Categories
Approximate Thinking Art Creativity Cultural and Creative Industries Culture Films Fuzzy Thinking Science Stories Systems Technology Work

Mundane Evil & Creativity : “I was just doing my Job..”

More often than not, evil is not one great shocking act. Mundane evil is the most prevalent form.. and what we come to see as great evil sometimes [usually in retrospect], starts with small tasks, and accumulates simple additions as it goes.

Ironically, I think this summarizes “Oppenheimer” – the events, and the 2023 film.

Oppenheimer Mundane Evil
Oppenheimer: A story of Mundane Evil

“The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks.”

C.S. Lewis

Categories
Approximate Thinking Approximation Books Culture Fuzzy Thinking Incompleteness Innovation Knowledge Leadership Psychology Systems Thinking Work

How Lazy is John Galt? Ayn Rand, Approximate Thinking, Ideology, and Selling Books

Ayn Rand and Approximate Thinking?

Many people complain about the simplistic (and sometimes infantile) nature of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”… Still, the book is only less successful (in terms of distribution) than the bible. What explains this? I argue that it is the conflation of identities and political ideologies with ideas and thought.

Ultimately, laziness and approximate thinking are what made John Galt great! This is really the secret behind Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”.

Categories
Approximate Thinking Culture Innovation Knowledge Production Research Science Systems Technology Trends Wisdom

Guns, Germs, and Steel : A (clearer) perspective on Diffusion (of Innovation) & Progress

The ‘broadest pattern in history’ is a pattern of diffusion of innovation (cultural and technological innovation). The outcomes of the flow of innovation in culture, political and economic organization, and technology, are what caused – eventually – a giant rift between the ‘old world’ and the new one, and between different political entities.

A discussion based on the book by J. Diamond (Link below).

Jared Diamond : The Author of Guns Germs and Steel
Jared Diamond : The Author of Guns Germs and Steel
Categories
Approximate Thinking Approximation Education Fuzzy Thinking Incompleteness Innovation Knowledge Learning Measurement Research Science Systems Thinking

On Reduction and Approximations : University Rankings and Measuring Education

Ranking universities and higher education institutions is (??) helpful in some respects. It might make it easier for (the perplexed) youth entering into higher education to choose… Moreover, A competitive environment, promoted by university rankings, encourages creativity, innovation, and effort.

Nothing simplified, however, comes for free… “University Rankings” are an extreme Approximation (reduction), and those are dangerous.

Categories
Approximate Thinking Approximation Culture Fuzzy Thinking Incompleteness Innovation Knowledge Leadership Measurement Psychology Systems Technology Thinking Work

Is Success the result of Chance, Skill, or Effort? The Fuzzy Thinking behind the anger, values, and politics soup

Why is it that discussions on equal opportunities can easily get derailed into name-calling? What are the causes of success, and why are people so sensitive about them? Fuzzy thinking about work and politics, and an incomplete understanding can cause an unnecessary confusion.

Categories
Books Creativity Cultural Products Culture Innovation Knowledge Production Research Science Systems Tech Technology Thinking

The Philosophy of Technology (Book): Themes & Thoughts on Technology and (Applied) Science

This is a short review of the book “Philosophy of Technology” by V. Dusek and its main themes and ideas. I’ve selected some interesting ideas to talk about, and included some excerpts from the book in the end.

Philosophy of Technology
Categories
Approximate Thinking Approximation Art Books Consumer Behavior Creativity Cultural and Creative Industries Cultural Products Cultural Resources Innovation Marketing Stories Systems Trends

“Love the Refugees” : Why the Token Representative in Business and Culture works – a Market and Consumer Behavior Perspective

This post is about the power of the ‘token representative’. The image of the refugee of today, is replacing that of the mobster of yesterday. It is always easier (and more emotionally satisfying) to use ‘approximate thinking’ and remember a simplified story. Interestingly, this is flowing from cultural products like Film to other areas, including business and entrepreneurship…

Categories
Approximate Thinking Approximation Creativity Cultural and Creative Industries Cultural Products Cultural Resources Innovation Knowledge Marketing Measurement Research Systems Tech Work

The Global Innovation Index 2022: Measurement, Growth, and Achieving Innovation Goals

Can Economists ruin Innovation with an Index? Thoughts on measuring innovation, growth, culture, and creativity.

The 2022 Global Innovation Index report released by WIPO has been published for 2022. Here are some of thoughts on the report, including a few comments and reflections on innovation, economic growth, measurement, and cultural resources.

Categories
Approximation Brands Consumer Behavior Cultural and Creative Industries Cultural Products Cultural Resources Culture Innovation Leadership Marketing Measurement Stories Systems

Country Brands [Or Place Brands]: An underutilized Cultural Resource

Country Brands can be a useful socio-economic resource. They are hard to ‘control’, but certain aspects of them can be understood and used to support markets and innovation.

Categories
Creativity Cultural Products Culture Education Innovation Knowledge Measurement Science Systems

On Education (1): Schools, Teachers, Markets, and The Success of Learning efforts

How can we fix the educational system? Should we reconsider what its objectives are?

The overall effectiveness and efficiency of the school system makes for a very interesting discussion. Other than being the main tool to spread knowledge in a society, it is also supposedly an important contributor to the processes of economic progress and of social mobility (allowing for the possibility of individuals moving between ‘classes’) … That – however – is just in theory …