Tech Entrepreneurship, Economics, Life Philosophy and much more!
Tech Entrepreneurship, Economics, Life Philosophy and much more!
Jamie Whyte’s angry and witty rant against the rhetoric, faulty reasoning and misinformation we are subjected to from all sources is fascinating, enlightening and fun. The book is a quick read and will equip you with the tools you need to become a staunch defender of truth.
You can buy it at:
http://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Against-Logic-Jamie-Whyte/dp/0071446435/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5283451-1587818?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174864371&sr=8-1
The New York Times had a very interesting article on morality in primates. As many primates display empathy, understand who has done them favors, display altruistic behavior and take into consideration the greater good of their group when resolving disputes, they are displaying some of the required building blocks for morality.
You can read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/science/20moral.html?ref=science
In a previous post (http://www.fabricegrinda.com/?p=120), I mentioned that my biggest concern with the Google / Youtube deal was not the valuation, but copyright issues. Now that Viacom has sued Google for $1 billion, those fears seem validated.
That said, traditional media companies probably don’t want to alienate their viewers too much by refusing to embrace the web so chances are that they will settle for a large dollar amount plus a licensing deal.
I wonder how much of the $1.65 billion was put in escrow to be used against copyright claims…
Menarik sekali, betapa mudahnya kita sebagai manusia tertipu. Jika kita membaca sesuatu atau menonton film dokumenter, kita cenderung mempercayainya. Lalu ada keajaiban Google. Jika Anda menulis cukup banyak tentang suatu topik, Anda akan mulai muncul di hasil pencarian tentang topik tersebut – terlepas dari seberapa banyak yang Anda ketahui. Tak lama kemudian, seseorang datang dan menganggap Anda sebagai seorang ahli di bidangnya dan meminta untuk mewawancarai Anda.
Maka saya sangat terkejut ketika dikira sebagai “Pakar Kebahagiaan Internasional” dan diminta menjawab beberapa pertanyaan. Saya memulai dengan mengatakan kepada pewawancara saya bahwa dia akan mendapatkan kekecewaan besar jika dia mengira saya adalah seorang ahli dalam hal kebahagiaan, tetapi memutuskan untuk bermain-main.
Saya mereproduksi beberapa jawaban saya di bawah ini untuk kesenangan membaca Anda 🙂
Bagaimana Anda mendefinisikan kebahagiaan?
Kebahagiaan adalah keadaan emosional atau afektif yang ditandai dengan perasaan senang dan puas. Dengan demikian, seperti halnya jatuh cinta, Anda bisa bahagia atau tidak, tetapi tidak perlu tahu mengapa – Anda hanya merasa bahagia. Akibatnya, banyak orang mendefinisikan kebahagiaan sebagai hal-hal yang mereka lakukan atau miliki, seperti yang dilakukan Charlie Brown di bawah ini:
KEBAHAGIAAN
Dari You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
(Clark Gesner)
Kebahagiaan adalah menemukan pensil.
Tidur di bawah cahaya bulan.
Memberitahukan waktu.
Kebahagiaan adalah belajar bersiul.
Mengikat sepatu Anda
Untuk pertama kalinya.
Kebahagiaan adalah bermain drum
Dalam band sekolah Anda sendiri.
Dan kebahagiaan berjalan beriringan.
Kebahagiaan adalah dua jenis es krim.
Mengetahui sebuah rahasia.
Memanjat pohon.
Kebahagiaan adalah lima krayon yang berbeda.
Menangkap kunang-kunang.
Membebaskannya.
Dan kebahagiaan adalah menyendiri sesekali.
Dan kebahagiaan kembali lagi ke rumah.
Kebahagiaan adalah pagi dan sore hari,
Siang hari dan malam hari juga.
Karena kebahagiaan adalah siapa saja dan apa saja
Yang dicintai oleh Anda.
Kebahagiaan adalah memiliki seorang saudara perempuan.
Berbagi sandwich.
Bergaul.
Kebahagiaan adalah bernyanyi bersama
Ketika hari sudah berakhir,
Dan kebahagiaan adalah mereka yang bernyanyi bersama Anda.
Kebahagiaan adalah pagi dan sore hari,
Siang hari dan malam hari juga.
Karena kebahagiaan adalah siapa saja dan apa saja
Yang dicintai oleh Anda.
Namun, meskipun melakukan hal-hal tersebut membuat Charlie Brown bahagia – terkadang – hal tersebut mungkin tidak cocok untuk Anda.
Apa yang Anda anggap sebagai langkah penting menuju kebahagiaan?
Terlepas dari apa yang saya katakan di atas, ada beberapa langkah yang dapat Anda lakukan untuk menjadi bahagia.
Secara khusus:
Anda mungkin berpendapat bahwa hal-hal seperti “bersyukur” tidaklah mudah untuk dilakukan, tetapi bahkan sesuatu yang sederhana seperti menulis tiga hal baik yang terjadi pada Anda hari ini di buku catatan setiap hari telah terbukti bekerja dengan sangat baik!
Apakah Anda percaya bahwa seseorang dapat benar-benar merasa puas hampir sepanjang waktu?
Tentu saja! Banyak orang yang umumnya bahagia hanya karena – berdasarkan kombinasi dari pola asuh dan gen mereka. Namun, meskipun secara default Anda hanya memiliki tingkat kebahagiaan yang biasa-biasa saja, Anda dapat mengambil 11 langkah yang disengaja yang disebutkan di atas untuk membuat Anda lebih bahagia secara signifikan.
Kesimpulan yang tidak berurutan: Rata-rata artikel jurnal akademis dibaca oleh 7 orang, termasuk ibu dari penulisnya. Mungkin para ahli yang sebenarnya harus menulis blog 🙂
I recently came across an interesting article on the science of happiness in Harvard Magazine recounting the emergence of “positive psychology” as a field of study, its findings and the emergence of new research areas such as the study of joy instead of happiness.
Many of the findings will be familiar to the readers of my previous posts on happiness. However, a few of the research results were surprising such as the fact that having kids tends to slightly decrease happiness.
Here are two interesting paragraphs:
“Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman of Princeton (see “The Marketplace of Perceptions,” March-April 2006, page 50) asked thousands of subjects to keep diaries of episodes during a day—including feelings, activities, companions, and places—and then identified some correlates of happiness. “Commuting to work was way down there—people are in a terrible mood when they commute,” Etcoff says. “Sleep has an enormous effect. If you don’t sleep well, you feel bad. TV watching is just OK, and time spent with the kids is actually low on the mood chart.” Having intimate relations topped the list of positives, followed by socializing—testimony to how important the “need to belong” is to human satisfaction.”
“Gilbert reconsiders his grandmother’s advice on how to live happily ever after: “Find a nice girl, have children, settle down.” Research shows, he says, that the first idea works: married people are happier, healthier, live longer, are richer per capita, and have more sex than single people. But having children “has only a small effect on happiness, and it is a negative one,” he explains. “People report being least happy when their children are toddlers and adolescents, the ages when kids require the most from the parents.” As far as settling down to make a living—well, if money moves you into the middle class, buying food, warmth, and dental treatment—yes, it makes you happier. “The difference between an annual income of $5,000 and one of $50,000 is dramatic,” Gilbert says. “But going from $50,000 to $50 million will not dramatically affect happiness. It’s like eating pancakes: the first one is delicious, the second one is good, the third OK. By the fifth pancake, you’re at a point where an infinite number more pancakes will not satisfy you to any greater degree. But no one stops earning money or striving for more money after they reach $50,000.”
Reading the book, I felt like I was reading about the first two years of almost every startup I have been involved with. The names of the people and product were different, but the ethos and spirit was truly there. I suppose it’s partly that spirit that keeps me going back and starting from scratch over and over again!
The book’s self-help parts are annoying and the story would have been stronger if it focused only on Facebook, but that aside Inside Facebook, with its compelling characters and a story line on the way to fairy tale ending, is extremely fun and energizing!
The NY Times just published a great article called “Darwin’s God” discussing why people believe in God. It’s a great complement to reading the enlightening and entertaining “The God Delusion.”
While there are some scientific debates, especially on the evolutionary components of religion, it seems that our three fundament mental frameworks and cognitive tools – agent detection, causal reasoning and theory of mind – predispose us to belief.
Read the full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/magazine/04evolution.t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all
I have been a fan of Warren Buffet’s letter to his shareholders for many years. It is clear, concise, honest, often funny, and provides insight into many matters outside of Berkshire Hathaway. The 2006 version is no exception to the rule.
You should also check out the full Berkshire Hathaway annual report at: www.berkshirehathaway.com
