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A Day of Thanks, Moments of Perspective
“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” …
November 21, 2012
In Praise of Epistemological Modesty
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” —…
October 9, 2012
You Can’t Make Money by Going Broke—if it ain’t accretive to earnings, why do it?
It may sound silly but it is true and we all know it: You can’t make money by going broke. Yet what we say we…
October 2, 2012
Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences
This excerpt from “Waiting,” an autobiography by a waitress, illustrates how bonus compensation systems can create perverse incentives: In this restaurant (part of a chain),…
September 11, 2012
The Power of Negative Thinking
So you’re wondering, what’s up? Everyone knows that Nathan is an advocate of positive thinking, a radiant optimist if there ever was one. Yes, I…
September 4, 2012
Six Powerful Principles of Persuasion
1. The Rule of Reciprocation: “We try to repay in kind what another person has provided us.” People tend to return a favor, thus free…
July 12, 2012
The Importance of Sitzfleisch
Do you have sufficient sitzfleisch? Sitzfleisch is stamina, the power to endure or persevere in an activity. The word is German in origin from sitzen…
June 26, 2012
What Made Us Great? Do We Still Have It?
If you believe famed British historian Niall Ferguson, author of “Civilization: The West and the Rest,” six things led to the dominance of western civilization…
June 7, 2012
Following Feynman’s First Principle
Physicist Richard Feynman’s First Principle is simple: “You must not fool yourself… and you are the easiest person to fool.” We tend to believe what…
May 24, 2012
Errors: Inevitable? Maybe. Acceptable? Never!
Occasionally I find someone in a management position who thinks errors will always “happen”. The implication is that errors are just part of life and…
May 1, 2012
In Praise of (Some) Irrational Thinking
Everyone has heard of the sports star who has a favorite pre-game ritual or beloved talisman that he or she feels will bring good luck…
April 26, 2012