Knowing & Being

Michael Polanyi, 11-3-1891 to 22-2-1976, Theorist of Science.

Here are two Polanyi Principles, derived from his work, adapted from Wally Bock's article, 'Everyday realities of helping groups to be more productive'.

Polanyi Principle: It doesn't matter what you know if it doesn't affect results.
Polanyi calls this "personal knowledge." Using knowledge of inquiry for use of systematic doubt to drive positive outcomes. Ask yourself: "How will I use this?" and "How can I apply this?" Hmmm, right, practice makes perfect. Discovering the value of 'tacit knowledge' and turning inner inferential experiences to documented live lessons.

Polanyi Principle: We don't start with facts.
Polanyi studied how scientists worked and his conclusions work for us, too. He pointed out that scientists' skills, biases, and passions determine what they work on and how they work... Think about how we normally describe 'problem solving'. We usually say that we are objective and therefore begin with the facts, but that's not exactly accurate. Rather, most of the time, we begin with the opinions based on our own biases, tendencies and backgrounds. These opinions determine where and what we look for as facts. There's nothing wrong with this. It's just humanity at work. But if we know that most of us begin problem solving and decision making with unstated assumptions and opinions, we can spend quality time rooting them out and exposing them in the light of brain storming and discussion thus preventing the pursuit of something unattainable (wild goose chase).

"Common experience also tells us that in teaching we rely on an intellectual effort of the learner for recognizing that which we are conveying to him."

"Human beings exercise responsibilities within a social setting and a framework of obligations which transcend the principle of intelligence."

"I shall suggest, on the contrary, that all communication relies, to a noticeable extent on evoking knowledge that we cannot tell, and that all our knowledge of mental processes, like feelings or conscious intellectual activities, is based on a knowledge which we cannot tell."

"So long as we use a certain language, all questions that we can ask will have to be formulated in it and will thereby confirm the theory of the universe which is implied in the vocabulary and structure of the language."

"The process of philosophic and scientific enlightenment has shaken the stability of beliefs held explicitly as articles of faith."

"We could not, for example, arrive at a principle like that of entropy without introducing some additional principle, such as randomness, to this topography."


"If we understand and feel that here in this life we have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change. In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted. . . . As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." Carl Jung

"Showing gratitude, however, is a key interpersonal skill. I see it as a leadership skill." Ruth Sherman, communication consultant
Preview Michael Polanyi & Wally Bock

Self discipline vs Self indulgence

THE CENTURY OF SELF


'Propaganda' aside, consider...
"Self-indulgenceand self-absorptionmasquerading as self-actualizing... recognize the need for self-discipline and behavioral self-regulation, delaying gratification..."

The Humanistic Movement

The 30 coolest young entrepreneurs

Too Young?


Imprint your dreams, strategise your plans...
In practice, truth prevails... find your worth your way.
"Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to start where he was." Lao-Tzu

Preview: Entrepreneurs, Business, My Start-Up Life

Millionaire Bloggers

Out of >50 million Blogs... the Millionaire Bloggers.



Preview Oh Pareto Pareto

Maximise the Power of Your Brain

As in every great idea, its power lies in the simplicity of use and optimization of purpose. Yet, ain't we all linked to one another in some direct, indirect peculiar ways?

"It's not ways of working that need to become more flexible; it's ways of thinking." Simon Caulkin

"Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the viogors of the mind." Leonardo Da Vinci

"Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun." Colleen C. Barrett
Mindgraphicmap etc Free Trail Download

Top PSLE student attains highest score in 17 years

"The secret of my success is reading. I have been reading since I was two years old and I think that has helped me a lot. Through reading, I gained a lot of knowledge." Natasha Nabila Muhammad Nasir.


Disabled girl tops her school in PSLE - The Straits Times
AT THE tender age of three, Loh Jia Wei was found to have muscular spinal atrophy, a muscle-wasting disease. A physically weak child, she missed out on most sports. Then she became wheelchair-bound after fracturing her thigh bone in August last year. She also felt faint during her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) this year. But Jia Wei, 12, persevered. With the results out yesterday, she topped her school, Evergreen Primary...




According to a study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), frequent reading is a huge factor in a student's future success...

Reading Quotes

Happy Now!

A recipe for overcoming despair

A 64-year-old retiree, Mdm Lee, lost her life savings of $80,000 to con artists in July 2007. In the depths of her despair, a glimmer of hope took shape, the young girl whom she cared for as a nanny came to her rescue...

The detective engaged couldn’t crack the case but was so impressed with Mdm Lee’s cooking that he suggested that her recipes be documented. That passing comment gave Ms Yeo, the young girl now, 29, an idea of how she could help her former nanny. And so HAPPY NOW!— a collection of 20 of Mdm Lee’s specialty recipes — was launched with the help of volunteers...

Ironically, Mdm Lee, who is uneducated, has never read a book in her life. But her skills as a cook — she does mouth-watering chicken rendang, dark soy sauce chicken and mee siam, among other dishes — are well documented in the book, along with inspirational quotes and illustrations...

"Ah Sao’s (Mdm Lee) experience reminds us that while material wealth can be stolen from us, more important things like love, hope, and true friendship will always keep us strong."

Log onto HAPPY NOW! to learn more about the project and buy the book.

Source:



Vodcast in Chinese
小主人出书报恩
Dishes in Picture


"People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives." Stedman Graham (Speaker, Author and Educator)

"The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring." Oscar Wilde

"Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible, it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could." Barbara DeAngelis

5 Foods That Fight Cholesterol

Pictures from article by Sally Wadyka

"Ideally, you want to shoot for total cholesterol under 200, with LDL (the bad one) under 110 and HDL (the good one) greater than 35."


Studies have found that eating just a quarter cup of Almonds a day can lower your LDL by 4.4 percent.

Great results due to the high levels of soluble fiber found in Oatmeal.

Get 1.5 to 3 grams per day of omega-3, a 4-ounce piece of Salmon will give you close to 3 grams.

Red Wine for women, the recommendation is one drink a day and for men it’s two.

A little can go a long way—aim for about 25 grams of Soy protein a day.

'Eat like the Americans, die like the Americans?'

In a sobering 3-minute talk, Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic spread of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease around the globe -- as people outside the US start to eat, live and die like Americans do. "This may be the first generation in which our kids live a shorter lifespan than we do," Ornish says. The good news? These trends are preventable and even reversible through diet and exercise.

WHO projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. (World est. population 2015: 7.1 billion)
BMI Calculator




Hospital Bill Size

Top Billionaire Heiresses

A ranking of the world's top most intriguing billionaire heiresses by website Forbes.com shows daughters of the rich aren't all just socialites and can be hard workers. Sporty, arty and business savvy...



The women on the list are all under 40 and ranked according to their father's or mother's most recent net worth on either Forbes' World's Billionaires list, the Forbes 400 list of the Richest Americans, or Forbes Asia's 40 Richest Indians.

The successful woman is one who's able to have more than her man can provide, the successful man is one who marry such a woman...

Preview Women Entreprenuers

Lydia Shum "Lifetime Achievement Award"

Lydia Shum Din-Ha

"Anita and Leslie were glamorous superstars but Fei Fei was more like the close family that Hong Kong people grew up with." Journalism Professor Anthony Fung.

"Everyone has a stage in their heart, how big is your stage?" Lim Sau Hoong, Advertising Guru.

Principles of Economics

"With rising inflation, if you don't look at your investments carefully and do something about it, you will find that eventually inflation will erode your purchasing power and thus your wealth." Ms Anne Tay

"The first task of the successful investor is to preserve capital. It is not, repeat, not to earn a profit. This may seem strange. After all,investing is an activity that has profit as it's ultimate goal..." Anthony M. Gallea
(Author of "Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, But Pigs get Slaughtered")

Wake me up

... hmmm... hehehe.

'Management Pearls'

Interesting Management 'Dos'... it's happening, in case you wonder... HOW TO BE A BAD BOSS.: An article from: Soft-Letter...

10 Commandments of Fake Steve Jobs by Carleen Hawn
1. Never let people know where they stand. Keep them guessing. Keep them afraid. Otherwise they get complacent. Creativity springs from fear. Think of a painter… he’s going to starve to death if he doesn’t get his work done … Same goes for the people at Apple and Pixar. They come in every day knowing it could be their last … they work like hell; trust me.
2. You don't have to hire the best people. You can hire anyone as long as you scare the shit out of them … Look at the crappy cars that get made in Detroit, where nobody ever gets fired. Compare that to the stuff that gets made in Vietnamese sweat shops … We can’t literally put our employees lives at risk [but] we never could have made OS X so reliable if our engineers didn’t believe [every] time a bug surfaced one man was going to be killed.
3. Only promote stupid people. But not just any stupid people. You have to find the certain type of stupid people who actually believe they’re super brilliant. They make insanely great managers and are incredibly easy to manipulate. It’s easy to spot them. Former McKinsey consultants are top candidates.
4. Never tell people what is expected of them. Hold people to an impossibly high standard, but here’s the twist — don’t tell them what that standard is. And fire them if they fall short. You know what that does to people? It makes them crazy…Crazy people are more creative. And more productive. Every shrink in the world knows this.
5. A manager should be inconsistent and unpredictable. Be random. One day say something is great and the guy who made it is a genius. The next day say it’s crap, and he’s a moron. Watch how hard that guy will work now, trying to impress you.
6. No praise. Ever. Management gurus also tell you to reward performance … I disagree … Start praising people and pretty soon they starting thinking they’re as smart as you are. You cannot have this. All employees must know at all times that you are better in every way than they are. Repeated criticism in the most humiliating fashion is one way to accomplish this.
7. Keep people's spirits broken. Fire people on a regular basis for no reason. Fly off the handle, shout at people, call them names, then fire them. Or better yet, don’t fire them. let them believe they’ve survived for a few days. Then, when they’re relaxed, call then in and fire them.
8. Throw Tantrums. One [tactic] that should only be used in extreme circumstances … literally cry and scream and roll around on the floor like a three-year-old … It works because it freaks people out to see a grown man crying and screaming. They’ll do anything to make it stop. Brilliant.
9. Don't speak to employees in elevators. I’ll get on the elevator… and smile or say hi … sometimes [employees] carry on a conversation with each other, one that does not include me. I’ll wait until we get to my floor, and then, as the door opens, I’ll turn and say: ‘What you just said is completely wrong. You know not whereof you speak. Please go clean out your desk.’
10. Start with the ad campaign. Part of what makes [Apple] different—and, yes, better—is the way we create products. We don’t start with the product itself. We start with the ads. We’ll spend months on advertisements alone … Everybody else starts with the product. [This] is why most advertising sucks. At Apple … If we can’t come up with a good ad, we probably won’t do the product. Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs, a Parody

The Most Powerful One

APPLE CEO Steve Jobs, the man behind the popular iPod, is the world's most powerful businessman, according to Fortune Magazine's list of the 25 most influential executives.

Conflict Calisthenics

Introducing Conflict Calisthenics by Clarke Ching


The hands represent the 2 conflicting entities (the D and D') which flows easy in conversation. "On the one hand ... and on the other ..."
The shoulders represent the needs or concerns (the B and C entities), or "the weights on your shoulders".
The head, the heart and the belly represent the overall objective or mutual purpose (the A entity).

An apt and useful right brained presentation revolving the human self with its form.

"Science cannot resolve moral conflicts, but it can help to more accurately frame the debates about those conflicts." Heinz Pagels, The Dreams of Reason

My left sprouts: S.A.D.
Self interest (preservation?!) - "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and in advancing one’s self-interest since self-interest seems to be the only one of the many motives determining actions. However, one should not argue that 'good' motives would necessarily lead to good results, especially so if qualified information and facts are withheld and/or dismissed without due considerations, in place coloured rhetoric and biased actions including spewing hostility discarding undo consequences.

Arrogance - "A feeling or an impression of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or presumptuous claims". In arrogance, natural confidence goes sadly awry serving only and justifying for themselves at the expense of 'ill-equipped' or 'compromised' beings. "The higher the monkey goes the more he shows his tail." German Proverb

Desires - "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:1-3
Immoderate bankrupts thoughts, kindness moves mountains.


"My dear sir, they don't debate. Each of them merely issues an ultimatum, and in what a tone! It all goes to show what extraordinary people they are, each more unequivocal than the other." - Colette, The Old Lady and the Bear


The 7 Principles of "Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desires"
1. You are a ripple in the fabric of the cosmos
2. Through the mirror of relationships you discover your nonlocal self
3. Master your inner dialogue
4. Your intent weaves the tapestry of the universe
5. Harness your emotional turbulence
6. Celebrate the dance of the cosmos
7. Access the conspiracy of improbabilities

Are you anybody's favourite person?

"The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings." - Buddha

Be a Millionaire, the Smarter Way

Albert Einstein's popular 'Rule of 72'

What has the 'Rule of 72' to do with investing and growing your money ?

Basically, the 'Rule of 72' is the basic building block of financial learning which help to determine the followings:-

1) What interest rate should you avail at in order to double your money quickly?
2) How many years does it take for your money to double?
3) How many years does inflation take to erode purchasing dollars value today?

The formula:
72 divided by interest rate of return = No. of years it takes for money invested to double, i.e.

If you put $100,000.00 in a bank account, and it will take 72 years for the money to become $200,000.00 when the bank only offers a 1 % interest rate. (72/1 = 72).

If you put $100,000.00 in a time deposit account at 4% interest rate, it will take 18 years in order for the money to become $200,000.00 (72/4 = 18).

Theoretically, the higher the interest rate, the less number of years the money will it takes to double. So if you put $100,000.00 in an instrument that would give a 12% interest rate it will only take 6 years for the money to double (72/12 = 6).

The reality is 'Rule of 72' is more accurate with a lower interest rate as a higher interest rate will give rises its inaccuracy. (An example of this is that if you have $100.00 in an investment instrument at 72% interest rate per year accordingly, your money will become $200.00 in 1 year (72/72 = 1). However, this is not accurate as you will need a 100% interest rate in order for it to become $200.00 in 1 year time.

Again, how many years would it take for your money to TRIPLE and what should the interest rate be that you should avail? You should use the 'Rule of 115'. It works basically the same way as the 'Rule of 72', just substitute 72 with 115.

Earning the minimum wage? No problem, with the 'Rule of 72', you could be a millionaire! Save, invest, compound by shortening the years vested.

Adapted from an article by Zigfred Diaz.


50 Weeks

GETTING STARTED
"If you procrastinate when faced with a big difficult problem... break the problem into parts, and handle one part at a time." - Robert Collier

"If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest." - Publilius Syrus

"If you go as far as you can see, you will then see enough to go even farther." - John Wooden

"To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first." - William Shakespeare

The World University Rankings 2007

The best is yet to be.

Impedership vs. Leadership

Impedership: The opposite of leadership. Learn all the ways that managers and supervisors impede the processes, work, and motivation of their people.

To Do List

In remembrance.....

Nielsen's four shopping mode segments

Shopping Modality: why it pays to strike while the moment is hot

According to Nielsen, consumer tips, marketers need to "disrupt" auto-pilot mode with offers that force shoppers to re-evaluate their decisions. These are referred to as 'Delta Moments', but depending on the category, the degree to which auto-pilot thinking applies and the effectiveness of disruptions varies considerably. Here's how Nielsen breaks out the food categories that it studied:



The need for 'moments of truth' customer service rings incessantly...

Legal Aid

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian." - Dennis Wholey

Singapore Law Watch

Brain Gardening

Will mental retardation be eradicated?

Importance of Laughter

What’s So Friggin' Funny?
Nothing—laughter is simply how we connect.

Leadership is Listening

Hearing is not listening

“Great leaders are great listeners.” - Carmine Gallo

A successful executive known for his expertise in turning around companies was mentoring a young intern. This is how their conversation went:-

Intern: What tip can you give me on leadership?
Executive: One word.
Intern: What is that one word?
Executive: Execution.
Intern: How do you know if you have executed well?
Executive: One word.
Intern: And what is that new one word?
Executive: Decisions.
Intern: How does one know if a decision is the correct one?
Executive: One word.
Intern: Yeah, I know, it’s another one word. Just tell me the one word!
Executive: Thought.

That response stopped the intern in his tracks. Finally, he decided to paraphrase what he had heard so far.
Intern: So, to execute well, one needs right decisions. Right decisions come from having clear thought. Now, do tell me, how can one develop clear thought?
Executive: One word.
Intern: Oh, goodness, I hope this is the last one word. What is it?
Executive: Listen.

By now, the intern was really tearing his hair out. With his last shred of patience, he nearly screamed: “Sir, can you tell me your one final word? How can one learn to listen well?”
The executive smiled and said without hesitation: Practise.

Note: The numerous times of ONE WORD used.

881 一人一半 (One Half)

Mars & Venus

Dilemma...

Girl: "You're just not in touch with my emotional needs as a woman enough for me to satisfy your physical needs as a man."
Boy: "Why can't you just love me for who I am and not for the things I can buy for you?"

Wedding: No 'expenses spared' plans
Marriage: No 'heavy expenses' planned

The successful man is one who's able to earn more than his woman can spend, the successful woman is one who marry such a man.

"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is that discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." Jim Rohn

Eye Exercises

'Self-Aware' Robots