Should we tell them our true intentions in situations? How much should they know about our current circumstances or background? Should we reveal what we already know about them? In his 1959 book, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Erving Goffman argued that social interaction is a kind of drama or theater with people playing different roles in different situations. The intention of that play, he insisted, is to convince others that we are indeed the characters we claim to be. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/social-life">Social life </a>, it seems, is about making and managing “impressions.”

How much should You reveal about YOU 

Interaction becomes a sort of information game in which selected things emerge and others remain hidden—and most appear as versions of the full truth. Again, all of us want other people to regard us in certain (usually, idealized) ways. Interaction, as another of his book titles has it, is “strategic.” Most of us think of self-presentation as the management of behavior (both verbal and nonverbal) and appearance. We take care with what we say and how we say it. That means monitoring posture, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and eye contact, as well as maintaining personal distance m<warningtag>.</warningtag>

The Interaction Game We Play

Material objects are important elements of this stagecraft. Participants feel themselves moving on and off stage, sometimes to its center and sometimes to its back and side regions. To be sure, clothing is one indicator of how we see ourselves, how we wish others to see us, and what we expect from the current situation. Hats, shoes, and jewelry have their effects. Errors in this self-presentation (perhaps a spot on our tie) can cause us to “lose face.” These concerns may not matter among people familiar with the other but they are paramount when initiating significant relationships.

The Impression Created By Material Objects 

Material objects are important elements of this stagecraft. Physical settings (compare a lawyer’s office to a gymnasium) facilitate certain kinds of activity and not others. The appearance, manner, and equipment of “staff” distinguish them from “clients.” Participants feel themselves moving on and off stage, sometimes to its center and sometimes to its back and side regions.To be sure, clothing is one indicator of how we see ourselves, how we wish others to see us, and what we expect from the current situation. Hats, shoes, and jewelry have their effects. Make-up can enhance appearance. As Goffman stresses, slips and errors in this self-presentation (perhaps a spot on our tie or a section of undyed hair) can cause us to “lose face.” These concerns may not matter among those who know each other well. They are paramount in occasions where people meet and initiate significant relationships.

People crave some reward-producing item in their hands, which they manipulate to move in and out of social situations. Most adults have some activity-linked object that serves both as focus and as social buffer. Similar to cigarettes, hugely popular half a century ago, cell phones are now used to symbolize the persona. Televisions and computers are critical. Consider knitting and other forms of needlework, crosswords and number puzzles,magazines and books, musical instruments, and cameras. All make plain that the user has something “going on,” or that they possess a certain interest or skill.

Using Objects To Symbolize Personality

No one should romanticize those bygone days, when cigarette smoke filled most interior spaces. Rather, my point is that people crave some reward-producing item in their hands, which they manipulate to move in and out of social situations. Less addicted to smoking than their antecedents, my students explain that cell phones now function in this way. “Checking one’s phone” gives the illusion of social connection (and importance), especially in face-to-face settings when interaction falters. Brands and models of phones have a certain cache. So does demonstrating how to obtain and use the various apps. Displaying screen content to another person is an opportunity for physical closeness. Oppositely, leaving a setting to respond to a message—by actual withdrawal or just by withdrawal from engagement—is accepted practice. In essence, the phone user makes clear that he or she is someone who has a set of concerns and relationships beyond the setting at hand. There are times to relinquish phones (weddings, sports practices, exams), but usually they allow one to be semi-involved.Setting these examples aside, most adults have some activity-linked object that serves both as focus and as social buffer. Televisions and computers are critical. Consider knitting and other forms of needlework, crosswords and number puzzles, magazines and books, musical instruments, and cameras. All make plain that the user has something “going on,” that they possess a certain interest or skill, and that other people should interrupt that user only with good cause.

What person does not possess treasured objects that link them to earlier life stages and to the people that shared those moments with them? Sometimes, these are simply records of what one has done (like an artist’s paintings). Others are public acknowledgments (like school trophies and merit badges). Most poignant are products of loved ones who have moved on to other life stages (like a small child’s drawings or old love letters) or to death itself (like cherished objects of ancestors).

The Past Recovered

A British television series, “The Repair Shop,” offers wonderful examples of the ways in which treasured objects forge ties between the generations. In every episode, someone who has lost touch with a loved one (often by death) brings a dilapidated item to the shop for repair, an item that was once important to that loved one’s life. Miraculously, the craftspeople restore it to some semblance of its former glory. Confronting the restoration, the owners feel reconnected to their ancestors. Joy and sadness combine.What person does not possess treasured objects that link them to earlier life stage<warningtag>s and to the people that shared those moments with them? Sometimes, these are simply records of what one has done (like an artist’s paintings). Others are public acknowledgments (like school trophies and merit badges). Most poignant are products of loved ones who have moved on to other life stages (like a small child’s drawings or old love letters) or to death itself (like cherished objects of ancestors).</warningtag><warningtag>Discovering an old baseball mitt or love-worn doll is not just an occasion for </warningtag><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/memory"><warningtag>memory </warningtag></a><warningtag>, whether private or shared with others. Such events are confrontations with the fact that our lives extend well beyond the present; indeed, the present is only the moving edge of who we have been. As we age, the more profound those past events and relationships become.</warningtag>

Discovering an old baseball mitt or love-worn doll is not just an occasion for memory , whether private or shared with others. Such events are confrontations with the fact that our lives extend well beyond the present; indeed, the present is only the moving edge of who we have been. As we age, the more profound those past events and relationships become.

Extension Of Ourselves

Old possessions symbolize continuity and endurance. New ones shout possibility. In that spirit, we upgrade televisions, computers, and phones. We move to some place different or redecorate our current accommodations. We change our appearance. In a future-oriented society, all this seems right and proper. However easy or difficult those shifts may be, the issue is not so simple. Pointedly, by acquiring and using objects—that new cellphone, car, or pair of boots—we become the users of those items. Having worn social masks for most of our lifetime, the face beneath is pale and malleable

Future Commitments

Stated more simply, material possessions claim us just as we claim them. Much of life, or so it seems, involves mortgages and car payments, shopping excursions, and visits to repair shops. Old goods are abandoned; new ones acquired. We should remind ourselves that material things are more than tools, habitats, and conveyances; they are the circumstances of who we have been, are now, and will be. Being thoughtful about those circumstances is the challenge of modern living.

Souvenirs Of Our Values

Your stuff and habits says a lot more about you than you might have thought. Some food for thought. 

How do physical things facilitate interaction and support identity?

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

communication

Communication

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

Personality Props: Material Objects and the Self

We all are surrounded by monkeys bossing us around with their monkey chatter, going about their monkey business at the expense of our toils, but there is an age-old trick to master this miserable monkey-human relationship.

Give the monkey what it wants!

The monkey is anyone who holds authority, power and designation. This monkey is someone you need approval from, someone who is giving you a hard time. It could be your interviewer, asking you questions that pinch (e.g. that time gap on your résumé) or your examiner, who is asking you the questions no one studies, or worse your manager, poised like a snake, waiting for you to commit a mistake so that they get a legit reason to bite.Remember, any monkey that you meet and want to get by, has few attributes. To simplify, these monkeys that we encounter will usually be self-centred beings.

Who is the monkey?

The monkey has a fixed mindset, they like to have things done their way. Monkey See, Monkey Do. They learn to do things by mimicry and often do not know the reason and logic behind the act so, what if you start mimicking the monkey’s style and flair?The monkey may or may not possess any theoretical prowess but being so long out into the field, the monkey does have practical wisdom. This wisdom gained over the years is difficult to beat in a one-on-one confrontation and gives birth to certain biases and stereotypes inside the monkey’s head.

What does the monkey think?

Simple question, even simpler answer, say it with me- the monkey wants the BANANA. So, what is this BANANA?The Banana in this article is not the fruit, although it would be nice if we could get solutions to our life problems at 0.80C$/lb. The Banana is the key to getting past the monkey, you give the monkey what it wants and go on with your life without the monkey bothering you.

What does the monkey want?

In reality, every monkey you encounter is different, hence the same is true for the banana. The banana in every scenario changes according to the needs of the monkey. To identify the perfect banana you need to understand the trifactorial of the monkey i.e. NEEDS, WANTS AND DEMANDS.For example, for the interviewer, a need is a candidate, a want is a candidate with desired credentials and demand is to have all above with 5+ years of experience for an entry-level job. But for the examiner, a need is an answer, a want is a correct answer of desired length and demand is to get all with examples.

What is the BANANA?

Firstly, understand the business at hand. Why do you want to use the banana and what is the outcome you want. Once that is established, make your move. Remember, Agreement yields better results than arguments. Play the monkey by using the monkey’s preset notions, bias, like and dislike to tilt the arguments in your favour. Once the level field is uneven the monkey feels inclined to fall for the banana and leaves you alone, e.g., the banana for the interviewer could be some excellent references on top of the required credentials. The banana for the examiner could be an outstanding answer.

How to give the banana?

Lastly, remember monkeys are monkeys, no matter how evolved they are, they always fall for bananas. The only key is to identify the best banana for the situation at hand and make the most of the moment you overcome a boisterous and raucous monkey. Godspeed!!

Summary:

We all are surrounded by monkeys bossing us around with their monkey chatter, going about their monkey business at the expense of our toils, but there is an age-old trick to master this miserable monkey-human relationship.

We all are surrounded by monkeys bossing us around with their monkey chatter, going about their monkey business at the expense of our toils, but there is an age-old trick to master this miserable…

productivity

Productivity

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Meetings are - more often than not - unproductive, owing to poorly organized (or absent) agendas, wayward oversight, and directionless conversation. Even thinking about a meeting sends some into a tailspin.

Meetings Are A Pain And A Drain

First of all, treat your meeting like a presentation. The first part should be the delivery of the message and the second should include a quick, time-limited Q-and-A and the definition of action items.Then, as speaker coach Diane DiResta recommends, you have to follow a handful of simple rules to keep your composure and ensure a powerful, positive effect to every meeting presentation.She calls these rules the “GLAD Rule”.

How To Fix Meetings: The “GLAD” Rule

[G]ive them what they need to know, not everything you know. We’re often tempted to demonstrate our knowledge or expertise by heaping on a wealth of information. But that just dilutes the main argument. Instead, start by asking: What does my audience need/want to know? Stick to that.

The GLAD Rule - G

[L]ead with “you.” Believe it or not, your presentation is not about you - it’s about your captive audience. So give them what they want. Talk about their needs and pain points. Be clear about solutions that affect them. And use “you” language to underscore this effort.

The GLAD Rule - L

[A]ct, and push for [A]ction. Be performative - but only as far as it supports your main point. While numbers vary, experts have noted that 60-80% of communication comes from body language, so leverage that with gestures that emphasize your key point. Don't flail, though - that’s merely distracting. Also, be sure you close your presentation with a call to action. What can your audience do now that they have this new information?

The GLAD Rule - A

[D]eliver details in the middle, the thesis at the beginning and end. If you start with the nitty-gritty, you’ll lose your audience. Grab your audience with a hook (like a story or a compelling statistic), then share your main thesis. What is your point and why does it matter? After this, you can add in supporting details. Then, close with a memorable punch - give your audience the thesis one more time, packaged slightly differently so it doesn't sound like your parroting yourself.

The GLAD Rule - D

This approach can be used in general conversation, too - not just in formal presentations.The crux of it is keeping it simple, compelling, and audience-focused. Why would they want to listen? What will they get out of it? If you make the the case clear and provide an attractive benefit to action, you'll got them hooked.

The GLAD Rule Works For Conversation Too

If you're worried about presenting in front of people, DiResta has a few quick pointers that are easy to remember:<ul><li>Instead of looking at a sweeping sea of people, focus your attention on one person in the audience for 10 seconds, then switch to another person. This makes your presentation feel more like a 1:1 conversation.</li><li>Don't let the “um” derail you. Take pauses between points - even between sentences, if you need them. The silence is far less uncomfortable to the audience than it seems to you and gives you a chance to breathe and collect your thoughts for the rest of your presentation.</li></ul>

A Couple Of Tips On Presenting To An Audience

Meetings are done - or should be done - to discuss the problems and the solutions to those problems; not to create more problems.

Remember What Meetings Are For

“You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.”

We (should) have meetings to make a decision, not to decide on the question.

Don't shy away from difficult meetings. Earn respect from peers and get the results you want with four simple tips.

timemanagement

Time Management

How We Can Use the “GLAD” Rule to Overcome the Misery of Meetings

A key to unlocking growth in your writing, startups, marketing, business, or career.

Storytelling is a superpower

The best storytellers always define a clear purpose prior to crafting their story.What is the story trying to achieve? What does success look like with this story?Commit to answering these key questions before doing anything else.

Clarity of Purpose

Every great story begins with a well-defined audience.Who is the audience? What do they consciously (or subconsciously) want from the story?Be deliberate with this exercise.Be honest with yourself. The audience may look different than you expect.

Define the Audience

“People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.” – Steven SpielbergStories need structure.Clear narrative arcs (like Pixar’s “hero’s journey”) work well.

Establish Structure

Playwright Kenn Adams created a neat framework - “the story spine” - for establishing structure:Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].Fill it in and watch your story take shape

The Story Spine

Emotion is what makes great stories stick with you.Think about your favourite stories. How did they make you feel?It’s a safe bet that they elicited a strong emotional response.Learn from this. Weave emotion into the foundational fabric of every story.

Weave in the Emotion

Every great story is infused with novelty.Novelty comes in many different forms:Fresh, new perspectives. Surprising insights. Shock-and-awe moments. Unexpected twists.The goal is to make your audience say: “Oh, wow!”If you’re falling short, dig deeper.

Infuse Novelty

Storytelling expert Nancy Duarte coined the “what is vs. what could be” framework.First, describe the reality (“what is”).Next, describe the potential future (“what could be”).This framework forces you to create contrasts to craft a captivating narrative.

Create Contrasts

Disney is the greatest storytelling empire of all time.Walt Disney was famous for his focus on suspending reality for his audiences - allowing them to experience his new reality while still being in their reality.Take a lesson from the best. Suspend reality.

Suspend Reality

“Make it simple, but significant.” - Don DraperA good story may be complex, but a great story is always simple.Try to elevator pitch the story to an uninformed party. Are they able to understand it? If not, you still have work to do.When in doubt, simplify!

Keep It Simple

Shared community is an insanely powerful force.The best stories (and the best storytellers) foster community - they elicit a sense of shared purpose, shared membership in a group, or shared experience.Stories that build communities last forever.

Foster Community

Stories are meant to be shared.The story “K-factor” - a viral marketing metric for growth - should be high.This requires high shareability.To enhance it: Keep it simple and make it easy to “take down” into shorter, alternative versions.

Shareable 

Most great writers and storytellers agree on one thing: starting is the hardest part.There is nothing more daunting than a blank page.So start fast - get a draft down (and don’t worry about how bad it is).Then slow down - write & rewrite as necessary.

Draft Fast, Edit Slow

Inspiration is from Twitter. Found this Twitter thread on storytelling that I think every writer, storyteller or professional should know about. Happy Reading! Thank me later ☺️

career

Career

writing

Reading & Writing

business

Business

Twitter

Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author, and journalist, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957.Camus' own philosophy was grounded in absurdism, which refers to the inherent conflict.This conflict often causes a certain amount of tension, and these tensions can cause anxiety and doubt if left unresolved.<ul><li> Many believe that life has no inherent meaning, and it is therefore up to us to decide our own meaning.</li><li> Others believe that meaning can be found in the world around us, and we have to be open to it when it presents itself.</li></ul>Here are some of his philosophical quotes:

Albert Camus

The evil in the world comes almost always from ignorance, and goodwill can cause as much damage as ill-will if it is not enlightened. People are more often good than bad, though in fact that is not the question. But they are more or less ignorant and this is what one calls vice or virtue, the most appalling vice being the ignorance that thinks it knows everything and which consequently authorizes itself to kill. The murderer's soul is blind, and there is no true goodness or fine love without the greatest possible degree of clear-sightedness

I continue to believe that this world has no ultimate meaning. But I know that something in it has a meaning and that is man, because he is the only creature to insist on having one.

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.

If absolute truth belongs to anyone in this world, it certainly does not belong to the man or party that claims to possess it.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.

Don’t walk in front of me… I may not followDon’t walk behind me… I may not leadWalk beside me… just be my friend

There can be no question of holding forth on ethics. I have seen people behave badly with great morality and I note every day that integrity has no need of rules.

In the world there is, parallel to the force of death and constraint, an enormous force of persuasion that is called culture.

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him.

Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.

People hasten to judge in order not to be judged themselves.

A man wants to earn money in order to be happy, and his whole effort and the best of a life are devoted to the earning of that money. Happiness is forgotten; the means are taken for the end.

You’re worried about getting things successfully done in order to attain some degree of self-worth. Your soul is for sale; You most likely deceive yourself in order to convince yourself. Letting go equals failing, isn’t that right? And you forget outstandingly well, don’t you? You forget that It takes admirable courage not only to try but also to gracefully give up.

I see many people die because they judge that life is not worth living. I see others paradoxically getting killed for the ideas or illusions that give them a reason for living (what is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying). I therefore conclude that the meaning of life is the most urgent of questions.

Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author, and journalist, awarded the 
Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957.

His work includes The Stranger, The Plague, The Fall and The Rebel. Camus' 
own philosophy was grounded in absurdism, which refers to the inherent 
conflict present in many of us when we have a tendency to seek meaning and 
value in life but are ultimately unable to find it with certainty.

philosophy

Philosophy

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Albert Camus: Greatest Quotes

Our agency is a big believer in data. We track website metrics, social media metrics, email marketing metrics, and pull in great <a href="https://www.greenmellenmedia.com/heat-maps-what-value-do-they-provide/">tools like heatmaps</a> to take things even further. However, a problem that can quickly arise is having too much data. It’s easy to build a giant report that shows everything, but the result of that is often that the key metrics get buried.

More data = less value

The biggest offenders tend to be digital marketing agencies and SEO agencies that send 100-page reports to their clients. It’s always a big red flag. Usually means it was outsourced by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.Experts know how to make things easy to understand, not harder.

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter

Our dashboards work well, but really any method that you use to take lots of data and break it down is an excellent way to provide more value to those you serve.

Our agency is a big believer in data. We track website metrics, social media metrics, email marketing metrics, and pull in great tools like heatmaps to take things even further. However, a problem that can quickly arise is having too much data. It's easy to build a giant report that…

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

We all go through times when we see the world through cloudy-colored glasses. Times when it’s tempting to just climb into bed — or bathtub — and hide out, maybe for up to a month. Fortunately for your loved ones, your livelihood and your life, we’ve gathered together eight tactics from TED speakers to cut through the fog.

Be Hopeful

At times, it can seem impossible to stay optimistic in the face of the day’s headlines. When you wake up and think it’s going to be a blah day, you’re helping set yourself up to have just such a day. So the next time you catch yourself making a gloomy prediction, first congratulate yourself for noticing. Then, think about a few things you can look forward to throughout the day and you’ll begin training your brain to zoom in on positive events.

1. Shift your expectations.

“Optimism changes subjective reality. The way we expect the world to be changes the way we see it. But it also changes objective reality. It acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Do you feel like it’s hard to be look forward to the future because it seems all too predictable?<ul><li>Choice #1: resign yourself to the inevitable </li><li>Choice #2: open yourself up to the possibilities that exist for everyone, at every age.</li></ul>Consider <a href="https://twitter.com/paulietaz?lang=en">Paul Tasner </a>. He was shaken out of his daily grind when he was laid off at the age of 64. At the age of 66, he decided to become a first-time entrepreneur.The Californian now makes biodegradable packaging that helps combat the plastic pollution crisis — and says, “I am doing the most rewarding and meaningful work of my life right now.” <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_tasner_how_i_became_an_entrepreneur_at_66"> </a>

2. Recognize that you can change your life at any point.

For some, pessimism is not a passing inclination but a near-constant outlook shaped by difficult, maybe brutal times. “Avoidance and endurance can be the entryway to forging meaning,” says Andrew Solomon . Solomon transformed a childhood marked by bullying and emotional torment into a life of helping others communicate their own stories of growth.

3. Look for meaning in the most challenging moments.

“You need to take the traumas and make them part of who you’ve come to be, and you need to fold the worst events of your life into a narrative of triumph, evincing a better self in response to things that hurt.”

When you’re feeling down, it can help to get out of your own head.This week, make it a point to ask someone — a family member, friend or even a stranger — to tell you a story about a meaningful time in their life. Listen deeply and intentionally.When you hear a story about the love, wisdom and courage that fill our most important moments, says Isay, “it can sometimes feel like you’re walking on holy ground.”

4. Listen to another person’s story.

Does your discouragement stem from being knocked down one too many times? Writer <a href="https://twitter.com/GilbertLiz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Elizabeth Gilbert </a>knows what that’s like. After the blockbuster success of her memoir <a href="http://geni.us/rB3l">Eat, Pray, Love </a>, she released another book — and “it bombed,” she says.“I was fine,” she adds.That’s because her home base is the act of writing itself — not getting good reviews, watching her books become best-sellers, or selling movie rights.How can you find your own center amid life’s sturm und drang ? Identify the thing or things in this world that you love more than you love yourself, says Gilbert.

5. Return to your home base.

“I will always be safe from the random hurricanes of outcome as long as I never forget where I rightfully live,”

It may seem wrong to stay cheerful in the face of the many big problems confronting us.Think for a moment about the practical know-how, creativity, teamwork and just plain gumption that made the idea a reality — and know that world-changing ideas are being hatched all around us. Swap some of the time you spend reading or listening to the news; instead do a search for news stories with the key word “innovation”.

​  6.  Add some wow to your world.

“Innovation leads to more innovation leads to more innovation”

After her mother who was a Cancer patient Latham started collecting stories of human kindness from all 50 states, staying with strangers along the way. She is compiling a book that she hopes to place in hospital waiting rooms. “There is an unfathomable amount of kindness that I have seen,” she says, “and when we put our fears aside, when we connect to strangers, when we smile at the people next to us or put away our judgments, it opens up a door into an entirely different way of life.”

7. Remember the essential goodness of humanity.

After someone close to her passed away, Chang was inspired to transform an abandoned home in her city of New Orleans into a giant chalkboard with a single fill-in-the-blank sentence: “Before I die I want to ___.”As people completed the sentence with answers like the wall changed from a neglected space into one that connected neighbors and highlighted their hopes and dreams. In this way, preparing for death — and thinking about all the things you can achieve right now — can be one of the most uplifting things you can do.

8.  Think about your death (yes, really).

“In our age of increasing distractions, it’s more important than ever to find ways to maintain perspective, and remember that life is brief and tender.”

How to be more hopeful : The ideas of 8 Ted speakers. 

8 TED speakers show you how to nudge your mind toward the sunny side

How to Be More Hopeful

Each of us contemplates the long-term future of our species at some point. Will we survive self-destruction? Will we migrate to the stars? Both as individuals and as a society, we typically call on imagination to ponder the big questions. Whether we choose to look 10 or 1,000 years into the future, we often seek the help of the science fiction artists, writers, filmmakers, and TV producers who can help us understand our place within the universe.

Visions of tomorrow inform the present and can inspire progress both socially and technologically. Astronauts like Mae Jemison and aerospace engineers like Bobak Ferdowsi and Elon Musk all speak of science fiction as a guiding influence for their careers. More significantly, science fiction can inspire everyday people to engage in visionary, long-term thinking.

If we are invested in a better future, we will be motivated to adapt and solve the problems we face now. Whether the future is portrayed as bright or dim, science fiction can coax us to think creatively by letting us leapfrog to the distant future where we may glimpse what radical change could look like.

A Different Perspective

These stories often imply that we will survive as a species and overcome our challenges; but there are also many counter narratives warning that even though we may progress as a society, dangers abound. Cautionary tales like The Terminator, Mad Max, or Alien can therefore be as illuminating as more optimistic stories such as Interstellar, E.T., Contact, or Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

A multi-generational perspective that is scaled to encompass interplanetary habitation enlarges our understanding of our context within the universe and discourages shortsighted actions. These kinds of broader views prioritize aspirations like peaceful coexistence and conservation.

The ability to transport people into the distant future also has inspirational value: Even though we currently lack the technical or social capacity to reach our goals, the vision of an eventual breakthrough breeds optimism and builds resolve. In an age of scientific reasoning and logic, people still seek hope and connection.

Connection and Hope

By providing imaginative ways to participate in events beyond our lifetimes, visions of the future can serve as beacons of faith and moral bearings for how we live today. Portrayals of a better tomorrow can also inspire actions that contribute to something greater than ourselves; when we emotionally invest in mythic ideas about the future, we feel empowered to actualize them. That sense of empowerment fuels purpose and fosters global communion with the rest of humanity. By taking a visionary stance, we can help equip our descendants for success.

Anything that helps people conceptualize the future, think beyond the present, and relate to characters with diverse identities is positive. Many classic space adventures aren’t centered around specific references to science, but they still provide imaginative glimpses of possibilities beyond today’s scientific reach. Sagas like Dune, Star Wars, and The Fifth Element portray a vast universe full of diverse worlds and extraterrestrial beings, and therefore offer powerful perspectives on humanity’s evolutionary course.

Moving forward, science fiction should be elevated to an academic level and recognized as more than a hobby or a fantastical escape. Where pure science can be difficult for some people to process, creative projections can make scientific theories more accessible to the general public, especially when communicated visually. In addition to inspiring scientists, engineers, and astronauts—as well as supporting STEM education—science fiction has the capacity to fuel the creative impulses of all kinds of people, including architects, designers, and politicians.

A Tool for Education

Carrying the torch for these visions of progress and sharing them with others can provide a sense of purpose in itself. I may not colonize another planet or develop technology that contributes to the goal, but by helping to cultivate the dream, I increase the possibility that others will find a way to get there eventually. And by this, I don’t just mean technological progress, but a more comprehensive transformation across society, including the abilities to improve environmentally, socially, and politically.

#####Everyone should seek out futuristic narratives in film, TV, and literature, and share them with the folks in their lives—especially young people. In this way, we can collectively shape ideals and concepts for a better tomorrow.

It is imperative for humankind to become increasingly self-aware and strategic on the larger scale of time and space; science fiction may be our most powerful tool for influencing popular thinking in this direction. Diverse visionaries in this field are greatly needed to produce intersectional concepts that push humanity toward a more promising trajectory. Whether we ultimately save ourselves and achieve cosmic migration or not, we can still have fun watching science fiction and participating in the dream of tomorrow, today.#####

Science fiction can inspire everyday people to engage in visionary, long-term thinking.

sciencefiction

Science Fiction

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

movies

Movies & Shows

If you want to change reality, consume more science fiction

Being inauthentic by hiding underlying authentic emotions may be done with a prosocial motivation to benefit others, with a realization that true authenticity may not be appropriate for the context.
<ul>
<li>If you are communicating authentically, try to use the richest communication medium available.</li>
<li>If you are communicating inauthentically, utilize telephone or audio communication in order to appear most authentic.</li>
<li>If you have to use email to relay emotions that you want to be perceived as authentic, find a way to make it clear that you didn’t make the choice on purpose.</li>
</ul>

The Way We Communicate Matters

While being perceived as authentic is ideal, actually always behaving authentically can lead to disaster. Imagine a manager who, while laying off an employee, expresses underlying happiness because her soon-to-be spouse just accepted her marriage proposal that morning. Or an executive sending out a message about a new company diversity initiative, but doing so in a dour tone because his child just dropped out of college.

Being Perceived As Authentic

Regardless of their motives, it is first important to acknowledge that despite someone’s best efforts, true underlying emotions often do leak through, resulting in emotional mismatches that may make them appear inauthentic.

When Mismatched Emotions Make Authenticity Challenging

It may be difficult to display the needed emotion due to challenges or conflicting factors directly related to the situation.
For instance, even when required by a job, it can be nearly impossible to engage in authentic “service with a smile” if a customer is yelling at you, or be emotionally supportive of a subordinate whose recent poor performance created more work for you.

Situational Conflicts

Even if there are no emotionally-relevant challenges to the situation itself, emotions often spill over from one moment to the next. A strong emotion from a prior interaction doesn’t automatically dissipate as soon as that interaction is done.
As a result, emotions may linger to contexts where they are no longer appropriate. For instance, a manager might want to communicate excitement about an upcoming business opportunity but may feel stressed for an unrelated reason.

Spillover Effects

The medium can be as important as the message.

Communicating Authentically in a Virtual World

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Personality Props: Material Objects and the Self

Give the monkey what it wants!

How We Can Use the “GLAD” Rule to Overcome the Misery of Meetings

Twitter

Albert Camus: Greatest Quotes

More data = less value

How to Be More Hopeful

If you want to change reality, consume more science fiction

Communicating Authentically in a Virtual World

Please Stop Using These Phrases in Meetings

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.