Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Truth and morbidity

That illness is related to non-health might get one to thinking that we really need to know what 'health' is in order to know if something is unhealthy.

So, we may want to look at how 'truth' might be associated with health leading to, then, some semblance of knowing how to describe and evaluate health.

The metaphor is strong in that what PR might spin overlays something that has to perform in a manner that provides a 'healthy' product via a 'robust' process; actually, the spin begins with those elements that gather together in the various ways that then actualize that which performs.

The PR overlay is an external cloak put there for various reasons, not all of which are self-serving; consider, one step toward progress was being able to abstract (correctly and with power); that abstracting action smears over details.

So, just as a few indicators can help a good medical doctor, many times (but, not always) determine a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment with a good prognosis, so too can we deal with some abstracted set (closure, to be discussed) with the few handles provided by the abstraction step and do it in (with) truth.

The devil may be in the details; yet, getting out of that trap makes for progress. Our main problem? Those who rise on these chains (many types of abstractions) somehow lose the ability to then go back down to assess where things may have gone awry.

The fact: the world is going to need people who can deal with (and at) all levels of abstraction and reality and who can grasp/re-spin/endless-set-of-operations the chains and their attributes.

The trouble: reductionistic and siloistic (consider that the economics of the current management schemes relates to just this) thinking only exacerbates the problem.

The cure: we will discuss.

Remarks:

09/02/2009 -- We'll need people who can handle undecidability and its influence.

01/27/2009 -- Now a new day and way to consider these matters.

Modified: 09/04/2009

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Truth and thanks

We really have to appreciate the holiday of Thanksgiving that can be enjoyed from any of the many world-views extant under a free sky. It is a time when disparate views can be held in abeyance except for, perhaps, arguments about the teams involved in a game (or, maybe, the officials).

Some in the western mind-set might wonder about ' what if ' Christmas were every day. Think about Thanksgiving being every day. How far would greed and accumulation extend in that case?

So, what about a few ' what ifs ' that are inspired by the Thanksgiving ideal. That there may be a truth and justice flavor requires no apologies.

- What if managers were really thankful for what their workers bring to the table? We see this emerging in some Indian technology firms.
- What if managers could learn that resources have their limits, need sustenance, work better in supportive environments, and so forth? Chewing up and spitting out as seen in some deals of late is not what the human race needs.
- What if managers who claim that they work harder than anyone due to their long hours, to their endless posturing for effect, to their ceaseless manipulation of situations to better their position, to their sometimes malevolent dealings with those who give them their bread, ..., what if these ones wised up and realized that they could not do the jobs that they are expecting of others and that what they really exhibit (in a world view that can be described and supported) adds to problems? Again, some firms excel in doing the 'right' thing.
- What if workers actually liked what they were doing and gave their tasks their full attention? There are many examples of this, including those who may be under a union label.
- ...
- ...
- What if we had a better tie between our various nose types, whether the natural, the to-be virtual, or other (to be defined)? We see evidence of improved learning in this regard.
- ...

These will be seeds for future posts.

...

Remarks:

01/27/2009 -- Now a new day and way to consider these matters.

Modified: 01/27/2009

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Justice and truth

There is a lot to say about justice. Looking at the world of work and busy'ness allows a view that would be funny if it were not for all the pain that goes along with the territory. So much interest is paid to the 'pirates' and worse.

Any attempt at discussing the issues more fairly is characterized by barbs of various 'isms' being thrown that are feared by many.

We can split the populace in the busy'ness (which, by the way, is a Constitutional right for those of the USA) into various dichotomies, such as doers and lookers (same as watchers, can't-do, and so forth), or, if you would, workers and managers.

Let's look at a little table.


'lookers' is used as a general term somewhat pejoratively for a whole class, say some managers (actually executives - as that level drives the process [worldview] in this sense), yet there are many managers who fill in this necessary role honorably. Our problem is how to define the game, roles, and rewards, hopefully, with more wise motivations; essential fairness is not anti-thematic to progress and advancement generally.

One effect is that many times the doers are chewed up, given the apparent endless supply, especially as we might think in the globalization scheme. Fairness would depict some level of continued support for doers as their usefulness diminishes through time due to their sacrifice on the altar of work.

Remarks:

06/05/2012 -- We have the cause wrong? Piracy, by another name.

05/09/2011 -- Doers, reconsidered.

01/27/2009 -- Now a new day and way to consider these matters.

08/27/2008 -- This theme applies still, as each of the little posts is supposed to, as a collective for a coherent viewpoint.

06/18/2008 -- That we see glimmers of an unhealthy economy (who has identified what is a good one that everyone agrees with?), such as that harped about in this post, might point to using lessons learned from medicine in our analysis.

Modified: 06/05/2012

Friday, November 9, 2007

Flight and truth

We were born to fly, yet somehow got grounded over time. By the way, bats are creatures to love being our chief representative in the flying realm.

So, there is no need to analyze too much our infatuation with flight and the vehicles that support flight. It's built-in.

Too, simulators of flight grab us. I was recently at the Air and Space museum in Washington, DC (one of innumerable visits to both) and witnessed the seemingly undying appeal of the displays. Albeit, being enthralled with technology is part of the interest (more on computation below).

Now, this post could also have been titled 'Truth and flight' (perhaps, there will be another later). But, if we focus on flight, we'll see that it involves hard truths. Getting from one place to another by means of the airplane may be the safest way to travel, yet the consequences of failure can be severe.

That leads to the interests in new means and in how they might be proven prior to general adoption.

But, it goes further, as flight can be a metaphor for several things. We fly in google space and in other virtual places, though it is without the potential 'severe' consequences. Prior to those simulations afforded to us by modern apparatuses, people 'flew' in abstract space concocted in their heads. An older person might wonder how well the computer-enabled flying compares to what was done with wet-ware (an open issue) embedded in abstraction.

The flying dream has its place, to boot (is that a big T issue?).

So, what's the point? A program that is highly visible and that is working on new methods for us to fly with will get attention; some of the reaction will be awe; some might be critical, more or less; in any case, some can't wait for the outcome, others want to see more information about the process.

Granted there a limits to what we can or are allowed to know. Yet, since flight is our natural right, in a sense, we will continue our fascination (minds want to know).