts. If I think too much dreary resonations of Existential Nihilism (what a hell of a name to stereotype me with.) take preponderance and I am again feeling vaguely futile and yet contradictory.
Kindness. When I act from that basis, I am rarely wrong.
NNY, interesting post...I will have to come back to that....
Just think about every protein that's being made and unmade at every fraction of a second in every cell in your body. Meaning? Pah, I'm here to be amused.
Mmmm....protein....I have the sudden urge for a cheesburger...
Mmmm, bleu cheeseburger, wedge fries, and some African amber.... mmmmmmmmm..............
Personal and professional. I had been hired by an owner to manage a store. After a couple of weeks he asked me to stay late after locking up the store. When we were alone he started going over very ordinary details which we could have covered easily during the day. Immediately I perceived it as a smoke screen. So I just waited for the true purpose. He suddenly changed to a personal story of sparring with a well known boxer before the boxer had upcoming fights. As he spoke he stepped within my personal space. Intimidation was what it was. Looking him directly in the eye I said "Don't ever make the mistake of trying it with me." He stepped back and the confrontation was over. We worked together for nine years and got along well.
That's a good example of spherical thinking IMO, bobsmyth, anticipating a situation, knowing that it doesn't seem right, and defusing it. I take a similar approach to guys who try to pull that crap, and I have never had to fight, ever. Nice thing about guys, there is no problem that can't be solved over a couple of pints.
Hi Cav -- I like to be right up front. Evasion never works for me. That sounds like confrontation. And it is. But I'm confronting something that can be a problem. Let's assume he's testing me to see if I can be trusted with the store if he's not there. It wasn't but could have been. A lot depends on how you do it. I wasn't angry nor did I want to fight but I wasn't frightened.
The same philosophy comes into play when you have customers try it. I was a good manager and people liked me.
