Thoughts

Unintended Consequences

China became more liberal during the years after Mao, rapidly developing economically, transferring control away from the state in some areas and transitioning towards a market economy. Then there were the Tiananmen Square protests, the protests famously ending violently. In the years since those events, and maybe as a direct consequence, China has reversed some… Continue reading Unintended Consequences

Return to the Office

During the recent pandemic there was fully remote work, where possible, followed by a worker shortage where workers could call the shots and had leverage to stay in home office. Now there is a financial crisis and layoffs so employers can again call the shots and mandate a return to the office, or at least… Continue reading Return to the Office

corporate rituals

Companies seem to be increasingly manipulative and exploitative, although this is wrapped up in shiny paper to look like a present. Take things to the next level, live your best live, work hard play hard, perform to the max, and other corporate maxims purport to help people develop and realise their own potential. However I… Continue reading corporate rituals

everyone is different; everyone is the same.

I keep returning to the theme of our evolved behaviours. We can choose how to behave to a certain extent but we are strongly influenced by our evolution. I like to watch people in public transport, on the street, at lunch. Watching in particular young male humans eating, often I see them hunched over their… Continue reading everyone is different; everyone is the same.

be careful what you wish for

John Maynard Keynes wrote “Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren” around 1930, discussing the economics of abundance. For many people around the world work is slavery. Some workers do enjoy their jobs but the majority struggle through “lives of quiet desperation”.Bertrand Russell around the same time also wrote about the contemporary situation and about his hopes… Continue reading be careful what you wish for

Too Many Stories

The way I mentally visualise our past, humans lived in small hunter-gather communities and later in agricultural communities. I imagine our ancestors telling each other stories around a communal fire, maybe after eating together. Or maybe a few people became popular as story-tellers in each community. However it was, I imagine some stories becoming favourites,… Continue reading Too Many Stories

trust and conspiracy theories

Some psychologists say that when we meet a new person we instinctively and subconsciously evaluate them for trustworthiness and competence. In tribes we were able to know who to go to for advice on repairing shoes or clothes or medicine or marriage advice. We knew the experts personally and trusted them. Now we live in… Continue reading trust and conspiracy theories

Contemporary Totalitarianism and the Successors of the Red Guard

I recently read about the Four Olds of the Chinese Cultural Revolution which were Old Ideas, Old Culture, Old Customs, and Old Habits. The campaign by the Red Guard against these took place because they are pre-communist ideas and so they needed to be replaced with other things more in line with communist thought.I wonder… Continue reading Contemporary Totalitarianism and the Successors of the Red Guard

power and admiration

I am reading a collection of essays by Bertrand Russell. The second essay is entitled “Useless” Knowledge. In this essay there is discussion that people spend their lives seeking power and admiration. I have previously written about greed and aggression being defining charactistics of humans but maybe power and admiration are related to these. Maybe… Continue reading power and admiration

overpopulation and growth

Yet another article I read today puts the blame for non-sustainable exploitation of resources on big companies, claiming that the environment is being destroyed by big companies. That is relatively comfortable for readers to believe. The uncomfortable truth is rarely touched upon. Big companies do not exist without us. Big finance does not exist without… Continue reading overpopulation and growth

Competition with sexual rivals

Today I read on a news website that women have been buying fewer cosmetic products during the pandemic but that skin care products such as moisturizers sold well. Customers say that they feel liberated from expectations to wear smart work clothes and full make up while working at home and have instead prioritized self-care while… Continue reading Competition with sexual rivals

pop psychology

In recent years there has been an influx of pop psychology into training courses in companies. I suppose they need to talk about something to justify their salaries. For example there is a claim that content is almost irrelevant when making a big presentation and that what counts most is body language. I never bought… Continue reading pop psychology

Sport should be good for the health – body and mind

I read today that the world number 1 female tennis player, Ashleigh Barty, is retiring from competition aged 25. Why are people surprised? Competitive sport is insanely tough mentally and physically and there is more to life than playing tennis. This lady will have done nothing else except train and play tennis since she was… Continue reading Sport should be good for the health – body and mind

the collective insanity of social media

Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion shout about climate change being the greatest threat humans face. I disagree. The greatest threat humans face is social media. I grew up without this and have watched as it developed and became the dominant force in people’s lives that is now is. Walking around, people in the street look… Continue reading the collective insanity of social media