The basis for this theory is a story.
Background: Going into the back of the med school there are two doors that are always closed but never locked. They are the doors between the med school and the dental school. I park my bike near there.
One day when walking into the school I was clipping my bike helmet onto my back pack and noticed someone walking close behind me. When I reached the first door I pulled the door open I stepped to the side, held the door, and allowed the person to walk through. 7 feet ahead he did the same thing for me.
Throughout the next few weeks I noticed this happening many times. Most buildings around the med school have a foyer where you open one door only to be in a small room in front of another door. This room is to control the temperature in the main building but it creates this amazing social situation.
When one person opens a door for you, most people feel the obligation to open the next door.
Negative Spin: People don't like the feeling of owing something to you for your gesture. Because of their sense of debt they use the opportunity to repay you immediately and level the playing field. Why don't people just accept the free gift of uninterrupted walking.
Positive Spin: Your gracious gift encourages their selfless act as well.
Disclaimer: This all changes if one of the two involved door openers has full hands and clearly is at a disadvantage for opening the door. I am speaking of those times when the two people have equal ability and access to opening the door.
Which is it?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Some people you love to see, visit, and spend quality time with. They are great people. But after too much direct time with them without interruption they become crazy annoying.
Ratio is key.
Is everyone a Reese's?
Ratio is key.
Is everyone a Reese's?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Size does really matter, proportionally
It is not how much of something you have. It is mostly about the ratio of that item to the other items in your life.
Reese's: The original reese's are fantastic. Perfect selection of chocolate and peanut butter. The flavors mix and your taste buds receive perfect excitation. But then every year around Easter Hershey's gives many more options for how to enjoy the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. The little eggs with much more chocolate compared to peanut butter. There there is the BIG egg that has half a cup of peanut butter with not enough chocolate to go around. This egg always feels more like a peanut butter energy bar rather than the delicacy which is reese's. You see people? It is all about the ratio.
Anything where the size is the only key component? How about other items where ratio is the key?
Can I get a few comments? If we do, I promise to deliver a controversial post mid-week about how the reese's theory applies to people and we all remember what happens when candy bars and people mix... see Twix Theory Post.
Reese's: The original reese's are fantastic. Perfect selection of chocolate and peanut butter. The flavors mix and your taste buds receive perfect excitation. But then every year around Easter Hershey's gives many more options for how to enjoy the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. The little eggs with much more chocolate compared to peanut butter. There there is the BIG egg that has half a cup of peanut butter with not enough chocolate to go around. This egg always feels more like a peanut butter energy bar rather than the delicacy which is reese's. You see people? It is all about the ratio.
Anything where the size is the only key component? How about other items where ratio is the key?
Can I get a few comments? If we do, I promise to deliver a controversial post mid-week about how the reese's theory applies to people and we all remember what happens when candy bars and people mix... see Twix Theory Post.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Grey Area
There is no way, no how I could explain or dictate this thought in a short blog that would encourage comments. It would create mass confusion and do nothing productive. I will try another approach that hopefully with provoke internal thinking and external dialogue with others. Please comment to stimulate further thoughts and discussions. Just think.
Grey Area does not exist.
Okay, in areas of personal preference in subjective matters such as food flavors there can be grey because this is not a do it or don't do it, yes or no kind of arena.
But in discussions about most other matters there is no grey area. To say there is a grey area is in many ways a pass on really attempting to discover the black or white in a situation. From your point of view something could be "grey". But that does not mean that the black and white don't exist. That means you just don't know enough details or are not close enough to the situation to be able to see the clear line between black and white.
We were created in a world that exist in a balance. Things run and behave naturally. Our interactions with each other also exist in this world. There is a right and a wrong and black and a white. Truth is there. Your perception might not be able to discover the black or white easily but that does not mean that the black and white don't exist.
Grey Area does not exist.
Okay, in areas of personal preference in subjective matters such as food flavors there can be grey because this is not a do it or don't do it, yes or no kind of arena.
But in discussions about most other matters there is no grey area. To say there is a grey area is in many ways a pass on really attempting to discover the black or white in a situation. From your point of view something could be "grey". But that does not mean that the black and white don't exist. That means you just don't know enough details or are not close enough to the situation to be able to see the clear line between black and white.
We were created in a world that exist in a balance. Things run and behave naturally. Our interactions with each other also exist in this world. There is a right and a wrong and black and a white. Truth is there. Your perception might not be able to discover the black or white easily but that does not mean that the black and white don't exist.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Poppers, Sparklers, and the Roman Candle.
I love fire!!! Mostly controlled fireworks.
There are some things and life that are so sweet!!!! Some things in life are so much fun that you cannot help but participate if the opportunity presents itself. This idea crossed my mind as we were celebrating the fourth.
Trial 1:
Step 1: Open box of poppers. (those white sacs of gunpowder that make a flash of light and a popping sound when they break on a hard object.)
Step 2: Place in the open hand of an adult.
Step 3: Wait.
Step 4: POP!!!
See, I told you. Poppers are clearly marketed towards children. When a pack of popper are purchased it is always for the kids. They love them and go crazy over the lights and sounds of celebration. But, if given enough time with poppers in their hands a person of any age will simply loft one out onto the brick walkway and watch the magic being. On the outside they might show their excitement but most likely they will remain calm and collected as they throw popper after popper towards the ground. We all know that on the inside they are having a humongous fantastic fire party. “I control sound and fire and all of existence!!!! WEEEEEEE!!!!!”
Trial 2:
Step 1: Open sparkler packages
Step 2: Unwrap that silly clear plastics around the 5 or 6 sparklers.
Step 3: Light sparklers and hand sparkler to 87 y.o. grandmother.
Step 4: Cue dancing, swinging of arm, and writing of name.
Again. Something so exciting that even an adult businessperson with a suit and tie or straight-laced farmer will wildly swing their arm to make pretty designs and swirls in the sky. “C…L…A…Y…T…O…N… look everyone I spelled my name in the air!!!!”
So what is it about these activities that make us participate and let down our professional/straight-laced guard? What are other activities that fall into this category.
P.S. Fourth of July = National litter and don’t care day. All those poppers, fireworks, and sparklers have to land somewhere. Good luck picking up all that trash Aaron Thomas.
There are some things and life that are so sweet!!!! Some things in life are so much fun that you cannot help but participate if the opportunity presents itself. This idea crossed my mind as we were celebrating the fourth.
Trial 1:
Step 1: Open box of poppers. (those white sacs of gunpowder that make a flash of light and a popping sound when they break on a hard object.)
Step 2: Place in the open hand of an adult.
Step 3: Wait.
Step 4: POP!!!
See, I told you. Poppers are clearly marketed towards children. When a pack of popper are purchased it is always for the kids. They love them and go crazy over the lights and sounds of celebration. But, if given enough time with poppers in their hands a person of any age will simply loft one out onto the brick walkway and watch the magic being. On the outside they might show their excitement but most likely they will remain calm and collected as they throw popper after popper towards the ground. We all know that on the inside they are having a humongous fantastic fire party. “I control sound and fire and all of existence!!!! WEEEEEEE!!!!!”
Trial 2:
Step 1: Open sparkler packages
Step 2: Unwrap that silly clear plastics around the 5 or 6 sparklers.
Step 3: Light sparklers and hand sparkler to 87 y.o. grandmother.
Step 4: Cue dancing, swinging of arm, and writing of name.
Again. Something so exciting that even an adult businessperson with a suit and tie or straight-laced farmer will wildly swing their arm to make pretty designs and swirls in the sky. “C…L…A…Y…T…O…N… look everyone I spelled my name in the air!!!!”
So what is it about these activities that make us participate and let down our professional/straight-laced guard? What are other activities that fall into this category.
P.S. Fourth of July = National litter and don’t care day. All those poppers, fireworks, and sparklers have to land somewhere. Good luck picking up all that trash Aaron Thomas.
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