Lately, I’ve been digging through years of notes, articles, and thoughts I’ve collected on the topic of trust — and honestly, there’s probably enough for a whole “Cliff’sNOTES” series. That said, with a full month of travel ahead (I’ll be in China all of May), that series will have to wait. But if I were [...]
Of all the lines that grabbed me – that was the one that delivered the sustained electric shock. After sharing the “Light in My Darkness” Cliff’sNOTE, Lori (my sister) sent me a note saying it reminded her of Maria Papova’s 20 Ways to Matter – and she shared it. This is the art/finesse that talks [...]
“Are you O.K.?” Was the follow-up text from a friend after I’d been passionately venting with close friends last weekend about "stuff" happening in the United States. "No" would have been the honest answer but as randomness/fate/tao/whatever often works – while doom-scrolling I came across a quote I love and use frequently in my work, [...]
by Cliff Kayser, IDG Ambassador, Aconcagua CohortNOTE: ChatGPT often uses the INCORRECT versions shown below. TIP #1: Use “And” Instead of “VS”It’s easy to fall into the habit of using “VS” between the two poles of a polarity—but this creates confusion because a polarity requires both poles. Using “VS” implies opposition and that one side must [...]
In "Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI," historian Yuval Noah Harari examines the power of information networks in shaping our shared human narratives and their impact on civilization and culture. I admire his ability to implicitly discuss polarity tensions in such sensible and accessible ways. Additionally, it can [...]
On July 31st, I’m presenting at the Chesapeake Bay Organization Development Network Learning Series on the topic of “Technically Unsolvable Interdependencies.” A big focus of that presentation will be on most important and challenging interdependencies of our time – including the interdependency between technology and humanity. (This was also a topic I spoke on in [...]
“Desiderata” means “things wanted or needed.” Max Ehrmann, the poem’s author was a lawyer and poet from Terre Haute, Indiana, which happens to be my father’s home town. (NOTE: See component to this post -- a Cliff'sNOTE on The True Gentleman.) The first time I heard Desiderata (pronounced, [DI] + [ZID] + [UH] + [RAA] + [...]
Man’s (Our) Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl (Summary neutralized for gender.) Summary Frankl survived the Holocaust and recounts his experiences, describing how it shaped his understanding and meaning for life, beginning with his own. Meaning can be found in work, in love for others, and in the courage required to endure suffering. Frankl didn’t [...]
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos and work in Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle -- an interdependency of three – in a powerful way to support political savvy and gain support for your ideas/initiatives. Each of the three dimensions represent important aspects of the Self And Other relationship in leveraging the “GP” (Greater Purpose) for the 3-poles: Political Savvy/Persuasive Messaging. Here [...]
Kierkegaard succeed in “turning a somersault” over his “melancholy” (what they called “depression” in his day). The “cure” was purpose, in his case -- writing -- that made the day-to-day grind of life more tolerable and livable for others. Paradoxically, that made his own life more tolerable and livable. The bottom line: Help for others [...]