Radiolab - Choice

Choice




I have recently discovered a thought provoking radio program called Radiolab by WNYC radio. In Season 5 of their programming, they had a very interesting podcast about Choice. It is hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, both two very entertaining speakers. They constantly debate and compete against each other. Both narrate stories and interview many different experts.

The episode begins with the introduction of the over abundance of choice with Barry Schwartz. He describes the modern day problem, which is a world where everything is available. The possibilities can be terrifying for people, because of the thought of making a bad choice. Throughout the programming they describe some very interesting experiments. And choices become more interesting when you dig into the brain.

Typically, a normal person can hold 7 plus or minus 2 things in short term or working memory. The more you try memorize the more taxing it is on the brain. There is some strong correlation between the number of things you're holding in short term memory and emotional driven decisions. The short term memory uses the rational part of the brain and the emotional part of the brain takes over if that becomes taxed. So a emotionless person would become a perfectly rational person right?

Well... There are instances of a person who lost his emotional capacity. Listen to the podcast to hear the interesting tale. We do need our emotions and it helps drive our daily decisions. It appears that emotional part of the brain collates experiences and builds this short hand decision response. These are your gut feelings and the fragments of our wisdom.

Check out the podcast and try and find out who's really in charge of your decisions.

TED - Do we control our decisions?

Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?

Dan Ariely discusses how complex problems can cause irrational decisions. People are influenced by options that are presented, even though they are options that are never chosen (decoy effect). He performs research on behavioral economics and is a professor at MIT. His lecture is filled with enlightenment and humor with regards to human behavior.

It's interesting that Dan Ariely begins by showing us a visual illusion. He demonstrates that so many decisions we make based on intuition can be skewed. Whether it's a visual decision, a complex decision, or a preference decision. Are we humans so easily manipulated with decoys and do we concentrate on the negatives? If so, Marketing majors take note.

Would you like an apple or an orange? How about an apple, half eaten apple, or an orange? Does the apple appear awfully tasty now?

TED - Barry Schwartz on our loss of wisdom

Barry Schwartz on our loss of wisdom

The lecture on our loss of wisdom by Barry Schwartz helped open my eyes on the values we should be passing on to the next generation. The American culture has many recent examples of deteriorating virtues. And Barry illustrates the problems that is becoming pervasive in our society. Barry begins by defining what makes a wise person. He cites Aristotle, who believed that practical wisdom comes from moral will and moral skill. A wise person knows how to improvise, adjust, and deviate from rules when the situation is appropriate and proper. However, wisdom is neither inherent nor born, but cultivated through experience and learned from our mentors.

Barry states that rules and incentives are restricting and hindering the development of wisdom. Although rules are necessary to govern people, the problem lies in too many rules that restrains and constricts creativity and common sense. Similar to a previous post, he also believes incentives is a great tool used to motivate people to accomplish a task. However, it could motivate people with the short term goals in mind, which can leave devastation in the long term. Incentive systems will always be susceptible to be subverted by bad will. So, a balance must be struck between the quantity and scope of rules and incentives. Too much or too little can be a bad thing. But ultimately its up to people who are willing and capable to be wise that everyone else can count on and respect.

Heroes of great moral character are needed to inspire. They need to be celebrated for their paramount integrity and morality. Practical wisdom should be rewarded and respected. One of the foundations of wisdom is good will. If you have a strong sense of good will towards others, wisdom will follow.

Many of my heroes are here.

TED - How great leaders inspire action

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

A TED talk on how great leaders inspire people to act. Simon Sinek, a marketing consultant, articulates that there are specific qualities of people that make effective leaders and passionate followers. Regarding leaders, he includes both leaders of industry such as Apple and individuals such as the Wright brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. He breaks it down to the What, How, and Why. The Why is the key factor because it allows people to relate to the purpose, while the What and How provides the mechanism that fulfils what we want or need. Most marketing tactics market what a product does. But according to Simon, the Why is what creates followers and the reason we decide to adopt an idea or product. He attributes these decisions down to the primitive parts of the brain, while the more advanced parts of the brain processes the How and What.

People make decisions at different levels. Simon presents the idea of the law of diffusion of innovation to demonstrate where people sit on the scale. Early adopters are those who just get it and are eager to adopt the idea or product. Some people look to the early adopters, and some just don't ever get it. Ultimately, we follow those who lead, because we do it willingly for ourselves.

The most interesting parts of the lecture were the parts regarding the biology behind the reason we make certain decisions and the parts regarding the law of diffusion of innovation. Overall, the lecture was enlightening and curiously relevant. I am keenly interested to see the developments between the ever innovative Apple and the self proclaimed altruistic company Google after watching this TED Talk. Why do the two companies do what they do shall unfold as they're fiercely competing against each other.

RSA Animate - Drive

RSA has a great new series called RSA Animate. RSA Animate has an illustrator draw in fast forward to follow the flow of a lecture. In this lecture, the artist draws to Dan Pink's lecture on motivation and purpose. Incentives and rewards that either help or hurts a specific task. A fantastic talk and a brilliant job illustrating the points by the artist.

Dan Pink cites research from many renown universities and professionals from various fields of study. In summary, rewards and incentives work amazingly well for mechanical tasks. However, the reverse is true for cognitive and complex tasks. Rewards and incentives that are material and monetary promote greed, which ultimately does not help drive people to create outstanding ideas and products. But mastery, contribution, and enjoyment do help drive people to create what people want, need, and love.

I certainly don't want people in charge of the corporations that run our lives to fall into this hole. Oh wait...

A good idea goes a long way

I am constantly inspired by men and women who speak passionately about an idea. Today's abundant media sources capture these great motivators. Sadly, I've realized that my passive nature has led great moments of inspiration dwindle from passivity. Not all too uncommon of me but in hindsight it is demoralizing. Great ideas that could have had an opportunity to flourish simply shrivel and decay without nourishment.

So it is my imperative to chronicle anything that has truly touched the heart, mind, and soul to help maintain the inspirational energy that drives me. These inspirational energies will in turn fuel creative outlets, mold my opinions, and educate my thoughts. Hopefully, to a meaningful end.