The Stages of Life: For Geniuses

Young Man with a Skull (Vanitas)
by Frans Hals (c.1628)

You know, I have been told that I'm a highly gifted/genius and my son has been told the same. The issue is that I pretty much figured I didn't know much in my life because I never had the answers. There simply was too many possibilities and I would think something to be true by percentage and most people told me I was wrong (Of course I think I'm wrong because there is good chance I am.). Somewhere along the line I ended up being more correct typically (even though I'm wrong a lot) than the average person. 

I never really understood the difference between how I think and how others think throughout my life but somewhere along the line I figured out that many people say things as fact when they are just opinions. They are not always well thought out opinions but said for very social reasons (something we likely inherited as a species trait to raise our perceived knowledge and intelligence as a survival mechanism.)

As an example, there are these OEs that impact a persons understanding of the world around them. They are the gifted curse aspects. Scientists look for the big 3 but sometimes you get them all (I'm not sure how rare that is. I'm not a neurologist). High intelligence and other OEs mixed in average environments often lead to levels of conflict. Because Gifted have a deep sense of morality even if not conventional on first judgement they don't like it when people cheat the system.

(You kind of can't fight it anymore if someone comes up yelling, "Your not a genius, your an idiot" and you think about and respect their opinion as one feedback. You then break apart their verbal language, environmental cues, and potential psychological profile to determine what the intent of the message was and how that may have impacted one's thinking. Only then you can say, "Thank you. Your feedback is valid" with a smile.💁)

Thus, we get into situations in which I suspect where two moralities may collide. One seems environmental homeostasis and the other seeks essential moral truth (Beyond the opinions people tell each other. There is a deeper moral code that is cross cultural that is a root of understanding for our species and it manifests itself in various tales, religious texts, practices and behaviors. )  One might seek universal justice and the other subjective justice (That is why I you don't own something if someone can take it. So free passes, enrichment through criminal behaviors, targeting, etc. are all violation of cross cultural root beliefs. i.e. one focusing on the clan and the other focusing on society.

Dabrowski Theory of Positive Disintegration.  

1. Childhood exploration. Not very easy a cripple from what I remember but this is the time you learn childhood things. 

2. Skill development. I think you come to a point that you develop certain skills and abilities. 

3. Skill mastery. You begin to master those skills and notice you are better then most but not better then the best.

4. Environmental challenge. You begin to challenge your environment and figure out how things work.  You question peoples behaviors and essential values.

5. Environmental mastery. You beat out those challenges and understand much of how the systems function in the background. 

6. Beach Bum (Self Actualization). Basically I think this is the stage where one sort of understands their environment, the nature of life, and one's place within the bigger scheme of things. People do sort of good but they must also accept the inevitable world knot and one's awareness of the fish bowl in which we live. Thus, one understands they are passing time and making the best of that time and getting done a few good things while not being overly worried about it anymore because even humanity's development follows a path of its own, its own time frame, with multiple avenues it can select. Putting a few bread crumbs out there that you think can help, but people go where their self interest drives them and you must let them choose their own paths and live by those choices (You then realize being smart is neither good or bad but qualitatively and quantitatively different than many others. Should we brag about intelligence, I guess not unless we brag about things like shoe sizes.).

*This is fictional for entertainment and thought exploration purposes only. 

Cats and Coffee:Lucky Cat Cafe 502

The other day I was out with a friend and we saw this Lucky Cat Cafe 502. The concept is cool. I will likely try it out someday while I'm working. 

It's interesting concepts like this that sometimes start trends.

Adaptors of AI: Characteristics of Early Adaptor Organizations

Research vessel
could be run by AI.
These are remote not AI I think.

Innovative nations create patents as innovators and move those to early adaptors who try out and implement products. One can come up with the idea and often others use that information quickly to solve customer problems and make a high return on investment. As we move into the Digital Era we can watch how AI is being used at increasingly more places and industries.

 (Ok, As a side note kind of funny I still think about the ramifications of not having an off switch. So weird were talking about this stuff when I was a kid it was total Sci Fi) 

Societies who can maximize innovators and adaptors can build faster than others. Science, innovation and  industry adaptation is the name of the GDP game. We have to think about the right pieces that create rapid innovation (I'm thinking in more of a systems or cluster form. I.E. Delta County Model) 

You can learn about how AI is being applied in the article, Our early-adopters index examines how corporate America is deploying AI we find there are five early adaptor sectors.

Technology

Banks

Retail

Aerospace

Auto Makers

This is the beginning of advanced manufacturing in this Era. That is especially true in auto, aerospace and military sectors. Consider Digital GDP on Govt. Mind. 

You can read a corporate webpage's discussion Characteristics of Early Adopters

The written and unwritten rules of nations, organizations and society

Unwritten rules are the undercurrent of an organization.

Nations should always seek to maintain the singularity of policy and social unwritten rules. Just like in any organization there are official rules and there are also unwritten rules. One will state clearly what the goals and expected behaviors are while the other is the unwritten rules of how things function in reality.  Read Shifting the Unwritten Rules of Organizational Behavior. 

An example might be the official universal law/Constitution as passed artifacts and the unwritten subjective law as applied/lived/realized.  In an organization it could be the policies & procedures as compared to how the work gets done everyday. 

We know these official and unofficial rules exist in every organization. The official rules are essential but its the unwritten rules that make the some of the most profound differences. 

The article discusses how one might write the unwritten rules (i.e. principles) and then seek to adjust and change them for greater national performance. 

Here are a couple of quick examples (See in my outdoor beach bum life I don't need to explain everything. No one listens and for the most part beach bums are expected to say incoherent things. dribble dribble.....)

1. Official and Unofficial Rules: State official codes of conduct/ policies but not enforce them. On a macro scale maybe pass universal laws (most are) but subjectively apply them. I think this is where we are getting hung up through the differences between word and action.

2. Opportunities Through Validity of Performance: Promotion in a merit based system is based directly on performance. We might say on a macro scale that improving the nation would be based on encouraging either realized or potential performance (i.e. the dirty word of broad based human capital development). A negative unwritten rule might be throwing in there who you know, connected groups, racial/religious considerations that demotivate people. 

(For example, a local college ghosting qualified candidates based on bigoted rumors thereby making recruitment and use of tax payer dollars for clan based and religious based employment preferences an unofficial rule. There are official laws but one wouldn't want to upset their preconceived notions and social networks so they find ways to circumvent. If someone challenges they ghost to avoid answering tough questions and then then use that as a tool the next time because the official rules may not be at the forefront of decision making. We may also add. While officially we want these organizations to fulfill a role of exposing and educating people to compete, we also unofficially accept that it is true as long as it helps a certain clan based group, political agenda, or something else. Whatever that else is....)

3. Meeting and Exceeding Expectations: These unwritten rules can also be positive. For example, the policy might dictate X=Y outcome but we go beyond that minimum to improve a situation. We are thinking long term over the horizon and believe that exceeding policies helps our society so people make some extra effort. They are not required to but they go beyond the official.

How we apply our written and unwritten rules is sometimes non-universal and short-sighted. Each leader must find a vision of the organization/nation and determine how they are going to realize that vision. If that vision includes the highest performing society it will need to adjust some of the unwritten rules to maximize opportunities. The same can be said for any other version (indivisible or segregated) as the unwritten rules tell us how things might be functioning in some places. 

Incoherent dribble, dribble...turn the page.....

 

Why I Would Be Unlikely to Make a Good Politician

Stanczyk
A little satire goes a long way.
Can you sell the unsellable?

Ok, this isn't mocking politicians because they have a really difficult job. I can't imagine everyday navigating the political landscape, shifting opinions, constant arguing, and short lived job roles. A new administration comes in and just about everyone from the old gets kicked out and they start over in another role. Thus, its an up and down affair I guess.

The other issue I face is divergence because I never see things as all this or all that (Not never never but you get my point.). If you asked me a question I have 15 different answers of which I know none of them are true unless I have more information. I just think they are possibilities that get ruled out as more information comes available. 

Think of it like a chain of logic. We list all of the options and reasonable explanations. As each piece of information comes in we then break down those logic chains into probabilities. Each one becoming weaker or stronger based on the arguments for or against something (I actually learned that from research citations and studying religion. In Islamic tradition one can argue the strength of a hadith. It is a method of evaluation. That is not an advocacy for or against any religion but just the method used at the time and the preservation of science. It is important to remember that the Renaissance could not have happened without the infusion to Europe of different ideas and science that led to the application of that science through a new cultural lens. If we rejected that knowledge because its not politically correct we might not be the nation we are today.  See Middle East and European Renaissance.)

The three things that really restrict me....

1. I'm sensitive and really don't like crappy stuff in the world. It bothers me that people can be so short sighted. Dealing with the worst every day must be a downer. For example, I once saw someone mistreat an immigrant and I chased down a central question for many years and came to some profound understandings of human nature (I can't put into a sentence or slogan. Our cultural programming does all types of things to our perceptions that lead to disagreements and cultural conflicts. Something we are seeing in the U.S. for far right and left politics. They are viewing the same exact phenomenon but hyperfocused on only a few observational pieces and conclusions based on cultural programming and in some cases hyped by political enthusiasm. Let us not waste tim eon this, its sort of philosophical dribble but it might make an oddity book to sort of spark a cocktail conversation or two. People might say, there was once that guy who thought we could all get along and solve problems...he believed in some goofy thing called universal principles...hmmmm....what was his name? the Rino-Dino guy? Nope its gone. Can't remember.  🤔 OMG I would be quartered on the first day! 😲😱 Yikes!💨)

2. Just like the piece on Islamic influence on the Renaissance above and me saying things like I'm a Catholic, Muslim, Jew (Think of the universality of such beliefs. Wisdom and Knowledge) who believes Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions have great contributions to our understanding of the world I'm not going to get votes. Think about it. I just confused myself and them. 😂. How do I sell things as amebic as a respect for all religions and religious freedom. They are complex ideas that are hard for me to formulate into a single sentence. Other people are smarter then me when it comes to this stuff I think. (Basically, I think religion is a wonderful thing and I protect it like any conservative should do. I just don't pick a religion to be the only one I advocate for as I have learned from them all. They are the philosophies of the meaning of life and God. I respect their essence and similarities. Some are likely going to be opposed to this open mindedness.)

3. My opinion isn't exactly the same as other conventional wisdom. Carrying the gifted curse of high intelligence and high sensitivity sucks. It would look different depending on one's awareness of life. Awareness can increase by experience, knowledge and education. You don't have to be "educated" but you do need to have reflective insight that leads to knowledge. That comes from experience.  People with this trait (Which is nothing to brag about. Luck of the unlucky draw. i.e. the curse part.) see things in many more layers and depth than others. A better sense of the essence of things and sometimes its not pretty and sometimes its wonderful. 

I don't think politics will be good for me. Besides I'm working on retirement plan #2, I think I'm going to become a beach bum or something. I'm thinking eventual retirement is sipping coconut juice, cut off jean shorts, the local library's latest philosophy book and maybe a part time dishwashing job right before the place automates it. Maybe keep the blog. Not sure yet. Can't beat them, join them.... (The point I'm trying to make is that opportunity and engagement can turn beach bums into billionaires, entrepreneurs, and leaders. I guess it would be the same for society and human capital engagement. The best way to maximize national development is to tap the resources that we can't see in front of us and that is each other. Diversity can be a winner going forward. Something you can't really put into a jingle and sell. There is a lot of quite quitting out there and a generation that isn't fully engaged. We caused that problem. We could fix it but politics sort of gets in the way. Now I'm bummed out. :( )  

Escanaba City Council Regular Meeting (June 15, 2023): Development Still Continues

 

Spinozza

I have been watching these meetings for some time and development is occurring and I believe we will begin to see some fruits of labor soon (We have seen some in terms of development but the interest in the area is growing. We might ponder how or why? See Principles.). There are good discussions on how to improve the area, make it aesthetically appealing, splash parks and other great things. We also find that the DDA is actively trying to improve the downtown (I still think a package of state, federal, local grants with special entrepreneurial financing would be helpful. One could consider looking outside the area like Ann Arbor and other hot spots for would be entrepreneurs that can put up $50 K for building improvements and $50 k for business start up funding. Or something like that.)

We do see some positive changes and adjustments going forward. People are thinking, acting, and making things happen. 

btw the House of Ludington just opened. 

June 15th, 2023 Escanaba City Council Meeting

The principles below are like observations and/or potential truths to explore as factors. They are modeled after Spinoza Ethics proofs and Kant's reason. Its simple and people do it in science all the time. They just break down observations into statements for logic construction. One could then organize them and see what things sort of led to development.

Principle: Motivated mayor and council looking at new ideas. 

Principle: Collaborative interest in development. 

Principle: High trust in local government and solution oriented.

Principle: Investment exposure is rising and PR is growing. 

Principle: A few anchor investments. i.e. Billerud and infrastructure. 

Principle: The waterfront, marina, and deep port have attracted investment interest.

Principle: Unknown factor.

A few random notes. The agenda and meeting minutes provide most of the information. 

-Appropriations: Method of balancing budgets. 

-Revolving loan funding to expand business with Northern Initiative. There is a packet. 

-Its great they got a new recruit for the local police department. We need good recruits to come help keep our city safe. MCOLES 

-New Dock signage. The harbor master is awesome! Good guy. Helpful. (A cool video of Escanaba Harbor in the winter. Drone Flight in Downtown Escanaba, Michigan What I would love to see someday is a bustling town with docks and boats all around the point from one side all the way over to the new hotel that is being built on the other side. I would like to see that hotel i.e. Hampton put in a fish restaurant, fish market which they can use for their restaurant, a bait ship, and some summer slips for visitors/vacationers. I know its sort of a wish list but I think places like this will get attractive.)

-Seeking funds Music Monday funds. 

-Great Lakes Federal Credit Union. Annual Member Appreciate Day July 28th. 

-Historical society agreement accept. (I love history. I should have been an archeologist. :)

-Splash park. Great! It adds to the appeal of the area.

-$6.5 Million RAP 2.0. They are thinking of a bathroom on the Municipal Dock, more events, and connecting the water front. It looks like there is development interest and some changes to the downtown is coming. A meridian with more greenery appears in the works.

-Nothing wrong with sponsoring new recruits. $35K Extrication equipment is helpful. 

Corporate Bankruptcies on the Rise as Interest Rates Rise (Avoiding Over Leverage)

Bankruptcies are rising. According to the article there have been 324 bankruptcy filings which is nearing 2022 levels. Much of that has to do with highly leveraged firms with high debt loads. A couple thoughts on avoiding such situations....

Principle: Ensure you have significant liquid assets and cushion in financing (Probably get a better rate than more risky firms.).

Principle: Make sure growth and resource use is in balance. 

Corporate bankruptcies and defaults are surging – here’s why

Looking for some reasons as to why that happens I came across a nice explanation. I wanted the explanation to be in non academic language. How do fed rate hikes affect debtors and bankruptcy filings.