December 31

Puncture
Freedom requires the right to be mistaken.

Patch
Live with, and keep looking for, wrongness in all its strange and evasive omnipresence

December 30

Puncture
Crave something, acquire it, regret it.

Patch
We are more than we know ourselves to be - so, exceed your boundaries

December 29

Puncture
Move away from decree and toward inquiry.

Patch
We are more inclined to listen if we have doubt

December 28

Puncture
Hold convictions, but jettison the barricade of certainty.

Patch
We are quasi-rational thinkers burdened with ego, hope, stubbornness, loathing and loyalty

December 27

Puncture
Part of elder wisdom is knowing we don't know it all, that we will screw up, misjudge, and over/under estimate again (and again).

Patch
There is no desire to return to servile conformism once it is abandoned, since a requisite for being a servile conformist is that we do not know ourselves to be one

December 26

Puncture
Our commitment to an idea is healthiest when it is not without doubt, but in spite of it.

Patch
We are absolutely right about something right up to the moment we change our minds and are absolutely right about something new and different

December 25

Puncture
There is no Santa Claus

Patch
...and no heaven nor answer to prayer, either. Sorry

December 24

Puncture
One of the quickest ways to discover you are wrong is to tell others what you think.

Patch
The fool does not query, does not speak out, does not investigate and closes his eyes

December 23

Puncture
There is no certainty - only people who are certain.

Patch
Beware disproportionate exposure to support, underexposure to opposition, tendency to discount opposition and suppression of doubt

December 22

Puncture
Remember - some of your present beliefs will turn out to be grievously wrong in the future.

Patch
No one plans to be wrong, make a mistake or be on the wrong side

December 21

Puncture
Certainty and zealotry are not far apart.

Patch
Certainty sometimes is only being wrong at the top of your voice

December 20

Puncture
Be alive to complexity and contradiction - and troubled by the possibility of error.

Patch
Doubt requires the emotional capability to tolerate uncertainty

December 19

Puncture
Most beliefs are based on very thin evidence.

Patch
Evidence comes with political, social and moral attachments

December 18

Puncture
When I say I know something, I infer I am not wrong.

Patch
I prefer to "know", rather than "merely believe"

December 17

Puncture
People are usually willing to decide on a best guess based on what they already know - and will not seek additional data or counter-evidence.

Patch
We tend not to rely on logic, but are willing to accept what is merely probable

December 16

Puncture
We must have good evidence.

Patch
What counts as good evidence?

December 15

Puncture
Give due diligence to both evidence and counter-evidence and avoid preconceived notions.

Patch
We look into our hearts and see only objectivity
We look into minds and see only rationality
We look into our beliefs and see only reality
- beware

December 14

Puncture
Curtail error through radical doubt.

Patch
Do not treat your beliefs like facts

December 13

Puncture
We have lots of false memories.

Patch
"I do not know" is often the most intelligent answer

December 12

Puncture
Insight springs from error.

Patch
Illusion is the gateway to humility

December 11

Puncture
Insanity is radical wrongness.

Patch
Wrongness is the misperception of reality

December 10

Puncture
We toss around knowledge with profligate enthusiasm and enjoy the feeling of knowing. But beware, any knowledge can fail us.

Patch
Knowledge sometimes is merely belief with credentials

December 09

Puncture
We are bad at recognizing what we do not know.

Patch
The feeling of knowing fills us with a conviction of rightness - whether we are right or wrong. Instead, rely on verifiable evidence

December 08

Puncture
Errors lead to truth.

Patch
Errors disguised as truth will lead to trouble

December 07

Puncture
We are too prone to assume our minds directly reflect reality.

Patch
Create a category called "Mistakes I have made"

December 06

Puncture
Right / wrong applies to facts, but not to preferences and opinions.

Patch
You can choose to always be right - or you can choose to be in a good relationship

December 05

Puncture
Success is the result of failure. Failure forces us to generate options, new solutions.

Patch
Be careful to not re-interpret mistakes as successes

December 04

Puncture
Be willing to fail.

Patch
Do not cause more damage in efforts to reverse a mistake

December 03

Puncture
Challenge the status quo - especially the one you create.

Patch
Beware denial - not admitting your contribution to mistakes

December 02

Puncture
Commit to what works

Patch
Honest advice from trusted advisors is often better than your own intuition

December 01

Puncture
Try / Fail / Try again / Fail better

Patch
Can I bear the cost of a possible failure?

November 30

Puncture
Freedom is a mind not crippled by memories.

Patch
We are afraid to be empty, to look at our fears

November 29

Puncture
The movement from certainty to uncertainty is fear.

Patch
I am part of fear, it is not separate from me

November 28

Puncture
Joy is different from pleasure.

Patch
You can only give full attention when you care

November 27

Puncture
We are too easily hurt, flattered or bored.

Patch
There is a difference between isolation and solitude

November 26

Puncture
See and act - do not revolt.

Patch
Live with myself as I am, without comparision, condemnation, justification or false modesty

November 25

Puncture
There is conflict at all levels of being. We accept conflict because we accept competitiveness, jealousy, acquisitiveness, aggression - they are part of the structure of our society, and we want to be accepted and respected by our society.

Patch
Free your mind from the structures and values of society

November 24

Puncture
When the house is on fire, do you worry about the color of the firemen's hair?

Patch
Become free of the need for stimulation

November 23

Puncture
Live only in what is.

Patch
No trying nor doing my best - simply do it and do not do it

November 22

Puncture
Attend with all your heart and mind.

Patch
See the details, then jump

November 22

Puncture
Throw off the encrustations of ideals and ideologies and find out for yourself. Clear up you own confusions.

Patch
Die to the things you cherish and that you are bitter about

November 21

Puncture
After 200,000 years, why have we not learned that hating and killing is not the way to live?

Patch
To really look and listen is very difficult

November 20

Puncture
We do not change gradually, it happens in an instant.

Patch
We are not loved because we do not know how to love

November 19

Puncture
Do not seek the soul or an afterlife - rather ask how to live with enchantment, compassion, and happiness.

Patch
Nothing is permanent

November 18

Puncture
Die to yesterday.

Patch
Live fully today

November 17

Puncture
Realize that most love is not love - it is mutual gratification and exploitation.

Patch
If you do not know what to do, then do nothing. Do not seek, want, pray, pursue, or question

November 16

Puncture
Living in the future is the great escape.

Patch
The austerity of being totally simple

November 15

Puncture
It is up to me - there is no teacher, no guide, no one to tell me what to do. I am alone in a brutal world.

Patch
We are always adding and subtracting from what we are - weighing, comparing, judging, modifying, changing as a result of internal and external pressures - living in a field of conciousness of our own knowledge, experiences, and innumberable calculations based on our own memories, experiences, knowledge, traditions, influences and varities of suffering and joys - all of which are part of the past

November 14

Puncture
Only without preconceptions can we be in direct contact with anything.

Patch
When I say "I know you", I mean yesterday - not now. We have nothing but bundles of memories

November 13

Puncture
Thoughts distort for our own convenience.

Patch
Do not interpret - just give full attention

November 12

Puncture
There is little solitude when we carry yesterday's burdens.

Patch
Be careful that ideas do not become more important than actions

November 11

Puncture
You cannot invite the wind, but you can leave the window open.

Patch
Passion is frightening because you do not know where it will lead you

November 10

Puncture
When your mind wanders, that means it is interested in something else.

Patch
We do not ask. Rather, we want to be told, to be confirmed and corroborated. Ask more

November 09

Puncture
We want psychological security in relationships and activities - but there is none. Accept this.

Patch
You can have marvelous experiences and still be deluded

November 08

Puncture
Space and silence are required to come up with something new.

Patch
Communication requires more than words you understand. It also needs the full attention of the listener

November 07

Puncture
How much of my life is set by my genetic inheritance and how much by my habits?

Patch
This is nice, but it will not always be so

November 06

Puncture
Discover what the world wants and give it to them.

Patch
Don't try to convince them to change, rather entice them to do what they really want

November 05

Puncture
To find a good idea, generate many ideas.

Patch
Regurgitate the reading with modifications - do not get hung up on the imitation thing

November 04

Puncture
So many "if's" - is that a sign of what is not to come?

Patch
Nothing thought - nothing done. So, think

November 03

Puncture
Remember, rascals can be charming.

Patch
Strange that so many battlefields become parks - an effort to counterbalance the noise and ugliness that made the place notable

November 02

Puncture
We are in a world of excess and poverty.

Patch
Look for the middle way

November 01

Puncture
We are drowning in words and entertainments.

Patch
We must save ourselves by adopting some rules, setting some limits, establishing a purpose and maintaining focus

October 31

Puncture
Writing can capture what I cannot say out loud.

Patch
Allow "mistakes" to guide and inspire

October 30

Puncture
Writing sometimes reveals things I did not know I knew or thought.

Patch
Stories are written while facts are merely recorded

October 29

Puncture
Let go of what others might think.

Patch
Create for your own satisfaction. Delight yourself

October 28

Puncture
Action comes before inspiration.

Patch
Request the truth and be willing to hear it

October 27

Puncture
Failure and success are always intertwined. So, expect both.

Patch
Get up. Get out. Dive in. Experiment. Leap

October 26

Puncture
Hopelessness does not exist - it is only a story.

Patch
So, make up a better story

October 25

Puncture
You have the right to remain puzzled.

Patch
Honor rest as much as activity

October 24

Puncture
It is worth the effort to question what seems obvious.

Patch
Communication is referencing shared knowledge and making inferences

October 23

Puncture
A message is a journey and its meaning is the destination.

Patch
Words are clues to meaning, they are not the message

October 22

Puncture
Tools - not rules.

Patch
Rules - not tools

October 21

Puncture
You do not always have to be clever, but you must be clear.

Patch
Language is always part ambiguity

October 20

Puncture
There is a fine line between clever and stupid.

Patch
Showing is more effective than saying

October 19

Puncture
When you have a good, go ahead and break the rules.

Patch
Three worst mistakes: overpromising and underdelivering

October 18

Puncture
It is wisest to choose options that will agree with people's natural lazy tendencies.

Patch
Playing around, pregnant, pickles, puking, pain, precious

October 17

Puncture
Don't worry too much about being correct - focus on what works, what you like and value.

Patch
Born, schooled, married, employed, retired, ignored

October 16

Puncture
Insight is the most precious form on information, the most valuable substance in the world.

Patch
Insight is not just new information, it is transformative thinking - not just helpful or informing, but applicable to our values, our concerns. But it is difficult to come by because we fill our minds with trivia and give our attention to the news - and then there is no time left to for true understanding

October 15

Puncture
Wrong information is transmitted as easily as the truth - so, beware misinformation.

Patch
Accept your ignorance, pay as much attention to the question as to the answer, and never be afraid to go in a new direction

October 14

Puncture
Information is not enough. The organization of information is as important as content.

Patch
You must show them how to integrate your information with their process and their goals

October 13

Puncture
Seek out information and reject the onslaught of data.

Patch
Learning is remembering what interests us

October 12

Puncture
Memory is what we are ultimately made of.

Patch
Seek out only information that is connected to your interests

October 11

Puncture
Who does not learn to fail, fails to learn.

Patch
Not necessarily best practices, at least better practices

October 10

Puncture
Crises are useful because they expose our incorrect assumptions about life.

Patch
It is worse to have the right answer for the wrong problem, than to have the wrong answer for the right problem

October 09

Puncture
The plan does not have to be perfect or forever. I need only make it work for today.

Patch
I need only decide about today

October 08

Puncture
My options are not limited to what others offer me.

Patch
Always there is the possibility of how I want it to be

October 07

Puncture
I am unlike many others.

Patch
Yet, there are others like me

October 06

Puncture
The more troublesome a problem, the more dessicated and vague the public language about it.

Patch
We know more than we can explicitly articulate

October 05

Puncture
The way we come to know a hammer is not by staring at it, but by grabbing it and pounding a nail.

Patch
To know a shoe lace, you should tie your shoe

October 04

Puncture
Now is the time for all good people to become responsible for war making politicians.

Patch
Even when we remember history, we still go on to make new mistakes

October 03

Puncture
The optimist hopes when others despair.

Patch
The sage despairs when others hope

October 02

Puncture
Happiness ratio:
Wanting what you have / divided by: Having what you want.

Patch
Another happiness ratio:
Gratitude / divided by: Gratification

October 01

Puncture
Look for the cloud in every silver lining.

Patch
You do not have to pursue happiness for it is already inside

September 30

Puncture
The impulse to help is dangerous. Do not act on it unless you are sure it is going to be helpful.

Patch
What happens when a "can do" attitude meets a "cannot be done" assignment?

September 29

Puncture
Saying "no" is easier if you have a burning "yes" to focus on.

Patch
Forgotten is the same as lost

September 28

Puncture
Almost anything lost can be replaced. One exception - the opportunity to say nothing.

Patch
Occasionally being wrong is part of being smart

September 27

Puncture
We do not know for sure the dead do not regret their former lust for life.

Patch
When the shoe fits the feet are forgotten

September 26

Puncture
I know the smile of beautiful unknown woman is just the ribbon on a gift I will never get to open.

Patch
It is a pity we spend so much time trying to avoid things that can be avoided

September 25

Puncture
You never have to wait even a minute to start improving the world.

Patch
Complaining is worry made public

September 24

Puncture
To contemplate these harsh realities is not to give in to despair, but to make it possible to resist.

Patch
Truth is the best activist program

September 23

Puncture
We need not have delusions of grandeur about what we can accomplish, but we do need to avoid a self-satisfied complacency.

Patch
We must hold ourselves and each other accountable, while knowing that the powerful systems in place are not going to change overnight simply because we have good arguments and are well-intentioned

September 22

Puncture
Few are guilty but we are all responsible.

Patch
One foot in the grave and the other foot dancing...

September 21

Puncture
We are the first species that will have to self-consciously impose limits on ourselves if we are to survive.

Patch
For all our considerable rational capacities, we are driven by forces that cannot be fully understood rationally and cannot be completely controlled

September 20

Puncture
Abandon plans based on delusional wishes about how we wish the world existed and, instead, get busy adapting the world that really exists.

Patch
Unsustainable systems cannot be sustained. The world and our nation are presently living on an unsustainable basis

September 19

Puncture
Conduct a "premortem" - what might kill this project?

Patch
Check list: promotes action, respects people's time, tells people what to do, and motivates with proof of progress

September 18

Puncture
Don't rationalize inaction.

Patch
Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave

September 17

Puncture
People are up to their eyeballs in information. What they need is a goal and something to believe in.

Patch
Whoever tells the best story - wins

September 16

Puncture
Give up the illusion of control.

Patch
Faith requires a meaningful story

September 15

Puncture
"Will you support me?"

Patch
And, if so, "what will you do?"

September 14

Puncture
Always identify your "believers" and work with them.

Patch
Give them at least two options, but never more than three

September 13

Puncture
Familiarity breeds commitment, not contempt.

Patch
Sources of resistance: inertia, hesitation to lose options, fear of making a mistake, no role model, no faith in the cause

September 12

Puncture
Progress: unthinkable to radical to acceptable to sensible and finally popular.

Patch
"Pluralistic ignorance" - going along because you think everyone else agrees

September 11

Puncture
Man plans - god laughs.

Patch
I was not consulted, neither was I informed

September 10

Puncture
Find something interesting or useful in even the worst experience.

Patch
Beware hurting others beyond salvation

September 09

Puncture
Aphorisms are a very good vehicle for higher thinking.

Patch
Pithiness is next to godliness

September 08

Puncture
Hope is often stronger than experience.

Patch
Good cure for sadness - learn something

September 07

Puncture
Be careful about getting into the habit of anything.

Patch
The second mouse gets the cheese

September 06

Puncture
Wisdom is more than just practical intelligence, more than only taking care of myself. It is about the common good.

Patch
It is better to receive the rebuke of a wise man than the praises of a fool

September 05

Puncture
Know what to overlook...

Patch
...and not fixate

September 04

Puncture
We make virtues out of faults we do not wish to correct.

Patch
The less I want or need, the more content I am

September 03

Puncture
Wisdom and unwisdom coexist - so, beware.

Patch
People who cannot stay home and accept what they cannot change are condemned to go out and try to change what they cannot accept

September 02

Puncture
Too often we abandon truth and seek a fantasy.

Patch
All I want is a little more than I will ever get

September 01

Puncture
Do not label emotions as good or bad. Rather, use them as information to understand the situation.

Patch
Notice the ripple effect of my emotions on those around me

August 31

Puncture
Self-management is the ability to control my actions - to put needs and reactions on hold (if required) and to delay and manage my tendencies.

Patch
Relationship management is managing my interactions successfully

August 30

Puncture
Self awareness is the accurate perception of my emotions and understanding my tendencies.

Patch
Social awareness is the accurate perception of others emotions

August 29

Puncture
Personal competence requires self-awareness and self-management.

Patch
Social competence requires social awareness and relationship management

August 28

Puncture
Low expectations will liberate you to try most anything that interests you or that is worthwhile.

Patch
I cannot effectively manage myself if I avoid the possible discomfort that might result from seeing myself as I really am

August 27

Puncture
Yes, people respond to incentives, but not necessarily in ways that are predictable.

Patch
Be aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences

August 26

Puncture
It is our nature to believe our own predictions - and to fail to remember when they are not correct.

Patch
When the solution is not right before our eyes, it is easy to assume no solution exists

August 25

Puncture
The "average" world person would have one breast and one testicle.

Patch
Purpose to have a conversation - not just get in the last word

August 24

Puncture
I have the right to do my thing - even if it inconveniences (or alarms) others.

Patch
Seek the Way of the Imperfect Athlete

August 23

Puncture
It is not because things are difficult that we dare not; it is because we dare not that they appear difficult.

Patch
In addition to knowledge, we need imagination

August 22

Puncture
We are not a society that values slow.

Patch
I have the right to go slow, to do it my way - to make it fun

August 21

Puncture
Nothing is under control, nothing is predictable.

Patch
Always prepare for change

August 20

Puncture
The two strongest warriors are time and patience.

Patch
Look for advice from someone who is not emotionally invested in your problem

August 19

Puncture
Focus on what you have - not on what you do not have.

Patch
Focus on your freedoms - not your limits

August 18

Puncture
Look for a valuable lesson from every person you encounter.

Patch
Seek feedback

August 17

Puncture
Don't be fooled (or compromised) by thoughts and reactions you have when in a bad mood...

Patch
...or, when you are in a good mood

August 16

Puncture
What appears selfish and irrational at one level can be deeply rational at a lower / (higher?) level.

Patch
Learn what people are really like - do not settle for some fairy tale version of how we want them to be

August 15

Puncture
You can't possibly pay attention to everything - so, you are always being selective.

Patch
Past adaptations are rocks in the stream of life that we must learn to navigate around

August 14

Puncture
Occasionally do something extreme - it'll make your routine feel easier.

Patch
When you do what needs done with care and concentration, then there is no drudgery

August 13

Consider these examples of language manipulation:

Puncture
Walking referred to as "linear pavement dancing".

Patch
"I finished in the top 90% of racers" said of one who finished next to last in a 10 person race

August 12

Puncture
What we remember depends on who we are at the moment.

Patch
Who we are at the moment depends on what we choose to remember

August 12

Puncture
Two ways to stand out: non-conformity and conspicuous consumption.

Patch
We have as many social selves as we have groups whose opinions we care about

August 11

Puncture
People are more motivated to avoid a loss than to obtain a gain.

Patch
Do not compete until you have a reasonable chance of winning

August 10

Puncture
We have numerous subselves, alternate ways to live.

Patch
We have different assessing rules for family, friends, and strangers

August 9

Puncture
A strong, clear, persistent voice can move a multitude.

Patch
It takes only a few variables to create lots of complexity

August 8

Puncture
The mind is a multitude of mini-minds, each a collection of adaptations designed to solve problems by crunching different kinds of information in different ways.

Patch
We pay attention to only a small fraction of what is going on "out there" and only ruminate on a smaller fraction of what we do choose for awareness and then upload an even smaller portion to our long-term memory

August 7

Puncture
It takes both character and discipline to remain idle, to wait.

Patch
I love long walks - especially when taken by people who annoy me

August 7

Puncture
Let go of the person you used to be.

Patch
I find no companion the equal of solitude

August 6

Puncture
Give your gift of service to something you are passionate about in an environment that is consistent with your values.

Patch
Do not trick yourself into thinking something is impossible just because it is difficult

August 5

Puncture
Time is not money - it is the only chance for happiness

Patch
The greatest of riches? Not desiring them

August 04

Puncture
Without courage, wisdom can bear no fruit.

Patch
"What can I do to help?" - then, listen

August 03

Puncture
Our lives are frittered away by details - so simplify, simplify, simplify.

Patch
Be hear now. Be somewhere else later. That is not so complicated

August 02

Puncture
It was messy - but it was a good mess.

Patch
Others can inspire, information feeds, practice improves - but we need quite time to understand, to discover, to innovate

August 01

Puncture
Do not force it, be willing to do nothing - to wait.

Patch
Make your move when interest and passion are engaged

July 31

Puncture
Failure is always in the past - forget it.

Patch
Be a pirate - steal good ideas

July 30

Puncture
Often common sense is not common practice.

Patch
Determine what matters and let the rest go

July 29

Puncture
We tend to tell strangers what we think they want to hear.

Patch
Social media is not a conversation and is not a relationship

July 28

Puncture
Finding truth requires blundering around.

Patch
Our culture is afflicted with knowingness

July 27

Puncture
Do not surrender to others your moment of giving order to the world.

Patch
Life requires assessing

July 26

Puncture
When we allow the voices of strangers, especially the shrill ones, to enter our heads, a vital part of ourselves is diminished.

Patch
Their is a supreme vitality to being alone with one's own thoughts, free from the verdict's of others opinions.

July 25

Puncture
There is money in treating problems, not in preventing them - so, problems proliferate.

Patch
We exalt in knowing as much as possible and have forgotten the pleasures of not knowing

July 24

Puncture
You can rule the world if you will let it takes its course.

Patch
The world cannot be ruled by interfering

July 23

Puncture
You can never earned more time - so spend it wisely.

Patch
I have suffered many troubles, many of which never occurred

July 22

Puncture
Leisure is not the same as entertainment.

Patch
Do not waste your time trying to change negative people - just avoid them

July 21

Puncture
Freed from the need to conform, eccentrics can pursue their own lifestyle, what really makes them happy.

Patch
Seek solitude

July 20

Puncture
Knowing others is wisdom.

Patch
Knowing yourself is enlightenment

July 19

Puncture
A man with $10 million is not happier than a man with $9 million.

Patch
Comtemplate "how much is enough"

July 18

Puncture
If you think happiness is money, try to sell your happiness.

Patch
I found it is more trouble to watch after my money than it was to earn it

July 17

Puncture
You may already have the good life, and are failing to realize it.

Patch
Spend less than you earn
Earn more than you spend

July 16

Puncture
Wish list:
Enough purpose to know satisfaction
Courage to meet difficulties
Gratitude to appreciate what you have

Patch
Small amounts of good nutritous food
Moderate, regular exercise
Go slower
Take it easy

July 15

Puncture
Seek growth, not perfection.

Patch
Like many, love a few

July 14

Puncture
Everyday: name one thing you are grateful for...

Patch
...and identify something that really is not important

July 13

Puncture
Find out what you do best and get someone to pay you for doing it.

Patch
Just think how happy you'd be right now, if you had lost everything - and then found it again

July 12

Puncture
There is much self organization, so trust disorder to resolve itself.

Patch
There is a broad range of thresholds of influence by other people

July 11

Puncture
We are the product of many minds making many decisions in response to local inputs.

Patch
"Public opinion" is "us". There is no mastermind conspiracy, no Big Brother, no central decision-maker

July 11

Puncture
We are full of conformity mechanisms.

Patch
Groups start out unstable and changeable - but it becomes increasingly difficult to change them as time goes on

July 10

Puncture
The area between chaos and order is complexity.

Patch
Multi-directional causality results because it is difficult to separate the mutual interaction of cause and effect.

July 09

Puncture
Note that despite our selfish impulses, we still manage to organize into societies and functional groups.

Patch
People that spend time doing things for those they love are less depressed and more fulfilled in their personal lives

July 08

Puncture
Humans have a natural instinct for taking care of family and intimate friends - so indulge it and enjoy.

Patch
The law of Reciprocal Altruism - doing favors for family and friends

July 07

Puncture
Beware testosterone crazed you men

Patch
Complexity naturally emerges from even just a few simple parameters

July 06

Puncture
Make present decisions based on future benefits.

Patch
Handle your anger and hurt in a way that does not make the situation worse

July 05

Puncture
Tolerate no negative energy.

Patch
Take responsibility and take action

July 04

Puncture
Wanting / insisting on all keeps you from getting any.

Patch
Take just one little step toward "it" every day

July 03

Puncture
Face the situation and then lean into it.

Patch
Apologize or confront or make amends or define the problem, ask how you can make the situation better, whatever is needed. But don't continue to expose yourself to the problem, don't stick around if...

July 02

Puncture
Are you driving? or just going along for the ride? Take the wheel and be proactive.
Patch
Take action, avoid complaining, get moving

July 01

Puncture
Successful plans are small, simple, and good.

Patch
Success will seem slow. Value small increments

June 30

Next occasion you have some trouble in your life, try these two questions:

Puncture
How have my attitudes and actions contributed to this situation?

Patch
What can I do to make the situation better?

June 29

Puncture
Where will this situation go if I say this thing I am thinking?

Patch
We are not passengers. We are part of the crew on Spaceship Earth

June 28

Puncture
Unresolved issues are energy drains - avoid them.

Patch
Yet, there is a place for patience, long suffering, even hope. But not all things work out. Nevertheless, do not let bad situations stagnate, infect and spread, and drain your life away.

June 27

Puncture
Best fix for a big problem is to handle it when it is a small problem.

Patch
...or, better yet, prevent it from becoming a problem in the first place

June 26

Puncture
Big victories can come from small wins.

Patch
Do not borrow future trouble

June 25

Puncture
I am a carbon based electrochemical system with opposable thumb and bi-pedal locomotion, born to breathe, eat, drink, reproduce and die - the rest is just window dressing.

Patch
Resist the impulse to say "yes" when you detect your internal "cringe factor" signaling

June 24

Puncture
Do not hang on to the bad stuff.

Patch
Get rid of what I am not using - make space for what better serves me

June 23

Puncture
First awareness, then action.

Patch
I may have to give up fixing the irreparable

June 22

Puncture
What we choose to attend to (or ignore) is the internal equivalent of how we choose to act (or not act) in the external world.

Patch
Choose, and accept the consequences

June 21

Puncture
This just in from the real world (the world of evidence, not imagination): Imagining success will not get you there. New York's University Motivation Lab reports from tests that a healthy dose of skepticism and a realistic outlook will do more to energize people than a rosy image of a successful outcome. "...Those that question whether an ideal future can be achieved, and that depict obstacles, problems, and setbacks, find it more beneficial for mustering the energy needed to attain actual success." So much for positive self-talk. Good luck to unemployed self-help gurus.

Patch
I wish there was a switch that closed the mouths of those with closed minds

June 20

Puncture
Too much of management consists of making it difficult for people to work together

Patch
Engage fast, engage many, provide value, and give credit

June 19

Puncture
Make it fun and cool - not awesome and extravagant

Patch
Keep it plain and simple - eliminate clutter. Understate and don't elaborate

June 18

Puncture
Success depends on mastering the obvious and the mundane - not magic and breakthroughs

Patch
Balance too assertive / not assertive enough. Be a human shield to the people in your group or organization

June 17

Puncture
I have a flawed and incomplete understanding of what it is like to work for me

Patch
Confident enough to lead but humble enough to know I am sometimes wrong

June 16

Puncture
Reverse the usual situation by judging yourself by your results, and others by their intentions

Patch
Every good cause needs an advocate, a skeptic, a visionary, an evangelist, and a rain maker

June 15

Puncture
Think "screenplay" rather than a speeech - dramatize

Patch
Move their hearts rather than bore them with logic

June 14

Puncture
Balance your tree hugging with forest management

Patch
Muscles almost always pull, not push - the two exceptions are the genitals and the tongue

June 13

Puncture
Accept diversity, but don't take any crap

Patch
Trust first, but punish violations

June 12

Puncture
People are more likely to honor a committment if it is made public

Patch
Suck it up and endure physical and emotional hardships with complaining

June 11

Puncture
MAP system: Mastery (improve skills), Autonomy (do it yourself), Purpose (meaning)

Patch
New ideas do not stand a chance in the mainstream of life or business - so find a side stream.

June 10

Puncture
While most have the ability to speak, many do not have the gift of conversation

Patch
Some folks descended from the chimpanzee later than others

June 09

Puncture
How I do things is as important as what I do

Patch
Form friendships

June 08

Puncture
When you get an assignment, do part of it and ask for feedback. Create a prototype

Patch
Underpromise and over deliver

June 07

Puncture
Avoid tempting situations. Know your limits and observe them

Patch
When you deliver bad news, avoid blaming and instead provide a solution or alternatives

June 06

Puncture
Experts are helpful, except when they are wrong. Trouble is, people tend to believe experts even when they are wrong

Patch
Beware pseudo information and experts. Correlation is not causation

June 05

Puncture
Be skeptical, but not cynical

Patch
Though there is no hope, yet we will try to defeat fear

June 04

Puncture
Give feedback, provide recognition

Patch
People want to belong, to be skillful, and to do their duty

June 03

Puncture
Fight when right, listen when wrong (and you may be wrong)

Patch
We are always at great risk of being jerks - and not realizing it

June 02

Puncture
Worse than the right thing not coming along, is the wrong thing

Patch
If we listen only to intellect, then we will never fall in love, have children, or go into business

June 01

Puncture
If you are looking for a friend, you will find they are scarce. But, if you are looking to be a friend, you'll find there is opportunity everywhere

Patch
If you only want to be liked, then you will compromise on everything at any time, and accomplish very little

May 31

Puncture
If you must be candid, then do it beautifully and with kindness

Patch
If one or two people call you a jackass - ignore it. If three or more do, buy a bridle

May 30

Puncture
If you don't have the facts, keep silent and listen - they'll then often think you are wise

Patch
To get along with others, you will often have to play dumb

May 29

Puncture
Change people with encouragement, not criticism

Patch
Only the self-deceived can be flattered

May 28

Puncture
We regard as fools, those we do not understand

Patch
To be agreeable, listen to others grievances but do not speak of your own

May 27

Puncture
To make friends, remember them

Patch
If we knew what others sometimes think of us, one would hardly have any friends

May 26

Puncture
There is always more than one way to accomplish a thing

Patch
IQ is not always necessary, but determination is

May 25

Puncture
There are no limits on dreams, but there always is on priorities

Patch
It is not the decision that matters most, it is the commitment

May 24

Puncture
There is nothing wrong with occassionaly do something entirely for yourself

Patch
Decide what is essential and then do it

May 23

Puncture
Many prerequisites are mostly unnecessary

Patch
It is usually better to do a thing than not do it

May 22

Puncture
I am more frightened by old ideas than I am of new ones

Patch
There are few things you really have to ask permission or forgiveness for

May 21

Puncture
Life abounds and regenerates even as we fight to preserve our traditions and assumptions

Patch
Do not go to your grave with your best song still in you

May 20

Puncture
Hard to herd and impossible to stampede.

Patch
Your own competence is the best security

May 19

Puncture
Sometimes wrong - but never in doubt.

Patch
You don't get what you expect, you get what you inspect

May 18

Puncture
Learn from yesterday, live for today, aspire to tomorrow.

Patch
Occasionally go beyond the expected

May 17

Puncture
The Good Life is good relationships (with family and friends), satisfying / rewarding work, good health, freedom to do more or less what you want to do - full of gratitude and kindness.

Patch
Go for simplicity, decluttering, minimalism, and frugality

May 16

Puncture
It is a mistake to think everyone is a potential recruit to your cause.

Patch
A small group of committed people is more powerful than crowd

May 15

Puncture
The distance between ignorance and knowledge is less than the gap between knowledge and action.

Patch
Don't escape from something, escape to something

May 14

Puncture
Never fail formula - Get started / Don't stop.

Patch
Change the way the game is played

May 13

Puncture
If it is unconventional, then some people will try to stop you - even if it is the right thing.

Patch
The better question is not "Who will let me" - it is "Who will stop me"

May 12

Puncture
Absence of fear is not courage - it is stupidity

Patch
Time does not change things - you have to change them

May 11

Puncture
You don't have to detail your goals, but you should at least start with a clear understanding of why you are doing the thing.

Patch
Not everybody will understand, or even agree, with what you choose to do

May 10

Puncture
Sit down and force yourself to accomplish something. Focus on production, not hours.

Patch
Most anything - but NOT everything

May 09

Puncture
Limit the inputs to my life. Many things can be left undone.

Patch
Consume less information (start with TV news - all news)

May 08

Puncture
The journey and the destination are equally important.

Patch
Do the things you enjoy and that will outlive you and extend beyond personal reach

May 07

Puncture
Saying "no" to some things is always saying "yes" to other things.

Patch
Live as though everything is a miracle - or as if nothing is a miracle

May 06

Puncture
To change is difficult. To not change is fatal.

Patch
What is the worst that can happen?

May 05

Puncture
You can have most of what you want, but not all at the same time.

Patch
The best moments are usually not passive or comfortable - but are at the edge of your limits. They may be difficult but they are worthwhile

May 04

Puncture
Create a "stop doing" list - drop activities that drain you. Warning: not everyone will be understanding.

Patch
If you have to get something finished, try declaring a "radical exclusion" period. A place and time in which absolutely not distractions are permitted

May 03

Puncture
Identify and then say goodbye to unnecessary obligations, tasks, and expectations.

Patch
Determination is needed because the world is full of distractions

May 02

Puncture Remember, if you tell the full story, it always ends in death. Patch Do something excellently that you passionately care about

May 01

Puncture It is always never the same. Patch I have made lots of mistakes

April 30

Puncture If you have only one smile, show it at home. Don't spend on strangers, wishing them to have a good day. Patch Though there is no hope, nevertheless I will be courageous

April 29

Puncture If a man works like a horse, he will easily find a woman willing to ride him down the bridal path. Patch Give me a wife who, like the moon, doesn't appear everyday

April 28

Puncture People long for love but are shocked to discover the pains of love can be very deep. Patch Love will compensate for many things but without it, nothing is enough

April 27

Puncture If love is blind, then sex is the blindfold. Patch If you want love, then love and be lovable

April 26

Puncture It is easier to be a cynic than a believer Patch No one is self taught. Even unconventional ideas don't arrive independently

April 25

Puncture You don't learn about the person when things are comfortable and convenient, but when they are difficult and controversial. Patch What is your dangerous idea?

April 24

Puncture Be daring, different, maybe even impractical and not a slave to the ordinary. Patch When you ask for volunteers, describe the project as difficult or dangerous - this will assure you get a committed person

April 23

Puncture Without intelligence, life is reduced. Without love it is ruined. Patch Failure is a possibilty but regret is optional

April 22

Puncture If you are vexed by a child, try writing with your other hand and then remember, for inexperienced kids, life is like writing with the other hand. Patch If you want kids to improve, let them overhear you talking to others about their nice qualities

April 21

Puncture If you don't take time to show youngsters the right way, remember - somebody else will take the time to show them the wrong way. Patch If I'd known how wonderful it was to have grandchildren, then I would of had them first

April 20

Puncture If you want to exchange the attention of many for the inattention of one - go ahead and get married. Patch A good marriage more resembles a friendship than a love affair

April 19

Puncture If it weren't for marriage, men would think they have no faults at all. Patch Treat you mate as a thoroughbred and you won't wind up with a nag

April 18

Puncture If you've been married more than 10 years, then being good in bed means you don't steal the covers. Patch To see what kids can do, stop giving them things

April 17

Puncture If your kid isn't you, don't blame the kid. Patch If they want you to cook the meal, then you should be allowed to shop for the groceries

April 16

Puncture Accept others, give them a break Patch Get close and stay close, if you want to be accepted

April 15

Puncture People are not digital beings. We are varying mixtures of strengths and weaknesses. Patch We are more similar than different

April 14

Puncture Some cause happiness wherever they go Patch Others permit happiness whenever they go Choose

April 13

Puncture Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Patch Gratitude turns what we have into "enough"

April 12

Puncture Chance favors only the prepared Patch Combine work and love. Love what you do and do what you love. Wake people up. Make your work your gift

April 11

Puncture If the young knew and the old could, then much more would be accomplished Patch Relax, make more mistakes, be sillier - play hooky

April 10

Puncture The faults of youth will soon be outgrown Patch If youth is a fault, it is one too soon outgrown

April 9

Puncture The solace of aging is understanding and acceptance Patch Wrinkle your brow, not your heart - don't let your spirit grow old

April 8

Puncture Youth loves beauty, age admires genius Patch Each stage of life has its own intoxications

April 7

Puncture Not being the best does not diminish the gifts I give Patch We all will have moments of great excitement, even danger, but life is mostly most long periods of dullness and little change

April 6

Puncture Past 60 years, you must decide to be either a sot or an ascetic Patch I want to be reincarnated as a buzzard. No one bothers him nor is he in danger - and he can eat anything he wants. He can eat the dead on both sides of every conflict - as can worms.

April 5

Puncture An NFL defensive lineman complained about his pay last month in an interview about the threatened lockout / strike next season. Something about greedy owners. This guy is paid millions for sacking quaterbacks fewer times than once a game. They are calling this a fight between millionaires and billionaires. I kept thinking: the owners should do this, the players should do that. Then I saw clearly, "WE" should do something about it. Patch We are paying these guys by purchasing game tickets, watching television, and building stadiums. We should do something about this. So, I decided to not support the madness. I will no longer attend their games or watch TV games. I will tell advertising I quit. I invite you to gone me. Read a book, or play a game yourself. Do both.

April 4

Puncture To be stronger emotionally, I suggest you take life less personally Patch If my decomposing flesh nourishes a worm or a flower, or even a vulture - that is enough immortality for me

April 3

Puncture If you live long enough, every victory will turn into defeat Patch If you want to be younger, then discard an opinion and get a new one

April 2

Puncture Growing up is about dreams and achieving goals, old age is about maturity - and letting go Patch If you can study and learn, then old age can be delightful

April 01

Puncture I wish I'd talked less and listened more Patch If I were younger I could be more certain

31 March

Puncture If I cannot recall it, then I just forget it Patch If your friends laugh at your clothers - get new clothes, or get new friends

30 March

Puncture If you know a person is lying, then pretend to believe him/er Patch Success is at the end of a new trail - not an old path

March 29

Puncture "We have to surprise them with restraint and generosity" - Nelson Mandela Patch What a marvelous response to apartheid in South Africa. It would also be a wonderful strategy in Afghanistan and our current political debates

March 28

Puncture
If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless activity, then you have learned how to live

Patch
I have no money, no resources, no hopes - I am a happy person

March 27

Puncture
To fairly judge a person, you must know all their thoughts, actions, and feelings

Patch
No good deed will go unpunished

March 26

Puncture
Oh, if only I could live two lives - one to make mistakes, the other to profit from them

Patch
If we cannot fix all the world's problems, let's at least help the victims

March 25

Puncture
If I take care of the moment, then the years will take care of themselves

Patch
If pentagons had a god, it would have 5 sides

March 24

Puncture
If you are strong enough, then there are no precedents

Patch
If you limit actions to never make a mistake, then you won't accomplish much

March 23

Puncture
If your only prayer is a "thank you", that will suffice

Patch
Learn by reading, understand by writing, master by teaching

March 22

Puncture
If you are willing to fail interestingly, then you might succeed interestingly

Patch
If the only priority of the captain is the safety of the ship then they would never leave port

March 21

Puncture
Failure is not falling down, it is the staying down

Patch
There is no learning without difficulties and fumbling

March 20

Puncture
If you are lonely when you are alone, then you are in poor company

Patch
To go quickly, go alone. To go far, go together

March 19

Puncture
To wait for the moment when everything is ready, is to never begin

Patch
Growth requires a temporary surrender of security

March 18

Puncture
If you look only at what you have - it's enough. If you look at what you don't have, then it is never enough.

Patch
To be neutral in an unjust situation is to side with the oppressor.

March 17

Puncture
If you want something buy are not willing to agitate for it, then you are like the farmer who wants a crop but is not willing to plow the ground.

Patch
If you are making no mistakes, then you are not doing anything

March 16

Puncture
If you want the good feeling that comes from doing things for others, then there is a price you pay for it in abuse and misunderstanding.

Patch
Pleasure is often greatest in anticipation, but then so is trouble.

March 15

Puncture
Embrace reality by embracing both order and chaos. Stop choosing

Patch
Strong vision and purpose allow group creativity without the need for repressive rules

March 14

Puncture
Most of the prisons we inhabit are created and furnished by ourselves

Patch
Our perceptions are dulled by the constant need for order. Open the window and let in the patterened chaos of a wild system

March 13

Puncture
Living systems never settle down

Patch
Learn to adapt to the competing necessities of Chaos and Order

March 12

Puncture
The calmness of any day is always a part of a larger disordered system

Patch
Concentrate on creating the environment that will permit people to accomplish the goals

March 11

Puncture
What if you were to say, "Everything in my life is enough"?

Patch
Crawl the dangerous ridge between chaos and order

March 10

Puncture
It is only after admitting we are lost and confused, that we can finally come to our senses and discover that we are Here

Patch
Do not be seduced by things you should have long ago outgrown

March 09

Puncture
We lose sight of the troubled and unfathomable world through endless self-preoccupation

Patch
Take time each day to recall what is most important to you

March 08

Puncture
Sometimes I mope and coast, all the while being blown through the universe by cosmic forces

Patch
The simple ability to pay attention to the world as we find it, may be the heart of a well lived life

March 07

Puncture
An imperial system, with all commands emanating from the top, cannot deal with the wild effloresence of daily living we call life

Patch
Do not form a flock. Trust only flocks that emerge naturally.

March 06

Puncture
Individuals have less wisdom than the self-generated intelligence of a focused group

Patch
Deal with simple elements and not the complex systems. Allow complexity to emerge naturally

March 05

Puncture
Stop treating people like cattle who will stampede out of control without your constant herding

Patch
Truth can sometimes be found in a quiet walk around neighborhood

March 04

Puncture
The moon is not full the entire month, so beware desire for continuous peak performance

Patch
Stop trying to draw infinitely from a finite world and discover how little is really needed to honor life

March 03

Puncture
With a little more care and courage, we can celebrate our lives in our work - and not, as is often the case, squander it in the shadow of a job

Patch
Do not forget, you occupy a much greater space than the one defined by your job description

March 02

Puncture
He doesn't have many enemies, but is intensely disliked by some of his friends

Patch
To be of service does not require one to surrender all personal desire, for that is what animates us, what attracted us in the first place to be of service, to do a good job

March 01

Puncture
It is not always possible to flourish if we are surrounded by the living dead

Patch
Be sure to not exclude that part of you that is awestruck with wonder, ripe with dumb questions, and thirsting for learning

February 28

Puncture
The mind is where intuition and intellect do battle

Patch
Just be aware of the thought, then let it float away - do not grasp

February 27

Puncture
If my mind is cluttered with prejudices, self-interest, and untruths, then I cannot see how the world really is

Patch
If I see how I make my world, then I can make it different

February 26

Puncture
Do not rush

Patch
Be an open soul

February 25

Puncture
I experience a low grade, constant irritation because the world is not as I want it to be

Patch
Get past being hurt

February 24

Puncture
What difference does it make what I believe? What will happen, will happen exactly the same way anyway

Patch
What matters is how you treat people

February 23

Puncture
Stop thinking so much - unlearn

Patch
I had everything I needed - lesson of Wizard of Oz

February 22

Puncture
I armor myself with cleverness, anger, and fear

Patch
Live unarmored - and see the world as it is

February 21

Puncture
Often I am trapped in a narrow world. It is like being in a beautiful library and reading only one book

Patch
I turn my eyes to what I already am, and see it differently

February 20

Puncture
Life is very fast

Patch
Pay attention

February 19

Puncture
The delusion of middle-age: Things will continue forever pretty much as they are

Patch
Inside the big world I cannot control is a small world I can control

February 18

Puncture
Risk the ridicule of the rabble

Patch
What can I do that would mean the most to you?

February 17

Puncture
Even if you are young, beautiful, wealthy, smart and strong, nevertheless, if you live long enough all these will be lost

Patch
But something can be gained in the process - wisdom and humility

February 16

Puncture
Learn by thinking before the fact, what others learn by mistakes, accidents, bankruptcies after the fact

Patch
A test for extreme stupidity is whether a person actually thinks political and financial news makes any sense

February 15

Puncture
The stock market is standing in line at the slaughter house thinking you are going to see a good movie

Patch
It takes lots of intelligence and courage to accept that what makes sense, really does not make sense

February 14

Puncture
Our brains are not designed for non-linear thinking and for dealing with complexity

Patch
Overactive brains impose wrong conclusions

February 13

Puncture
We discount the unobserved and have a great tendency to make the data fit our mental map

Patch
Beware confident predictions about unknowns

February 12

Puncture
More information means more delusions

Patch
The mind is a powerful tool for self-delusion

February 11

Puncture
There are lots of unobserved and unobservable unknowns. Our knowledge is limited.

Patch
A good foe is more reliable and predictable, and to the clever, more useful than an admirer

February 11

Puncture
If my detractors knew me better, they would hate me more

Patch
Marriage feminizes both men and women

February 10

Puncture
Your influence is confirmed when others note your absence more than the presence of others

Patch
Avoid unnecessary words - threats, complaints, justifications, attempts to win arguments...

February 09

Puncture
Verbal threats are certificates of frustration and impotence

Patch
A smart person believes only half of what he is told and knows twice as much as he says

February 08

Puncture
What the years take away in strength, they often replenish with wisdom

Patch
They cannot hear now because they did not listen then

February 07

I wish more folks would concentrate on their country being proud of them than they do on being proud of our country.
Puncture 020701

I can answer that for you, but I cannot understand it for you.
Patch 020702

February 06

The combination of ignorance and confidence is lethal - and very difficult to change.
Puncture 020601

Two people can hold the same belief but for very differenct reasons.
Patch 020602

February 05

While knowledge is increasingly open source and plentiful, so is ignorance and nonsense.
Puncture 020501

Many beliefs are acquired for emotional and cultural reasons and not because they match the evidence.
Patch 020502

February 04

His words came out comforting, as if his tonsils were made of marshmellows.
Puncture 020401

Not even a collasping world looks dark to a man who thinks he is about to make a fortune.
Patch 020402

February 03

We eat the apple that feeds the worm. Now the worm awaits the man.
Puncture 020301

My happiness is diluted with an end of summer sadness.
Patch 020302

February 02

An unpleasant aspect of revealing life's hokum to others is that they soon return to use this information against you.
Puncture 020201

My sword has grown rusty since it is no longer scoured with the daily conflicts of commerce.
Patch 020202

February 01

I revised my web page description last month to include "micro rants" but have never gotten around to writing one. Today is the start.

Rant

Over the past 50 years, pro sports salaries have risen astronomically. The situation today is obscene. Sulky, overpaid footballers threatening a strike next year, demanding more money. I kept thinking - how can owners be such suckers (admiting their greed is also off the scale - e.g. billion + Cowboy stadium). I was passing the obligation to do something about this to the owners.

Today I'm thinking "I" need to act. It is time to find a new way, a better way, to spend Fall Sunday afternoons (even Saturdays) than watching this bloated industry. So, I am going to quit it. No more pro sports until that industry has shrunk to some reasonable portions. No more publicly financed stadiums. No more passing the responsibility. There won't be money for these extreme salaries if we refuse to contribute.

I quit. I invite you to join me. Turn my "I" into our "we" quit.

January 31

Instead of always speaking your mind, learn the value of silence
Punture 013101
Sooner or later, lunkheads always reveal themselves by what they say.

People want to be valued and appreciated
Patch 013102
So, use your voice instead to tell them they are valued and appreciated

January 30

I do not deserve everything
Puncture 013001

I do not need everything I want
Patch 013002
Two notices for citizens of consumer societies. You have been warned.

January 29

Listen closely
Puncture 012901
Never stop thinking, questioning, and learning


Speak carefully
Patch 012902
Do not be hasty or evasive. Ever the politician / salesperson.

January 28

Content is not enough
Puncture 012801
Perception is key

Know your deficiencies
Patch 012802
And conciously assign other to cover your gaps

January 27

Anyone who buys a bargain, thinks the seller a fool
Puncture 012701
Sometimes to be a winner, you have to be willing to be thought a fool

You have to insulate yourself from unsuitable people
Patch 012702
No excuses required. You do not have to avoid them, just stay insulated.

January 26

Circulate, communicate, stay in touch
Puncture 012601
Small message with a big tail. I am not refering to texts, tweets and emails. Put the human voice back in the equation.

Excessive talking is boring and monopolizing
Patch 012602
Stay in balance, do not take too far in either direction.

January 26

To be a good boss is to be a true servant
Puncture 012601

By providing a person the chance to make amends, you give them an opportunity to still be of use
Patch 012602

January 25

Do not confuse time served with results
Puncture 012501
Let accomplishments speak for themselves

Most people do not care what you are thinking. They care what you are doing, and mostly only if it affects them.
Patch 012502

January 24

Tell high achievers what you want - and then just let them go for it
Puncture 012401

Ignore minor faults
Patch 012402

January 23

Do not waste your time trying to teach the uninterested or incapable person
Puncture 012301

Beware of asking too little of a person with high capabilities
Patch 012302

January 22

What is said cannot be unsaid
Puncture 012201
You might consider more thinking and less talking

Good books are both mirrors and windows
Patch 012202
They help us understand both ourselves and others

January 21

There are only two limitless things; the universe and stupidity
Puncture 012101
Of course, recent cosmology has raised some questions about the size of the universe.

Successes will necessitate some failures
Patch 012102

January 20

A dumb rich person is still dumb.
Punture 012001
Same goes for politicians, teachers, etc.

Your principles can, and will sometimes, conflict.
Patch 012002
For example, honesty versus kindness

January 19

Don't hesitate to ask, or be ashamed to learn from anyone.
Puncture 011901
If you make or recognize a mistake, do not fear or hesitate to make a correction.

Teachers get to keep on learning.
Patch 011902
The teacher is only an advanced student

January 18

Fresh audiences and fresh perspectives.
Puncture 011801
The great source for great ideas.

Articulate the unarticulated.
Patch 011802
Summon your courage and say what isn't being said.

January 17

Not the best idea - rather many ideas.
Puncture 011701
Become a massively productive thought factory. Keep on searching - do not let a good idea stop you from finding a great idea.

What is the next real world action I am going to take?
Patch 011702
The end and object of thought should be right action. Look for the next step, the solution.

January 16

Sometimes you need the fertilizer of crappy ideas to make the good ones flower.
Puncture 011601

Head toward anxiety.
Patch 011602
Pursue novelty and uncertainty.

January 15

Stick to observable behavior.
Puncture 011501
You never really know what others are thinking and what they value.

Often we introduce unnecessary complications.
Patch 011502
Establish just the basic, simple facts.

January 14

It isn't enough to simply blame or shame people.
Puncture 011401
If you want others to change, they need to be offered a viable alternative.

Don't assume every problem should be solved.
Patch 011402
It sometimes is best to let the situation stand as is. Of course, it may fix itself - given time.

January 13

Appeal to virtue
Puncture 011301
Do your fair share, sacrifice for the good of others, and know that sometimes you should accept that "this is the way things are done around here."

None of us is as dumb as all of us.
Patch 011302
We are always torn between community interests and our personal welfare. Large crowds can be dangerous. Do not surrender your individuality.

January 12

There is a need for collective vigilance
Puncture 011201
Larger groups have a higher threshold to act and they can keep us from being impulsive. Also, a group has more knowledge and therefore may make better decisions.

It is dangerous to be on the wrong side of a herd.
Patch 011202
Sometimes going along is an effective risk minimizing strategy. But strange things can happen when peer pressure overwhelms our common sense.

January 11

Good decisions can come from disagreement as often as from compromise.
Puncture 011101
Do not draw back from confrontation between ideas. Learn from your faults and appropriate what is better.

Work in small groups.
Patch 011102
Stay below the critical mass where the herd instinct asserts itself. This will lessen complexity and help avoid mindless action.

January 10

Tucson Victims
Mini Rave 011001
What a remarkable group of people the emotionally disturbed person shot. Good people all, several even exemplary. They were involved and contributing.
Such a contrast with what we have learned about the shooter. I am pleased to know the victim's stories, to balance the impact of this random act of cruelty. They are reminders of the many good people who live among us.

Spaces between things provide a special opportunity
Bit of thought 010102
The Tucson shootings have created a space to talk about uncivil political talk. I do not know if there is a causal relationship between the shootings and radio/TV talking heads. I don't think it can be proved. However, this trajedy has made a space for talking about this disgraceful feature of our society. So - shame on these powerful plutocrats and the people who support them.

January 09

A crowd can turn into a mob when people surrender their private judgement.
Puncture 010901
People will surrender their personal wisdom to match the social context. The instinct to conform is powerful.

Use the gift of reason to counteract instincts that do not make sense.
Patch 010902
Focus on doing the right thing.

January 08

Someone has to go first, to prime the pump, and pressure others to action.
Puncture 010801
Provide the critical information. It only takes about 5% of a group to get something going.

Action brings results but awareness and kindness make things sacramental.
Patch 018002
Emotions provide leverage and can produce results far in excess of the efforts.

January 07

World War Two Deaths (military and civilian)
Micro Rant 010701
Ask a friend how many people were killed in WWII. Go ahead and guess yourself now.
Total - between 50 to 70 million, and more than half were civilians (adults and children).
How many for the U.S? - about a half million (same for Brits and French)
How many Jews and Germans? - each about 6 million
Japanese - about 2 million
How many Russians (USSR) - over 25 million !
Incidentally, and surprisingly, Asian (Chinese, Filipinos, etc.) deaths were about 10million. Most people were not even aware that China participated.
My non-scientific poll among friends average guesses were about 2 million total deaths, with the U.S number at 40,000. Incredible. Think how our skewed understanding might affect our world view, our feelings about war and, for instance, Russian paranoia about NATO troops at their borders.

Iraq War Deaths Since 2003
Even shorter Micro Rant 010702
Underreporting is a problem. You might guess that from the U.S. governments ban of photos of returning caskets. They still do not want us to grasp what is going on over there.
The current consensus is about 150,000 deaths, more than 2/3 are civilians, more than half are women and children non-combatants. The U.S. portion is less than 5,000.
There have been about 500 U.S. amputations and it is estimated that a third of returning troops have PTSD or other emotional problems related to combat activities, even suicides.

January 06

Join some madness with your talent
Puncture 010601
Explore the mystery and strangeness of life.

Originality, courage and eloquence
Patch 010602
Look for what will change you completely.

January 05

Her wealth of charms were predatory tools.
Puncture 010501
Danger often comes from places we never suspect.

Hurt can be a great teacher.
Patch 010502
Pain is a useful part of our toilsome journey beneath the stars.

January 04

Become skilled in the grand larceny of stealing the best ideas.
Puncture 010401
Become a prospector in the gold fields of the world's great thoughts.

Books form a great wall before the assembled forces of ignorance and chaos.
Patch 010402
So, read !

January 03

Awaken from this half dream of a barely lived life.
Puncture 010301
Go beyond a troubled, dreamless existence. Open an artery that flows from your interior headwaters.

His grandfatherly gifts lay in his grave, never used.
Patch 010302
Another part of what is lost when the young die.

January 02

His critical nature overpowered his creative impulses.
Puncture 010201
Constant fault finding does not find progress.

Ambition must be the handmaiden of talent.
Patch 010202
Discover and nurture your natural talents.

January 01

There is something to do out there that will lift your head instinctively, like the napping lion does when he smells the wildebeest.
Puncture 010101
Look for a cause that is instinctual and incurable. A calling, not a choice.

We are both devotees and prisoners of our childhood.
Patch 010102
Write a letter to the child you once were.