The Multitasking Myth

Humans cannot multitask

By Alexandre Boucher - Unsplash

Multicosts of Multitasking.
Cerebrum

This article explores the cognitive and neurological implications of multitasking, emphasizing that true multitasking—handling multiple tasks simultaneously—is largely a misnomer, as the brain switches between tasks rather than performing them concurrently. Key brain networks, such as the frontoparietal control, dorsal attention, and ventral attention networks, are involved in managing task-switching demands, but their capacity is limited. Task-switching results in performance costs, including slower response times and reduced accuracy. Media multitasking, prevalent in today's attention economy, exacerbates cognitive challenges, with heavy media multitaskers often underperforming on tasks requiring sustained attention, working memory, and impulse control. Despite potential benefits in creative problem-solving, multitasking generally imposes cognitive trade-offs. Future research aims to address causality, brain mechanisms, and potential contexts where multitasking might yield advantages, offering insights into optimizing cognitive performance in a media-saturated world.


Multitasking: Why Your Brain Can't Do It and What You Should Do About It (Radius, MIT)
Here’s practical advice from a neuroscientist: Don’t try to multitask. It ruins productivity, causes mistakes, and impedes creative thought. Many of you are probably thinking, “But I’m good at it!” Sadly, that’s an illusion. As humans, we have a very limited capacity for simultaneous thought -- we can only hold a little bit of information in the mind at any single moment. You don’t actually multitask, you task-switch. This wastes time, makes you error-prone and decreases your ability to be creative. I am going to tell you why and what you can do about that.

Think You're Multitasking? Think Again (NPR)
Don't believe the multitasking hype, scientists say. New research shows that we humans aren't as good as we think we are at doing several things at once. But it also highlights a human skill that gave us an evolutionary edge.

Hard Truths to Muddle Through Tough Times

Here are today's quotes. Once again, there seems to be an underlying theme of impending doom. Perhaps that's a bit of an extreme take—or perhaps not.

Yaounde, Cameroon - no real connection to the content here. I just liked the photo and wanted to share.

1. Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder
   "When people escape an impoverished background, they, too, are gone forever in a sense. Even if they return, they think differently, speak differently, and even eat differently. A family member once told me she didn’t want to set up education funds for her children because people came back from college as atheists. And what good is increased earnings potential when compared to eternal damnation?"
   Goodreads

2. Stuart Brown, M.D. & Christopher Vaughan, Play
   "When we stop playing, we stop developing, and when that happens, the laws of entropy take over—things fall apart. Ultimately, we share the fate of the sea squirt and become vegetative, staying in one spot, not fully interacting with the world, more plant than animal. When we stop playing, we start dying."
   Goodreads

3. Li Yuan, China’s Police Are Preying on Small Firms in Search of Cash
   "The money grabs are a sign of just how financially desperate local governments are. The country’s housing market has unraveled. Income from land sales, which used to make up about a third of local government revenue, fell by nearly one-third last year from the peak in 2021, according to the finance ministry."
   The New York Times

4. Washington Post, What Canada’s Carbon Pricing Ruling Says About the Global Struggle Against Climate Change
   "Climate action is rife with problems—from free riders to dissenting ideology, to science denialism, to domineering capital interests, and beyond." (i.e., it is a wicked problem)
   Washington Post

5. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Strongmen
   "On one issue, the strongman has been consistent: his drive to control and exploit everyone and everything for personal gain."
   Goodreads

Climate Action: Indicators of Progress

Bouygues Construction has partnered with Ecocem to use its low-carbon ‘ACT’ cement, which reduces CO2 emissions by 70%. After rigorous testing at facilities in France and a full-scale mock-up, Bouygues will evaluate the cement's performance under typical site conditions. Ecocem’s ACT technology, launched in 2022, replaces 70% of traditional clinker with alternative materials, marking a significant step in construction sector decarbonization. Ecocem is expanding its production capacity, with a U.S. factory planned.

Bouygues agrees to use low-carbon cement brand after testing it

Global Construction Review

Decline is a Choice

 

More at: https://substack.com/home/post/p-154885743

Just the Quotes...

There was an old TV show from the 1950s or 1960s about a police detective called Dragnet. The main character, Detective Joe Friday, was known for his famous line: "Just the facts, ma'am." He used this phrase to steer his interviewees away from speculation or personal opinions and back to the point. Today, I will share "just the quotes," even though it’s Tuesday and not Friday.

Quotes

"the idea of shifting from one attractor to another. When we talk about participation in this way we are describing a social process by which people take action and others either reject it or move towards it. If it is resonant enough – which means that it must be appropriate, work, and be meaningful to people's lives – then it will act as an attractor. As we discovered in the last chapter, in order to change the dynamics of system, it is necessary to create alternative attractors – deeper underlying shifts in perceptions, relationships, and attitudes, to provide foundations for new points of convergence to emerge. Once these reach a critical mass, tipping points occur which allow a shift in the pattern of social relationships to a new attractor." (Danny Burns and Stuart Worsley, Navigating Complexity in International Development)

"In Frederick Douglass’ 1869 speech “The Composite Nation,” he defends Chinese immigrants and says that he believes we're going to become a multiracial, multiethnic democracy one day. For a former slave to be saying that is what makes America unique, and is equally part of America's story." (Anand Giridharadas, Ro Khanna Wants Progressives to Embrace Patriotism, Aspiration, and Experimentation)

"The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward. The most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be to just keep moving." (Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart)

“If you do not understand your role in the problem, it is difficult to be part of the solution.”
– David Peter Stroh

“Addiction is finding a quick and dirty solution to the symptom of the problem, which prevents or distracts one from the harder and longer-term task of solving the real problem.”
– Donella H. Meadows

We have created trouble for ourselves in organizations by confusing control with order.”
– Margaret J. Wheatley

“Yet we act as if simple cause and effect is at work. We push to find the one simple reason things have gone wrong. We look for the one action, or the one person, that created this mess. As soon as we find someone to blame, we act as if we’ve solved the problem.”
– Margaret J. Wheatley

“There are no separate systems. The world is a continuum. Where to draw a boundary around a system depends on the purpose of the discussion.”
― Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems

“We can't impose our will on a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.”
― Donella H. Meadows, Thinking In Systems: A Primer

“Let's face it, the universe is messy. It is nonlinear, turbulent, and chaotic. It is dynamic. It spends its time in transient behavior on its way to somewhere else, not in mathematically neat equilibria. It self-organizes and evolves. It creates diversity, not uniformity. That's what makes the world interesting, that's what makes it beautiful, and that's what makes it work.”
― Donella H. Meadows, Thinking In Systems: A Primer

“a system must consist of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose.”
― Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer

The World Will Forever Seek to Mold

These quotes, while seemingly disparate, collectively explore themes of identity, power, and transformation—both personal and societal. Together, they form a narrative about how individuals and groups navigate systems of control and self-perception, often wrestling with forces that seek to define them, whether externally or internally.

Quotes

---

"Trying to change ourselves doesn’t work in the long run because we’re resisting our own energy. Self-improvement can have temporary results, but lasting transformation occurs only when we honor ourselves as the source of wisdom and compassion." (Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You)

"the rightness of fascism does not depend on the truth of any of the propositions advanced in its name. Fascism is “true" insofar as it helps fulfill the destiny of a chosen race or people or blood, locked with other peoples in a Darwinian struggle, and not in the light of some abstract and universal reason." (Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism)

"That’s a very working-class attitude. I’m not comfortable with people with power. I’ve always been intimidated by people like deans. I let them push me until I come back too strong and ruin the relationship." (Alfred Lubrano, Limbo)

Pulling the Quotes Together

Compostion

Reflective

Within each of us lies a quiet pulse, an ancient rhythm that resists the sharp edges of control. As Pema Chodron reminds us, true transformation is not a war waged against our own being but a tender act of recognition—a bow to the wisdom already flowing through our veins. To force change, to resist our essence, is to fracture the harmony that sustains us. Only in honoring our nature do we step into the light of lasting growth.

Yet, outside this fragile sanctuary, forces conspire to reshape the soul. Robert Paxton paints a stark portrait of fascism, where identity is stripped of its tenderness and forged into a weapon. It speaks not to the truth of shared humanity but to a Darwinian anthem of supremacy. In this arena, transformation is no longer a personal journey but a violent march, a submission to the will of power cloaked in destiny’s name. Here, the self becomes a pawn, its wisdom silenced beneath the roar of collective struggle.

Alfred Lubrano’s voice carries the weight of resistance—intimate, raw, and imperfect. His discomfort with power, his instinct to yield until the moment of rebellion, mirrors the tension between submission and selfhood. It is the story of many who walk the line between deference and defiance, their hearts longing for respect yet bristling under the burden of imposed hierarchy. In his words, we hear the echo of a deeper truth: transformation falters when it rises only in reaction to oppression, untethered from the wisdom of self-awareness.

Together, these voices weave a tapestry of identity and power—of how we falter and rise, bend and break. They remind us that the world will forever seek to mold us, some hands gentle, others cruel. Yet our truest transformation lies not in the hands of others, nor in our defiance alone, but in the quiet courage to listen inward and honor the rhythm that has always been ours.

Analytical 

The first quote by Pema Chodron emphasizes the futility of resistance against one's own nature, highlighting the necessity of self-compassion and inner alignment for true transformation. This perspective suggests that sustainable change arises not from denying or battling who we are, but from embracing our inherent wisdom and compassion. It challenges the paradigm of self-improvement as a battle to be fought and instead frames it as a journey of acceptance and understanding.

In stark contrast, Robert Paxton's analysis of fascism portrays a worldview that weaponizes identity, positioning it as a tool for domination rather than self-realization. Fascism demands allegiance to a collective destiny, rooted in exclusion and competition, where power is justified not by universal truths but by the assertion of supremacy in a zero-sum struggle. This ideology corrupts the process of self and group understanding, replacing authentic growth with a rigid, combative identity that denies the inherent worth of others.

Alfred Lubrano's reflection bridges the gap between the internal and external struggles of identity and power. His discomfort with authority figures and the cyclical tension in his relationships reveal a deeply personal example of the dynamics explored in the other two quotes. On one hand, his working-class perspective reflects the struggle against external forces that impose definitions and expectations. On the other hand, his eventual "coming back too strong" mirrors the internal resistance Pema Chodron warns against—a reaction that may temporarily address imbalance but lacks the enduring transformation that comes from honoring one’s authentic self.

Together, these quotes tell a story of how individuals and societies grapple with power and identity. They warn against the dangers of denying our own nature, succumbing to ideologies that seek to exploit identity, and reacting to power in ways that perpetuate cycles of conflict. Instead, they invite us to seek transformation through self-awareness, compassion, and the rejection of systems—whether internal or external—that resist the truth of who we are. Only through this alignment can lasting growth and meaningful relationships flourish.

January 11 - Some quotes and some journal articles of interest

Quotes

"The world is easier to navigate if you remember that people are governed by emotions, acting more often out of jealousy, pride, shame, desire, fear, or vanity than dispassionate logic. We act and react because we feel something. To discount this and listen superficially—or not at all—is to operate at a serious disadvantage." (Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening)

Most of your training should be below aerobic threshold. This approach lets you build aerobic volume while minimizing injury risk. (David Roche, When (And Why) to Train Below Aerobic Threshold | Trail Runner Magazine)

"Social revolutions are usually horrible times of great unrest and insecurity, but they are also historical watersheds that reset and potentially revitalize a nation." (Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice)

"This requires greater prioritization of behavioural and operational research, a discipline that gets scant coverage in academic circles but which encompasses systems analysis and modelling. It also requires greater value to be placed on synthesis as a tool in discovery because of its power to describe system-level behaviour. Often it is the simple solutions applied well that make the difference rather than new technologies." (nature.com, Take the Long View - Nature)

"Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty." (Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection)

"Draw yourself up to your full height and look your audience straight in the eyes, and begin to talk as confidently as if every one of them owed you money. Imagine that they do. Imagine that they have assembled there to beg you for an extension of credit. The psychological effect on you will be beneficial." (Dale Carnegie, The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking)

Systems

"One starting point for identifying where to take action is to look at the chains of causalities and feedback loops to see where potential for action lies. Another is to explicitly locate alternative attractors within the system. These are likely to be points where there are counter-narratives to the dominant narratives – which appear to have some traction even on a very small scale. Participants will also need to look for where the strong energy seems to be in the system – narratives which excite or anger people and so on. The potential for change in a system often exists in the domains where there is a visible emotional response to issues." (Danny Burns and Stuart Worsley, Navigating Complexity in International Development) 

Journal Articles

Bridging the Gap Between Labour Unions and the Management Through Leadership Development Programs?

Merging Worklife Organizational Innovation and Educational Programs- Promoting Continuous Adaptations to the Global Economy

When Successful Action Research is not Legitimized as Scientific Contribution by the Central Sponsors: How can Morten Levin’s Three Pillars of Action Research Support the Arch of Research Collaboration between Large Public Organizations and Universities?

When Co-Generative Learning Met Co-Production and Co-Creation - On How Three Different Concepts Shaped “Samskaping”

Reflections on a Cold, Dark January 10

Happy January 10. Not much to add to today’s post other than the fact that it is winter—it’s cold, dark, and unmistakably the 10th of January.

Here are three of the nine quotes that popped up in my Reedwise feed today. For whatever reason, these ones spoke to me more than the others I chose not to share here. It’s interesting how often quotes on fascism appear in my feed and how frequently I’m drawn to them, sometimes even repeating ones I’ve posted before. Perhaps it’s a reflection of how I’m feeling about the times we’re living in? 🤔

Quotes

"Fascism was an affair of the gut more than of the brain, and a study of the roots of fascism that treats only the thinkers and the writers misses the most powerful impulses of all."

– Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

"Studies show that identifying other people’s social class really is child’s play for most of us."
– Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder

"Making my bed correctly was not going to be an opportunity for praise. It was expected of me. It was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day it would be a reminder that I had done something well, something to be proud of, no matter how small the task."
– William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed

Building the Stayable City - Urban Design for Social Cohesion

Gao, T., Lim, S., Wong, D. K. H., & Schroepfer, T. (2024). From walking to staying: The impact of spatial qualities on socio-spatial segregation in innovation districts. Sustainable Cities and Society, 113, 105688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105688

From walking to staying: The impact of spatial qualities on socio-spatial segregation in innovation districts

This study explores how innovation districts, like One-north in Singapore, can drive urban economic growth while addressing socio-spatial segregation. It emphasizes designing public spaces to encourage "staying activities" (e.g., sitting, playing, relaxing) over transient activities like walking or cycling, to foster social interaction among diverse socioeconomic groups.

Using a GeoAI workflow that combines data analysis, machine learning, and AI, the researchers evaluate 13 spatial quality indicators and their impact on staying activities. A deep neural network (DNN) model with an 83.74% accuracy rate shows that these indicators can predict where people from different income groups engage in staying activities.

Interestingly, features like visual diversity and greenery—typically associated with good public spaces—do not always increase staying activities. Their effectiveness depends on the specific functional context and land-use type within different parts of the district.

This research highlights the importance of tailoring public space designs to local contexts to encourage meaningful interactions and reduce segregation. The proposed GeoAI workflow offers a proactive tool to evaluate design strategies before construction, helping policymakers create more inclusive urban environments.

Open Source Article

January 8: Wednesday

Just quotes today - and a photo.

Quotes

"Arguably the biggest threat to our national security today is our division and inability to cooperate. We don’t want to think we are already in our day after, but the assumption we can survive as a country while mired in our political wars is a dangerous complacency." (A.B. Stoddard, The Day My Father Scared America)

"Don’t preach and hope for ownership; implement mechanisms that actually give ownership. Eliminating the tickler did that for us. Eliminating top-down monitoring systems will do it for you. I’m not talking about eliminating data collection and measuring processes that simply report conditions without judgment. Those are important as they “make the invisible visible.” What you want to avoid are the systems whereby senior personnel are determining what junior personnel should be doing." (L. David Marquet and Stephen R. Covey, Turn the Ship Around!)

"One of the weakest links in the chain is the lack of resiliency built into homes. Building codes represent the minimum legal requirements for house construction and do not take extremes into consideration." (Plant News, As Climate Changes, the Way We Build Homes Must Change Too - PLANT)

"The novelist Thomas Mann noted in his diary on March 27, 1933, two months after Hitler had become German chancellor, that he had witnessed a revolution of a kind never seen before, “without underlying ideas, against ideas, against everything nobler, better, decent, against freedom, truth and justice." The “common scum" had taken power, “accompanied by vast rejoicing on the part of the masses." (Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism)

"Sometimes the best lesson learned on the battlefield was that of modesty, but modesty was not yet a virtue in Tenth Corps—audacity for audacity’s sake was." (David Halberstam, The Coldest Winter)

7 January 2025

Why is this day important?

Well, of course, that's a stupid question. Every day is important. But how do we turn this day into what it could be? I suppose that’s a silly question too—because, in a way, the day will simply be what it is. The idea of elevating a day to some higher purpose feels like both a privilege and a distinctly human conceit.

So, with all that navel-gazing out of the way, what do I want to do with this day?

One thing I’d like to do is go for a walk. A good, solid mile-and-a-half to two-mile walk where I can immerse myself in the environment—but also step back from it by listening to a book I’m enjoying right now. I’d go for a run instead, but it’s icy and slick, so walking seems like the better choice.

Speaking of the book, it’s The Fool’s Progress by Edward Abbey. I hadn’t realized it was essentially an autobiography—or at least a semi-autobiographical work. I’m sure parts of it are embellished (maybe), but maybe not. I’m about 60% through, and I already want to start it over, knowing now how closely it maps to Abbey’s life. There are some wonderful lines in it. One of my favorites so far is a quote from the protagonist’s father, who’s an anarchist and atheist. He says, “God is just a noise people make when they get tired of thinking.”

If you could turn each day into a project, what would it look like?

I recently came across an outline for project organization and thought it could also work to structure a day. The very first question in the outline is, “Why is this project [day] important?” Below is my answer, but as I thought about it, the next question emerged: What does success look like?

At its most basic level, success is simply to live another day. Some might call that view nihilistic—or something similar—but I see it differently. The act of being and realizing that you are is an incredible thing. To embrace that is, I think, an awesome day.

Some might say that’s too small a goal. But I’d argue that those people aren’t fully appreciating how amazing each day already is. Rather, they may be running from fears by covering their being, and thoughts, with busywork. 

Structure

Next, one of my goals for the day became clear: maintaining structure—or perhaps even improving it. But as I thought about structure, I started to look at it more critically.

Humans love structure. It gives us frameworks to make sense of the world. Even in chaotic environments, structure can emerge. While pure chaos is, by definition, structureless, complex environments often give rise to emergent structures. And it’s in those emergent structures where innovation and creativity thrive. That’s where new ideas and ways of thinking are born.

Highly structured, linear environments—those with predictable patterns—give us things like process flows, rote memorization, and repeated actions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, even though the way I’ve framed it here might suggest otherwise. In many situations, structure and predictability are crucial. For instance, consider an engineer designing a bridge or a surgeon planning an operation. Without some level of linear structure, their work would lack the precision and reliability needed for success.

Still, even in fields like medicine, there’s an emergent quality that can’t be ignored. Humans differ enough from one another—both socially and physically—that medicine often requires thinking beyond simple linear approaches. It’s this emergent aspect of care that, in my opinion, we don’t always account for well enough.

And yet, here I am still stuck on the first part of my project outline: Purpose and Outcome for the Day. I haven’t even gotten to the next steps: actions, supporting materials, visioning, context, or how I plan to review the day once it’s complete. But, like any project, I think purpose and outcome are where we should spend most of our time. Purpose and outcome provide the vision that fuels the energy for the work.

OK, I’m yattering now.

Let’s shift gears—here’s a photo and some quotes to ponder.

The Potomac River at the C&O Canal's Widewater

First, my little ramble above reminded me of this quote:
“Don’t just do something, sit there.”

And this one:
“The time is very urgent—we must slow down.”
—Bayo Akomolafe, The Times Are Urgent: Let’s Slow Down

Other Quotes

These quotes, that I chose from my daily Readwise feed, speak to the need to embrace (to surf) the dynamic nature of emotions as they arise and to trust in them. They remind me that simple frameworks for understanding the world often fall short, and as the world evolves, we must adapt to its behavior rather than forcing it into convenient, rigid structures. Maintaining this "surfer" mindset requires exploration and a willingness to accept what one sees—approaching the world with the curiosity of a scientist or a detective in a mystery novel.

“Emotional stoicism and self-control are rewarded, and displays of emotion are punished. Vulnerability is now weakness. Anger becomes an acceptable substitute for fear, which is forbidden.”
—Brené Brown, Rising Strong

“The belief that economic reform would force political liberalization in China has been thoroughly discredited. The fundamental conflict—that Western democracies are threatened by authoritarian regimes—has become obvious to our allies and to responsible foreign policy voices in both parties.”
—The Washington Post (Opinion)

Finally, this one from Chip and Dan Heath’s Made to Stick:
“Cialdini believes that a major benefit of teaching using mysteries is that the process of resolving mysteries is remarkably similar to the process of science. By using mysteries, teachers don’t just heighten students’ interest in the day’s material; they train them to think like scientists.”

January 6, 2025: There's snow storming the Capitol today

Good morning, January 6. As I understand it, there’s a massive snowstorm in Washington today—by DC standards, at least. When I was a kid growing up there, nothing would have made me happier. Now that I’m in Colorado, I still love snow, but 12 inches hardly qualifies as a massive snowstorm.

Not much else to share today. Here are a couple of quotes—maybe three—and a photo of a beautiful spot not too far from here.

 

Quotes

"We are not required to believe that fascist movements can only come to power in an exact replay of the scenario of Mussolini and Hitler. All that is required to fit our model is polarization, deadlock, mass mobilization against internal and external enemies, and complicity by existing elites."
– Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

"By deleting, distorting and generalizing, we inhabit our perceptions and interpretations of Reality."
– Shelle Rose Charvet, Words That Change Minds

"The best predictor of wanting to slash funding for welfare recipients is racial prejudice."
– Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder

The Opposite of Faith Is Not Doubt, the Opposite of Faith Is Certainty

Good Day to You - Happy January 5th, 2025

I’m in a mindset right now where I just want to get organized—to gather people and work collectively around an issue. It sounds ambitious, maybe even lofty, but it feels necessary.

On a different note, I was thinking last night about my love for landscapes and cityscapes—whether it’s mountains, sprawling city skylines, or just the forms they take. Doing something with these, even something as simple as sharing a daily photo of my favorite landscape or cityscape, feels important to me. Maybe it’s time to start a daily post somewhere to capture and share those moments.

Yaoundé, Cameroon: Both City _and_ Mountains!

There’s definitely a connection between my interest in landscapes, the environment, and the idea of getting organized. It feels worthwhile to explore those links further.

Last night—or perhaps it was early this morning while I was waking up—I had an idea about organizing around a specific concern. I even came up with a name for the group. It was perfect—a term used to describe “them.” But now, I’ve completely forgotten what it was! Ha ha! Well, perhaps I will update this post when it occurs to me once again.

Quotes

On today's quotes

Loads of good strong quotes today that resonate with our headlines.

The Illusion of Certainty

Progress rarely unfolds on a smooth, predictable path. Systems, whether social, economic, or environmental, often cling to comfortable narratives, even when they're clearly failing. Recognizing these "uncomfortable truths" – acknowledging systemic biases, admitting past mistakes, or facing the reality of climate change – is the first, often painful, step towards meaningful change.

Certainty, in a world of constant flux, is an illusion. Adaptability, the willingness to learn, adjust, and course-correct, becomes paramount. This requires humility, recognizing the limitations of our knowledge and the potential for unforeseen consequences.

Status, whether social, economic, or political, exerts a powerful influence on our thinking and behavior. It subtly shapes our beliefs, biases, and the risks we're willing to take. Those desperate to maintain or elevate their status, clinging to power and privilege, often pose the greatest danger. Their actions, driven by fear and insecurity, can have devastating consequences for individuals and societies.  

True resilience stems from confronting denial, both individually and collectively. Shared narratives of the future, where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated, can foster a sense of collective responsibility and a shared commitment to overcoming challenges.

Democracy, at its core, demands active participation, critical thinking, and a willingness to engage in thoughtful compromise. It requires courage to challenge the status quo, to question entrenched beliefs, and to work towards solutions that benefit the common good.

Ultimately, progress hinges on our ability to embrace uncertainty, confront uncomfortable truths, and cultivate a culture of adaptability and shared responsibility.

Quotes

"Other research has shown that occupying a superior position also increases implicit bias." (Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder)

"This contrasting principle is known in systems terms as worse-before-better behavior. This means that long-term success often requires short-term investment or sacrifice." (David Peter Stroh, Systems Thinking for Social Change)

"you have to abandon this idea that you can predict and you can control" 

(Scientific Advice Mechanism, Silvio Funtowicz on Post-Normal Science Advice)

"What work means to people often has less to do with what tasks they are actually performing than with how they relate to and compare themselves to other people." (Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder)

"'In plainer terms,' Baumeister and Bushman write, 'it is not so much the people who regard themselves as superior beings who are the most dangerous but, rather, those who have a strong desire to regard themselves as superior beings.… People who are preoccupied with validating a grandiose self-image apparently find criticism highly upsetting and lash out against the source of it.'" (Lulu Miller, Why Fish Don't Exist)

"Democratic policymaking requires debate, demands compromise and involves critical thinking. It entails considering different viewpoints, anticipating the future, and composing thoughtful legislation." (Simon Gottschalk, The Infantilization of Western Culture)

"Information is the main key to breaking a state of denial. Scenario development in which the range of possible futures is examined and spelled out is one good way of engaging stakeholders in the process." (Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice)

""The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist." (Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five)

The Rim to Rim (to Rim?) - Grand Canyon

A quick post today to share some quotes and mention the big adventure of the year: a Rim-to-Rim (and maybe even Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim) run/hike of the Grand Canyon!

In preparation for this grand adventure, I watched a fantastic video by the Hiking Guy that provided valuable insights. It was absolutely worth the full hour it took to get through—though, I’ll admit, I watched it in two sittings.

There are a couple of weather windows that are best for hiking from rim to rim. The main thing to avoid is the heat, which can be up to 120F in the shade. Hikers who venture out in the heat of the Grand Canyon die every year. This is real.

Quotes

"Sadly, in history, when these charismatic demagogues come to power, they use emotions to manipulate people. Trump says, "I love you" to his people. He told them he loved them on Jan. 6. He builds a personality cult so he poses as the victim, which is really important because not only are all his crimes presented as persecutions by the "deep state," but saying he's being persecuted makes his followers feel protective of him." (salon.com, “Empathy and Kindness Are for Weak People”: Why Trump Wants His MAGA Supporters to Be Cruel)

"Vision becomes a living force only when people truly believe they can shape their future." (David Peter Stroh, Systems Thinking for Social Change)

Quotes and Photos for January 3rd, 2025

 Quotes

"[...] crags and pinnacles of naked rock, the dark cores of ancient volcanoes, a vast and silent emptiness smoldering with heat, color, and indecipherable significance, above which floated a small number of pure, clear, hard-edged clouds. For the first time, I felt I was getting close to the West of my deepest imaginings, the place where the tangible and the mythical became the same."

"Fascist regimes functioned like an epoxy: an amalgam of two very different agents, fascist dynamism and conservative order, bonded by shared enmity toward liberalism and the Left, and a shared willingness to stop at nothing to destroy their common enemies." (Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism)

"The framers of our Constitution arranged things so that political action would have to be filtered through institutions that require consultation and compromise, and would depend on a system of frequent elections, checks and balances, the autonomy of the civil service, civilian control of the military, the writing of laws and regulations, and their impartial enforcement. And all this would have to be done at three levels of government." (Mark Lilla, The Once and Future Liberal)

"For months now, construction crews have been dynamiting, drilling, pumping, excavating and clear-cutting public land. In places like Guadalupe Canyon in far eastern Arizona, simply building roads to bring in construction equipment involved blasting mountainsides and sending the rubble down to clog drainages." (hcn.org, After Months of Border Wall Construction, a Look at the Damage Done)

"To really listen is to be moved physically, chemically, emotionally, and intellectually by another person’s narrative." (Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening)

January 2nd, 2025 - Quotes

Good morning—hello, Thursday, January 2, 2025. I hope this day turns out to be exactly what it is meant to be. Of course, that might sound like a strange statement because, in truth, every day is precisely the day it is meant to be. Still, I can imagine that for some people, certain days are so difficult that it’s hard to believe those days were ever "meant to be." Out of respect for anyone experiencing such a hard day, I’ll simply leave it at that.

Below are some quotes from my Readwise stream that stood out for me.

Quotes

"There are, in fact, only two ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge reliably. The first is not to learn anything. The second is to take your ideas and transform them." (Chip Heath, Dan Heath, Made to Stick)

"One in nine people around the world depends on the money sent by migrants." (dandc.eu, In Countries of Residence as Well as Origin, Policymakers Should Engage With Migrant Communities)

"The time is very urgent – we must slow down." (Bayo Akomolafe, The Times Are Urgent: Let’s Slow Down • Writings – Bayo Akomolafe)

"The gorilla study illustrates two important facts about our minds: we can be blind to the obvious, and we are also blind to our blindness." (Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow)

Happy 2025!

 Some quotes to start the year

Quotes

"Instead of falling all the way down to the bottom of his hierarchy, the awareness of his mortality actually heightened his own personal experience of transcendence. Noting a significant shift in values, Maslow observed: “The dominance hierarchy, the competitiveness and glory, certainly become foolish. There is certainly a shifting of values about what’s basic and what’s not basic, what’s important and what’s not important" (Scott Barry Kaufman PhD, Transcend)

"PUNCH LINE: Avoid burying the lead. Don’t start with something interesting but irrelevant in hopes of entertaining the audience. Instead, work to make the core message itself more interesting." (Chip Heath, Dan Heath, Made to Stick)

"Taiwan now accounts for roughly half of the global production capacity for all semiconductors and a much higher proportion—perhaps 90 percent—for the most advanced chips." (Andrew S. Erickson, The Taiwan Catastrophe)

"The researchers coded the videotapes to see what characteristics of the Chatters might be communicating their class differences. They found that richer Chatters were more disengaged during the conversation. They spent more time grooming themselves, doodling, and fiddling with pens, phones, or other objects. The poorer Chatters, in contrast, were more engaged. They looked directly at their conversation partner, and they nodded and laughed more. Higher status meant that the richer participants didn’t have anything “on the line” in the conversation. The poorer participants, in contrast, were working harder to be liked and accepted." (Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder)