Good Vibrations [Article]

Salesforce’s +JP Rangaswami writes eloquently about picking up good vibrations. Articulating the various reasons he listens as a person, he makes his point emphatically:

We’re at a point in time when it’s become possible for us to listen to our customers.

When we listen to our customers, it’s worth thinking about the hows and whys of listening. To serve. To learn. To enjoy. To protect against danger. To spot patterns. To respond as needed.

What if you live in a place that doesn’t appear on a map? [Article, Video]

What if you had to choose between school & survival? But what if you refused to accept your fate? 
In Future Cities, the BBC had a link about a group of 12 year old’s called “The daredevils” – who live in Calcutta’s Nehru Slum – which officially doesn’t exist. They dramatically improved health outcomes in their area using technology not much older than themselves. Watch this video called The Revolutionary Optimists – get your kids to watch it – share it –  incredibly inspiring.

Emotions for which English has no words [Article]

[optional image description]The Atlantic discovers an interesting infographic by design student Pei-Ying Lin 

You know that sorry state of affairs that is actually looking worse after a haircut? Or the urge to squeeze something that is unbearably cute? Or the euphoria you feel when you’re first falling in love?
These are common things — so common that they’re among the wonderfully delightful and excruciatingly banal experiences that bind us together as humans. And yet they are not so common, apparently, that the English language has found words to express them.

The Politics of Envy [Article]

George Monbiot quotes Robert and Edward Skidelsky while writing about the Politics of Envy in the Guardian:

“Capitalism rests precisely on this endless expansion of wants. That is why, for all its success, it remains so unloved. It has given us wealth beyond measure, but has taken away the chief benefit of wealth: the consciousness of having enough … The vanishing of all intrinsic ends leaves us with only two options: to be ahead or to be behind. Positional struggle is our fate.”

Another:

According to one of the Saudi prince AlWaleed’s former employees, the Forbes magazine global rich list is how he wants the world to judge his success or his stature. When Forbes estimated that the prince was actually worth $7 billion less than he said he was, he called me at home the day after the list was released, sounding nearly in tears. ‘What do you want?’ he pleaded, offering up his private banker in Switzerland. ‘Tell me what you need.'”