Not enough information Oct 24, 2008
Scott Adams said a really smart thing on his website recently: 
"I'm not persuaded by the article, but neither do I discount it entirely.  My problem, as always, is that I don't have enough knowledge to make a judgment about it.  It sounds credible, but that doesn't mean much." (emphasis mine)
I feel that way in a lot of situations.  There's evidence and an argument for both sides, but I feel like I still don't have all the pieces, so I have trouble making a final decision.  In a culture where everybody has an opinion about everything, it's refreshing to hear a person honestly admit his need for more information. #psychology
Awkward leaders Oct 24, 2008
I'm often amazed at how awkward many leaders seem to be.  They look uncomfortable when they interact with people, they say stupid things that will inevitably later be used against them or at least heavily criticized, and they exhibit qualities like disorganization and a lack of attention to details that essentially make them unfit for their position.  One person that comes to mind is this McCain fella.  Watching him interact with that Obama fella during the debates, motioning towards him with head gestures, and then finally awkwardly shaking his hand while forcing a painfully fake smile, made me instantly not like the guy.  After eons of public service in politics, how is this guy still so weird and incapable, while his opponent is so relaxed and natural? 

At work, there are quite a few people who hold leadership positions, and I can't help but wonder how they managed to achieve such success while being so awkward.  These are the people who represent our organization to outsiders and are the names and faces associated with what we do.  So when you see that guy who wears a tie with a short-sleeved button-down shirt and never shows his teeth when he smiles, producing a weird, uncomfortable-looking chubby man-face, think of my organization.  My immediate boss is another story.  He's sociable and fun, but he's the most disorganized human being to ever walk the earth.  He could easily go for the whole mad scientist thing ... except that he's in charge of people.  He manages money and projects.  The fact that someone deemed him responsible enough to be in charge of anything other than dressing himself and finding his way to work is beyond me. #psychology
Meaningless repetition Oct 14, 2008
Repetition almost always removes meaning.  Whether it's saying the same prayer day in and day out, using the same buzz words in everything you say, or copying and pasting the same text into the bottom of every email.  Seeing it and hearing it over and over subtracts from its meaning. #psychology
Pick a name Oct 10, 2008
I get annoyed by people who let other people decide what name to call them.  "Yeah my name is Mike.  Or Michael.  Or Mikey.  Or MO.  Or Mr. Awesome.  Whatever."  Just pick a name, then go by it.  Don't force other people to figure out what to call you. #psychology
Pleasurable necessities Oct 3, 2008
This is just an observation, not a commentary:  Humans tend to turn necessities into sources of pleasure.  For example, the three or four basic necessities for human survival are food/water, clothing, and shelter (though I think I could survive without clothing; regardless, that's a separate post).  Instead of just eating food to give us sustenance, we eat to enjoy it.  We go to restaurants, we eat candy and cake, and we choose our foods based on what will give us the most pleasure.  It's the same with drinks.  Instead of just drinking the bare minimum of water, we have drinks to speed us up, drinks to slow us down, and drinks that provide extra nourishment to make up for the foods we eat.  Clothing probably represents the largest disconnect between form and function.  How many of us dress to simply cover our bodies?  Instead, most people dress to make themselves look thinner or more muscular or taller or to showcase their ability to tan.  And our shelters don't just shelter us.  We paint the walls, hang up pictures, and buy duvet covers to make our homes more homey.  I wonder what life would be like if we only satisfied our necessities. #psychology
Lost and found objects Sep 24, 2008
Wendy and I were walking on a New Jersey beach a few weeks ago and she found an iPod partially buried in the sand.  It was a fairly empty beach, but we still looked around to see if anyone had dropped it or was looking for it.  There was no telling how long it had been there or who the rightful owner was, so we kept it.  Wendy had recently bought an iPod, so we were both familiar with the cost.  Considering the fact that it was full of music, this iPod was probably worth around $300 for the owner. 

A similar thing happened when we were hiking a few years ago.  We hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail and found a camera in the parking lot where we stopped.  It had a bunch of the same pictures I had just taken, so I knew the owner had just hiked the same section as us.  We looked around but didn't see anyone, so we put it in a place to make it more visible, hoping the person might come back and look in that exact spot. 

The thing with lost and found items is that I would gladly return them to the rightful owner.  I have no use for an iPod, especially one covered in sand (though I cleaned it up and it works fine).  And I have no use for someone's digital camera because I already have a few myself.  Personally, I'd rather return the object to its rightful owner, complete with all its digital media (music and pictures).  With most cameras I use, I'll keep a picture on it that says I own it and that if I lose it, it would be nice to have it returned but to at least email me the pictures.  The thing is, digital cameras are a dime a dozen these days, but the pictures are worth quite a bit more.  One time a "friend" picked up my camera and when he saw my identifier picture, he laughed at me.  He's the kind of person that would steal something directly from my pocket, but either way, he wasn't convinced anyone would have the common decency to return it.  I personally would.  I own several small digital products that have a tendency to fall out of pockets, and I have enough money to go buy my own.  If I find one that belongs to someone else, I'll gladly return it. 

So to all the people who own digital cameras, mp3 players, cell phones, and the like, always put a file on your device that says who the owner is and how to get in contact with them.  Or at least use a sticky note. #psychology
Criminally easy (6) Sep 24, 2008
I feel like I have a disproportionate number of opportunities to commit a major crime than most people do.  For example, I just pulled into a parking spot at Target, and I just so happened to be next to a car that was idling with no driver and no one around.  If I was a criminal, this would practically be an invitation to steal a car.  And since I'm not dumb, I'd probably get away with it, at least for a while.  The key is to get in the car and drive away calmly, as if you own it and know exactly what you're doing.  Most dumb criminals would hastily look over their shoulder, jump in the driver's seat, and peel out.  Thankfully, I already have a car, so I have no need for someone else's.  It's like this recent story of the guy who stole a Ferrari because it was sitting at a dealership with the keys in the ignition and the engine running.  Can you really blame him? 

Then there's the whole idea of theft.  I feel like I could get away with stealing anything.  Whenever I enter or exit a store and the theft deterrent system starts beeping, the cashiers and security people always tell me to not worry about.  Either the machine is malfunctioning, or they forgot to remove the tag from whatever I bought.  What this means to me is that the alarm will go off no matter what, which makes it ridiculously easy to stuff a bunch of things in my pockets and walk out casually as the false alarm sounds. 

A few weeks ago, I went to a store to fill up the propane tank for my grill.  The store was set up so that you had to pay in one place and pick up in another place.  It occurred to me after I paid and as I was picking up that there was merely a thread of dignity stopping me from not paying at all and simply telling the guy I already paid.  At another store, it was brought to my attention that I could quite easily buy something, go back into the store with the receipt, and walk out with the same receipt and another of the same product, simply by telling the salespeople, "It's ok, I have a receipt."  Am I the only one who notices so many opportunities to commit a crime? #psychology
Dream effects Sep 16, 2008
It's weird how the mind creates dreams. 

The other day I was reading a book, and my dream that night expanded on the topic I read about in the book.  It was weird because the topic was mentioned almost in passing, but my mind seemed to take it and run with it.  I awoke wondering how those thoughts got it my head in the first place, then realize it must've started with the book. 

Even more recently, I dreamt that I was mad at someone, and when I awoke, I felt the same way and had to convince myself that my feelings were based entirely on a dream.  It was exactly like this Brevity comic from last week. #psychology
Things I'm good at Aug 29, 2008
If all else fails and this whole engineering thing doesn't work out, I've noticed I came preprogrammed with the following skills: 
  1. Destroying things
  2. Washing and stacking dishes to astonishing heights
  3. Serving soft-serve ice cream
  4. Squeegeeing car windshields
It's always good to have options. #psychology
Hungry and tired Aug 28, 2008
It's funny to watch how babies and young kids act when they're hungry and/or tired.  They whine and cry and act out and have meltdowns.  It's always interesting to see a watchful mom fully understand the situation and solve the problem with some food or a nap.  So simple, yet effective. 

I'm quite convinced that this phenomenon is completely independent of age.  The older I get, the more I realize it.  Sometimes I'll be driving on the highway, and I'll start getting ridiculously angry at the guy who didn't use a blinker when he changed lanes.  That's when I realize it's lunchtime and I haven't eaten.  Or I'll be watching TV and become more and more impatient with commercials.  That's when I realize it's bedtime. 

It's weird how we humans think we're all grown up and have control over our bodies' simple desires for sustenance and rest, when in reality we really haven't progressed much since birth. #psychology