Thoughts on quintessence, essence, #mutation, and #evolution. Thanks to #Hamlet as always.

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What is the "essence" of a barn owl? Can it change? What is the "essence" of Nerve Growth Factor? Can it change? Just asking these questions is, to me, flirting with madness. Or at least confusion.
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#Blaugust2023
#essentialism
#EvolutionIsEasy
#Shakespeare

https://sfmatheson.blogspot.com/2023/08/thoughts-on-quintessence-mutation-and.html

It just feels good to say “no” to work that distracts from the most important contribution the team is frankly overdue to receive, and have that decision immediately understood and respected by my manager. And to promptly shift into that “what can I do to remove blockers and support your effort?” conversation.

Feels good to put these #Essentialism practices to work. Setting healthy boundaries, defending them, and gaining professional respect in the process.

I said no to my boss today.

Had a meeting about a project I’m not excited about that will need my assistance in the coming weeks. But right now I’ve been struggling to stay focused on producing desperately needed training content.

After the meeting he asked if I could take on some action items needed more immediately.

I said no: my priority is to publish this training content and get our people licensed ASAP.

He supported me and pledged to remove blockers.

#Essentialism #Indistractable

What was the most potent predictor of making so-called essentialist judgments about thought experiments?

😳THE SURVEY MEDIUM?!

Across 10 countries, people who completed the survey with paper and pencil (vs. online) were WAY more likely to exhibit the so-called essentialist judgment.

Why? Exclusion criteria weren't the same for each medium. Sooo 🤷‍♂️.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13292

#xPhi #Culture #Psychology #Essentialism

I recently #read #essentialism and really enjoyed it. I find these #books often just state the obvious but in a way that needs to be stated. It's kind of like cleaning your room, you know you gotta do it, but if your friend tells you you will jump on it lol.

Any other recommendations from people on books like this? Also finished #atomichabits and #digitalminimalism recently and loved those. Always down for more books!

Rebecca Peretz-Lange (and colleagues') shared results and theory about why #essentialism frames can sometimes promote and sometimes mitigate #prejudice.

Dr. Peretz-Lange appeals to studies that included both kids and adults to suggest that "causal discounting" can make the seemingly contradictory results coherent.

You can find/follow the publications from Rebecca's gScholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=en&hl=en&user=C14WR0gAAAAJ&sortby=pubdate

#bias #devPsych #framingEffects #decisionScience #biology #behavior

Denying humanness to others
has a long history...

Recent research from Australia has found that many people consider cyclists to be less than fully #human.

"We found images of #cyclists wearing #helmets or #safety vests to have a higher probability of being selected as less human compared to images of cyclists wearing no safety equipment. The results have implications for research on cyclists."

"Dehumanisation has been found to be predictive of hostile and aggressive behaviour, our finding highlights a potential conflict around the perception and utility of safety gear such as high visibility vests; although designed for safety, they may inadvertently increase levels of hostility and #aggression toward this group of vulnerable road users."

"Research indicates that low status groups are dehumanised – viewed as less civilised and evolved than groups afforded a higher #status."

I often wonder if the SUVs with black tinted windows contain any humans?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847823001018
#Cycling #SafetyAttire #SustainableMobility #CarbonNeutral #ActiveTransportation #Climate #Dehumanisation #Subhuman #Essentialism #Cars #FossilFuel #Motorists #Roadtrauma #Roadkill #OutGroup #Civilisation

What it is and how it helped my freelance life "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown"
https://freelancefreedom.co.uk/book-summary-essentialism-the-disciplined-pursuit-of-less-by-greg-mckeown/
#freelance #essentialism #productivity #mentalHeath

Currently reading "#Essentialism" by #GregMcKeown and it's eye-openingly confronting and amazing all at the same time.

Boy, oh boy have I got some work to do to. Going to get started by saying "no" more often...

https://books.apple.com/us/book/essentialism/id730186570

What have you simplified this week at your company?

What have your removed?

#PerfectionInReduction #Essentialism

Control your time

Today I want to share a story from Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner sets aside up to two free hours on his calendar each day. Even though he has nothing planned. 

He invented this method when busyness left him no time to understand what's happening. 
Eventually, Jeff realised that it’s his best productivity tool. It was also a way of ensuring that he was in control of his day, not at its mercy.

#essentialism #gregmckeown #psychology #timemanagement

Restrictions are good

Restrictions are the walls that channel my energy. 
Without limitations, there is no power, no direction.

I like the fact that the length of social media posts is limited. It forces you to express thoughts in a short, thesis-based way. This structure exposes the meaning of the statement.

I put my own limits on anything. Then I watch my life change.
This way helps me to find better solutions.

Life without limits is a house without walls.

#limits #lifestyle #essentialism

Can a comedian teach you how to be more productive and focused as a #leader?

Try the “Seinfeld Strategy”

‘What strategies does Jerry Seinfeld use to beat procrastination and
consistently produce quality work?’

#productivity #focus #essentialism

https://jamesclear.com/stop-procrastinating-seinfeld-strategy

'Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work.’

~ Gustave Flaubert, French novelist

#discipline #creativity #essentialism

I have never liked "Arc of History" arguments (it was, much as I appreciated Barack Obama and his Constitutional scholarship + community organizational approach, my most fundamental disagreement with him).

It encodes, whether #religious or #secular, too much of an #extrahuman reliance or responsibility for history and social structure. It reeks of a kind of #essentialism that I think we should mistrust everywhere.

Although *THE DOG* is no longer with us, this is my fave pic to share to get the ball rolling here.

#bikepacking #mtblife #gardening #food #homecook #fermentation #zerowaste #essentialism #alwayslearning #communications #wfh #introvert #ambivert #amreading

Here’s my #followbackfriday #introduction Process Analyst by day, Producer/ Songwriter by night. Much of my influences are #IndustrialMusic, #IndustrialRock, #Techno, #MelodicHouse, with a nostalgia for the #MortaKombat #Sountracks. I’m informed by #riotgirl sentiments & love injecting #footwork percussion into my #songs.
I’m into #kayaking, #liftingweights, indie #horrofilms, #urbanfantasy, nerdy #neuroscience topics like mirroring neurons & my favourite #book is #Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

Ooh, I’m loving all the personal introductions right now! Here’s mine:
Process Analyst by day, Producer/ Songwriter by night. Much of my influences are #IndustrialMusic, #IndustrialRock, #Techno, #MelodicHouse, with a nostalgia for the #MortaKombat #Sountracks. I’m informed by #riotgirl sentiments and love my #footwork percussion.

I’m into #kayaking, #liftingweights, indie #horrofilms, nerdy #neuroscience topics like mirroring neurons, & my favourite #book is #Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

Once again, I'm reading an inspirational book that deeply resonates with me. And once again, I can already feel big changes coming in my personal and professional life.

#essentialism