Nine Perspectives Towards Balancing Your Views & Opinions

There is much talk about creating work-life balanced or life-work balance. How successful (or stressful) have you been in achieving that? Is this wishful thinking on our part, or something of luxury reserved for retirees, wealthy Internet marketers, and the monarchy?

Thinking: now, that is a thoughtful exercise. Mind what we say, and do. How do you build an opinion about something? How do you argue your points convincingly in a casual debate? How do you make yourself heard, felt and responded to? How do you form an incisive and informed decision?

1)    Build a wide knowledge base, comprising facts and factual accuracy.

2)    Never stop at the first right answer. Seek alternates.

3)    Listen to a variety of points of views.

4)    Ask questions. Ask: why? Also ask: why not?

5)    Challenge the thinking, not the person. Prejudice clouds judgement.

6)    Consider what you think and feel. Never divorce the two if you wish to build balanced viewpoints.

7)    Check your facts. Make sure that you are updated.

8)    Avoid being smug when you win an argument – you, probably, did not.

9)    Consider what you can learn from the other person.
10) Sharpen your saw, not your claws.

Head, heart and hands: IQ, EQ and AQ. How do you integrate all three when you intend to help, and effect changes in your family, community and organization? Think before we thought. [I know there are 10 points, but who is counting; and, you might just reject one. Just a thought.]

Making Room Only For Useful Things

It is almost the end of the year, and also the beginning of the festivities. I just got back from an overseas assignment, and while on my flight back I watched a new BBC Television series ‘Sherlock Holmes’. It is a remake and 21^st century re-imagination of the character created by the genius writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Reviews have been highly positive, so I will be exploring the box-set on Amazon.com.

Like the other medical-based detective, House, M.D. Holmes is an equally fascinating case study of abject psychosis, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), nicotine-addiction, and mad genius. Having watched two episodes (two-and-half, actually, before we had to land), I can attest to its attractive dialogue and characterisations. Holmes’ arch-nemesis/enemy is his brother (sibling rivalry), and the enemy-at-large is Moriarty (which I have yet to determine is a person, or an organization). Dr Watson is a WIA, military doctor who Holme’s has an intellectual fondness for. Both are seduced by the excitement afforded from murder cases that Scotland Yard has difficulty solving – this part stays true to the original stories. Both protagonists have their own blogs’ Holmes’ blog is focused on his deduction theories and methodologies.

Three lines that came out strongly from Holmes in episode two (in response to not knowing what the solar system was): “My brain is my hard-drive. I use it only to store things that are useful. I don’t make room for useless things!’

Can we deliberately make room for only useful things? How often do you reject ideas? How prejudicial are you to new perspectives? How true are you as a learner? How often do you accommodate useless information?