What I see in different shades of gray, from behind my reading glasses
An interesting view by Maj Gen. H. R. McMaster, a US military commander on the misinformation about war:
Our record of learning from previous experience is poor; one reason is that we apply history simplistically, or ignore it altogether, as a result of wishful thinking that makes the future appear easier and fundamentally different from the past.
Polite fictions (also known as lies) are behind the two most often used words in the English language. Discover the history of these two impostors
The habit of always saying “please” and “thank you” first began to take hold during the commercial revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries — among those very middle classes who were largely responsible for it. It is the language of bureaus, shops, and offices, and over the course of the last five hundred years it has spread across the world along with them.
Hughes engineer Harold Rosen’s team overcame technical and political hurdles to send the Syncom communications satellite into orbit 50 years ago.
Not only was the task technically tough, but they also were fighting many of the nation’s top experts who did not believe their idea would work. Even their bosses — at a company founded by the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes — were not sure their project was worth a modest investment.
“How to Quit Your Job Like Sherwood Anderson: The Best Resignation Letter Ever Written“
You have a man in your employ that I have thought for a long time should be fired. I refer to Sherwood Anderson. He is a fellow of a good deal of ability, but for a long time I have been convinced that his heart is not in his work.
via Brainpickings
Well, if you are a hedge fund manager accused of insider trading, that is one of the defense you could put up! Here are a few thoughts on handling email – Prioritise or turn it off
“We could also say when we walk out the front door of where we live, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so many blades of grass, I have lawn overload. It’s really all about what’s our point of view on it? Are these things really flying at us, or are we not making the choices we need to make?”
From Open Culture:
F. Scott Fitzgerald was right. The rich really are different from you or me. They’re more likely to behave unethically, according to a study by the researchers at the University of Berkeley, California…. the tendency for unethical behavior appears not only in people who are actually rich, but in those who are manipulated into feeling that they are rich. As UC Berkeley social psychologist Paul Piff says, the results are statistical in nature but the trend is clear. “While having money doesn’t necessarily make anybody anything,” Piff told New York magazine, “the rich are way more likely to exhibit characteristics that we would stereotypically associate with, say, assholes.”
Watch this video for some interesting insights
Just what the title says – and he’s hilarious
James Altucher on Living the Counterfeit Life
Because nobody wants to work.
A house, a mountain, & a very patient photographer make for a fantastic photo.