Good company… the Tibetan high priests (Rhinpoches) and a good friend of mine mentioned this, making clear how sad they feel that so many people do not allow themselves to ‘look further than their own noses.’ The consequence is a total paralysis of recovery, innovation, and perspectives for a dynamic future. We need new thinking. As Albert Einstein used to say: “never try to solve a problem with the same thinking which caused the problem.”
People refuse to recognize that you cannot know everything and should be open to other input, different ways of looking at the world, their business, their private situations etc.
If, for example, a butcher has a business problem, he might ask advice from another butcher, who also thinks ‘butcher’. What about an accountant, engineer, real estate expert, teacher or your customers etc? Different experiences might lead to new ideas. Obviously this applies to everyone. From traders to brokers to economists and… politicians, any profession, even countries. If you lose customers think about the fact that customer loyalty is only ‘the absence of something better.’
So look for something better, different. Here on the coast, everything is a copy of the other.
They need a mind-shift, but are afraid of; 1. Being suspicious of the ‘unknown.’ 2. Afraid to lose control. 3. They think that they might lose their ‘image,’ which is nonsense. On the contrary, they will gain respect.
Socrates knew that he did not know everything and therefore asked all kinds of questions to find the truth.
Salvador Dali said that he was mad, but that the difference between him and other mad people was that he knew he was mad.
An extravagant example of ‘tunnel thinking’ you can even see in The United States:
Trendsetters in the world, they invented the most innovated ventures via the internet, created Intel, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Google, FaceBook, etc. etc. but are stuck on homosexuality, abortion and any innovative change in society Mr. Obama wants to realize.
They are (I am talking about Republicans, Neo Liberalists, Utilitarians) ideologically paralysed by their money thinking and hypocrite ‘freedom’ thinking. If you invest 500.000 dollars in the US you can get a green card (is that freedom for everyone? Fair and equal chances are what they always preach?). If you pay 200 dollars to a student who stands for a night in the queue for you, to ‘buy’ an attendant seat in congress to hear what they are going to decide on interesting topics. Is that participation of political experiences for everyone?
As a hobby hunter you might buy, for thousands of dollars, the ‘right’ or licence to kill animals belonging to the ‘big five in Africa’ (Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo) or the so called ‘grand slam’ in the arctic area (like the polar bear and the walrus).
You can buy the mobile telephone number of your medical doctor for hundreds of dollars a year and will get priority with appointments for medical care. Is that equality and fairness?
Is that a start towards legalising the corruptive influence of money in society? ‘Moneyfication?
Tea Party participants with this thinking paralyze Obamas striving to create a good healthcare programme for everyone. Every Sunday they hear in the church how ‘charitable’ they are. Yet they deny the ‘right to be healthy.’
How far can you go? Norms and values are fading away into the power of the ‘market.’
The ‘holy’ ‘market mechanism’ and ‘ shareholders value’ rules our ethical issues. Moreover ‘ethics’ are, in bad times, considered to be a luxury product.
In Spain extranjero residents who have been working hard for 40 years and like to spend their ‘whitely’ earned money (the best clients for the Spanish economy) are convicted to ‘tonto’ tax measures and might fly back to their home land. Bye-bye clients.
Nothing new…. ‘Entrepreneurs’ imitate the bar of their neighbour and compete with them.
Well managed pharmacies, restaurants, bars are copied and eat the profit of their neighbours.
Every corner of the street another green grocery shop or a Chinese bazaar selling partly copied brands of Ralph Lauren, Armani etc. A dynamic young couple with a good coffee shop concept had to close down because the narrow headed property owner does not like ‘guiris’.
What are norms and value in business…What is ‘value’ anyway?
Attribution
We all know the so-called ‘attribution’ lesson in psychology. This means simply: ‘when I am successful it’s thanks to me but when I am not it’s the other’s fault.’
Business not good? It’s the unfair competition, bad weather, the bank, the clients etc. Never is it yourselves which is the problem.
Especially trading people; merchants keep on praising themselves for their success but it’s never the lousy client, or anyone else.
Reactive attitudes, no accessibility to others’ opinion instead of being proactive.
Suddenly many Greek, Italian and Spanish people are being discriminated against by Northern Europeans, especially Germans (Mrs Merkel) and blame them for the miserable economic situation.
Someone told me they claim that thanks to Greece, Italy and Spain, Germany can get loans for the lowest interest rates. Who are these ‘thinkers?’ Neanderthals? Yes it’s the arrogance of ignorance! Interest rates stand for the levels of risk. Risk is the lack of trust, trust is risk reduction. I’d rather invest in Germany, because I trust them… ridiculous behaviour, not seeing that this country let it all happen.
Corruptive attitudes, short-term thinking, inefficient working and bureaucracy are obviously the cause. Read the daily El Pais or Ideal papers and cry.
One piece of advice to all those complainers and ‘square heads:’ Buy a mirror (or two).