You are here: Home / Archives for Being Smart

Taking some time to laugh at ourselves

May 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

No matter how smart you are, I am sure that you do a few stupid things.

What?  A smart person doing stupid things?

You better believe it!

Hey, we all do stupid things from time to time.  I can think of a lot of times when I have done something stupid.  It can be embarrassing, and when you do something stupid, probably the first thing you do is take a peek around you to see if anybody witnessed your stupid act.

How can we overcome doing something stupid.  Well, we can minimize stupid acts by simply being more careful and thinking through our actions a little more instead of acting impulsively.  However, we can never completely eliminate doing stupid things.

Take a look at this video that I found on YouTube:

Come on now… we’ve all done some pretty stupid things.  Can you share with us a story about a stupid thing that you’ve done?

Of course, when you do something stupid, you will be embarrassed.  However, don’t you think it is healthier and just all around better to just admit our stupidity in the moment, and taking a few minutes to just laugh at what we did?  I think so.

Filed Under: Bad Habits, Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: ,

Taking Stock

May 27, 2011 By 4 Comments

I have a routine.

I think we all have a routine to one extent or another.

Things we do.

Just automatically, almost without even thinking about it.

I think that for most of us, whether we even think about it, our routine is important to us.  It is what we do, and the reason why we do it is simply because for one reason or another, at one time or another in our life, the things we do in our routine have become part of our routine because they are things we need, and things that are important to us.  If these things were not important to us, we would not do them every day.  Right?

This morning, I was in the middle of my morning routine:

  1. Get up.
  2. Boot up my computer.
  3. Check my e-mail to see if anything important came in overnight.
  4. Check a series of websites that publish information on topics that I care about.
Taking Stock

Taking Stock

Hold on.

Scratch that #4 above.

As I was checking my “regular websites” this morning, I realized that much of this stuff was not important to me anymore.  Some of the stuff, to be honest, I really don’t care much about anymore.  Why am I spending time checking about stuff that I really don’t care about.

After the realization, I sat there thinking.

What is important to me these days?  I’ve changed a lot, and it is different things that are important to me than what it used to be.  But, what things really are important to me now?

Honestly, I was not sure anymore.  Oh, of course things like my family and friends are important to me.  That’s not what I’m talking about, those things are a given.  I’m talking about my interests, things that I care enough about to spend some time every day keeping up with the topic.  That sort of thing.

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

As I sat there thinking over what is important in my life, the words to a song that I like came to me.  The song is called “Distantly in Love” by Jimmy Buffett.  The first verse of the song seemed to fit my feelings this morning:

Pay phones all were ringing as the crowd went roarin’ by
Lovely dancers swaying to an island lullaby
Beside the southern ocean taking stock of what’s to be
Writing you this letter that you’ll probably never see

It’s the third line that fit my feeling today – “Beside the southern ocean taking stock of what’s to be.”

Yes, I realized that it’s time for me to take stock of my feelings and interests today, and to revise my routine to something more current.

One of the parts of my routine that really is of little interest to me these days, but used to be, is an interest in US Politics.  I used to be a real political junkie.  These days, I don’t even live in the USA any more, so why do I even care?  Fact is, I don’t care too much any more, but I still check the political news religiously every day.  Why?  I need to cut that off, and spend that time on something that is more relevant to my life that I am living today.  I need to take stock of what’s to be in my life, and modify my routine to fit what I discover when I take stock.

The fact is, as I think this over, we all need to take stock from time to time and unclutter our lives of things that really don’t mean much to us any longer.

Just like what Jimmy Buffett says in the song… I want to go sit next to the southern ocean and take stock of what’s to be.  I think I’ll do it today.

What about you?

Filed Under: Being Smart, Feature, Good Habits Tagged With: , , ,

My day for good habits

May 19, 2011 By 6 Comments

It’s only a little after 10am, and I’ve already made this a day for good habits.  Even though it is still morning, I have already worked in three good habits for my day.

I didn’t set out to make today a “good habits day,” it just happened that way.

I was thinking about it a little while ago, and realized that I was already on a roll for the day, and I might as well work in a few more good habits for the day to make it really spectacular!

What have I done so far today to get the day started right?

Lets have a look:

  1. I went for a good walk.
  2. While out on my walk, I got a haircut.
  3. I made it a priority to write a new article on this site.

I consider each of these to be good habits.  Why?

Walking

Walking is good exercise

Walking is good exercise

Any kind of exercise is a good thing.  In these days when we have computers, TV, all kinds of other such things, it’s easy to lead a lethargic lifestyle.  That’s why we have to force ourselves to get up from that chair and go do something physical.  I basically have two activities that I like to do for exercise.  I like to walk, and I like to swim.  Lately, I have not been swimming much, so I have been relying on walking to get in the exercise that my body needs.  So, this morning, when I decided that I needed to have a haircut today, I decided to walk to the barber shop and to walk back home again.  Why not?  The barber shop is not too far anyway, so I even made a few rounds around different blocks in my neighborhood, taking the “scenic route” to the barber shop.  Getting exercise is important to me, especially because I have diabetes, and exercise helps me maintain good health.  I admit that I don’t always get as much exercise as I should, but lately I have been doing pretty good with it, especially doing a lot of walking.

Haircut

Barber Shop

Barber Shop

I enjoy getting a good haircut, and I find that it makes me feel relaxed and refreshed when I do it.  I try to get a haircut weekly when I can.  Sometimes it slips to every two weeks, but never longer than that.

One of the things I really like here in the Philippines where I live is that when you get a haircut the barber always gives you a massage to end the haircut.  He massages your head, shoulders, back and arms.  It always makes me feel good and relieves a lot of stress when I get a nice massage like that, and getting a haircut makes me feel good too.

So, going to have a haircut is a natural for a good health habit, and an all around good feeling.

Writing here on Habits for Smart People

Writing on my blog

Writing on my blog

The last week or so I have slipped and have not been adding new articles to this site.  When I do that it makes me have a feeling of guilt, which I don’t like.  So, making the commitment to get back to writing, after lapsing, is a good habit to get back into.  I find that the act of writing about good habits helps me maintain good habits in my life.  Writing the articles helps remind me of the kind of lifestyle that I want to lead, and thus it is something important in my life.

So, there you have it.  Just a little after 10am now, and I have three good habits under my belt!  I want to get a few more in before the end of the day, so I better get busy.

What about you?

Filed Under: Being Smart, Feature, Good Habits, Health Habits Tagged With: , ,

Tearing people down

May 9, 2011 By 6 Comments

Some people engage in the habit of tearing others down.  They nit-pick constantly on other people to belittle them or make them seem small or stupid.  Did you ever ask yourself why some people are like that?

Does tearing another person down build up the person doing the tearing down?  I don’t think so.  In fact, by tearing others down, especially when done publicly, I believe that the person is actually making himself look small.

Today, I saw a quote from a friend on Facebook:

Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

Teddy Roosevelt's big stick

Teddy Roosevelt's big stick

When I saw this quote, I really fell in love with it, almost immediately.  I feel it is related to the tearing down of others, and trying to make yourself look good by doing that.

I find the quote is very true, also.  It kind of relates back to the words of Teddy Roosevelt:

Speak softly, but carry a big stick.

Of course, the “big stick” is the wisdom and strength of the words used in the argument.  Facts.  If you argue the facts, you can never lose.  If you are arguing without any facts, and do so by simply amplifying your voice in the argument, well, you will not be the winner, except in your own eyes.

Big Stick

Big Stick

There is really something to be said for Teddy Roosevelt’s words about speaking softly while carrying a big stick.  Do you remember, last week, I wrote about the celebrations on the streets of the USA after the killing of Usama bin Laden?  That, in my opinion, was not “soft” speaking, but being loud and boisterous.  That was an example of speaking loudly while carrying a big stick, and was unnecessary.

I suppose that if you have a small stick, or no stick at all, you don’t have much choice but to speak softly, or so it would seem.  But, come to think of it, some of the loudest people have little or no stick with which to win their fight.  I am talking, for the most part, about people who are internet bullies, and belittle people.  Most of these people really have no facts at all, but they think that by speaking loudly they will be the winner.

Frankly, I think that Teddy Roosevelt had a lot of the right thinking.  Speaking softly is always a good thing.  Having a big stick has it’s benefits too!

Filed Under: Bad Habits, Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: ,

When opportunity knocks, what should you do?

May 5, 2011 By 6 Comments

These days, the economy is terrible.  A lot of people, perhaps most people, are facing a life that is a lot more difficult than it was 5 years ago.  Some people are saying that our children may face a life of more hardship and poverty than we faced.  That would be a first for many generations, if it is true.

However, are there ways that we can overcome the adversity that we face from the world economy?  Sure we can.  Perhaps we will have to do a lot of work and building to accomplish the lifestyle that we enjoyed a decade ago, but that does not mean it is impossible.  A little hard work never hurt anybody, right?  In fact, life a decade ago was probably too void of the hard work that we faced in previous decades.  Perhaps getting back to working a little harder may be the answer to the situation that we face.

Opportunity Way

Opportunity Way

I’m sure we have all heard the old saying about “opportunity knocking.”  Let me ask you this… what do you do when opportunity knocks?  Do you answer the door when there is knocking?  Before you answer “yes,” or “of course I do” think about it.  I didn’t ask if you answer the door when you hear a knock.  What if there is a knock but you don’t hear it?  Of course, if you don’t hear it, you don’t answer, right?  That’s probably why many decades ago the doorbell was invented.  It made the sound louder when somebody was at the door, so that we could more easily hear it, and would answer the door.

Opportunity has no doorbell, though.  You have to be diligent if you want to be sure that you see opportunity and answer the door when opportunity is knocking.

What do you mean, Bob?

Opportunity Knocked - Were you out?

Opportunity Knocked - Were you out?

Well, when opportunity is in front of us, it does not always hold a big sign saying “I am an opportunity,” sometimes we have to analyze it carefully and come to the realization that what you are looking at is an opportunity, and that you can seize that opportunity.

Think about it.  We both agree that economically we are going through a difficult time at this juncture, right?  Maybe some of you who are reading this are unemployed.  The odds are that a fair number of readers are under-employed, having jobs that are good enough to just get by, but don’t really utilize the true talents that you have.  Maybe the only job that you can find is a part time job that makes just enough to pay the rent.  So, some of you readers are under tough economic pressure right now.  That is an opportunity.

What?  This is an opportunity?

Yes, I believe that it is, you just don’t recognize the opportunity.  But, think about it.  During this tough time, would you like for somebody to come along and ease your suffering, and make your life better?  Think about what it would be that somebody could do to improve your life right now.  If you come up with any ideas of what could be done, you just identified opportunity!  That’s right, you just found a list of things that you could do to help others.  I mean, if you are in a tough situation and others are too, surely the things that you need or want to assist you would also be desired by others.  Perhaps you could begin offering services to assist others in need.  That is an opportunity that is being present to you, yet you might not have seen it or recognized  it because you were too busy trying to figure out how to get out of the situation you find yourself in.  So, now that you know some things that are needed, you have to get busy figuring out how best to turn what you discovered into a small business.  You can do it!

Always be on the lookout for opportunity.  In my life, for years and years I have been doing that.  Everyplace I go, I am watching for ways that I can benefit from things that I see or encounter.  It’s not all about making money, there are other things that opportunity can do when you answer the door:

  • Improve your life
  • Make you a happier person
  • Help you earn money
  • Help you to help others
  • Meet new people that will improve your life
  • the list is endless, but you have to look for and recognize opportunity when it presents itself!

You can do it.  But, you have to be on the lookout for opportunity, because you never know when or where it will present itself!

Filed Under: Being Smart, Feature, Good Habits Tagged With: ,

What does Usama bin Laden’s death say about us

May 3, 2011 By 39 Comments

It’s certainly not news to anybody that Usama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011 in Pakistan.  His death was announced by US President Barack Obama late on the evening of May 1, Eastern Standard Time.  Within only a short time after the announcement, the streets in front of the White House were crowded with revelers celebrating the death.

I must say, I was happy that bin Laden was finally dealt justice, it was a long time coming.  I feel that what bin Laden received was certainly coming to him, and I only wish he had gotten his justice many years ago.

Usama bin Laden was the mastermind and financier of many terrorist attacks over the years.  Perhaps one of the earliest attacks with bin Laden’s fingerprints was the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centers in New York.  Over the years, up to 2001 bin Laden struck many other targets as well.  Of course, on September 11, 2001, bin Laden’s biggest attack occurred, again on the World Trade Centers, and a couple of other targets in the United States.

Celebration of bin Laden's death

Celebration of bin Laden's death

When I saw the announcement by President Obama, I was happy that the rein of bin Laden had come to an end, and hopeful that this was the beginning of the end of terrorism as we know it today.  That is probably too hopeful, as others will fill the shoes left empty by bin Laden.  However, when I saw the wild celebrations, I was a bit saddened.  I posted this on my Facebook Status:

Justice is sweet. Wild celebration is not necessary, though. We should celebrate by remembering the victims.

You see, I felt that it would be more appropriate to remember the victims, and not be boastful about the victory over bin Laden.  Being boastful is not a good habit to get into, because it only sets you up for a fall.  When I saw the celebrations unfolding, I was reminded of some scenes we saw from the Arab world on September 11 where people were dancing in the streets.  I didn’t like those celebrations at that time, and I also felt that the celebrations earlier this week were unwarranted.  They showed no class.  They were an “in your eye” type of reaction.  The US should be better than the people who danced in the streets on 9/11, we should be more composed, more mature, and more introspect.  It’s the smart way to do it.  By celebrating, we are also challenging bin Laden’s followers to retaliate, which I am sure they will try to do.

Usama bin Laden

Usama bin Laden

Yes, there is a major difference between what happened on May 2, 2011 and September 11, 2001.  Usama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda cohorts killed around 3,000 innocents.  On May 2, 2011, those who were killed were not innocent, and had death coming to them, without a doubt.  I still feel, though, that the smart reaction would be to honor those who were slaughtered on 9/11, rather than dance in the streets over the death of bin Laden.

After I posted that Facebook update calling for less boisterous celebration and more remembrance of those who died on 9/11, something funny happened.  There were 107 comments on my update within only a couple of hours.  While nearly everybody agreed and thought it would be smart to be less boisterous, there was one person who just went bonkers.  He started posting foul language, cussing at those who had agreed with my statement.  It was, from what I could see, a demonstration of the exact behavior that I felt was bad for our country on the day when we made a huge step in the War against Terror.  Frankly, it saddened me a great deal.

There is a time for wild parties.  There is a time for celebration.  I, though, personally do not think that the killing of Usama bin Laden called for such behavior.  Yes, I have no problem with people feeling joy over the death of such a terrible person.   Celebration, though, goes a bit too far, in my opinion.

Perhaps your opinion is different?  Let us know by commenting below.

Filed Under: Bad Habits, Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: , ,

The 1% Difference

April 25, 2011 By 9 Comments

Do you know who Neil Tyson, or Neil deGrasse Tyson, is?  Tyson is a very intelligent man.  He is an astrophysicist.  Since 2006, Tyson has been the host of the TV Science program, Nova.

I recently saw a Video on which Neil Tyson talked about the difference between a human and a chimpanzee.  According to Tyson, the difference in the DNA of a human and a chimpanzee is only around 1% or so.  Even though we share nearly 99% identical DNA, humans have been able to use that 1% difference to do some incredible things.  As Tyson pointed out in the Video, the most intelligent chip can maybe do a little bit of sign language in order to communicate with humans.  Human beings, though, have accomplished mind boggling feats such as deploying the Hubble Space Telescope.  Yet, our difference in DNA is only about 5% between the two species.  Amazing.

Tyson went on to point out and discuss what it would be like if, in our search for intelligent life, what if we found another species who shared 99% of DNA with us humans, but had that extra 1% that would make them more intelligent than we are?  How would that change things?  Would the newly discovered species even have an interest in communicating with is, or would we be just like an insect or some unintelligent life form to them?

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee

Tyson has a point here.  Frankly, I never thought about it, and really, I don’t think I ever realized that chimpanzee DNA is only 1% different than our human DNA.  It’s fascinating to learn about this.  That 1% difference pronounces itself in a huge different in our skill sets, even though 1% is a tiny difference.

In your daily life, maybe when you were bored, did your mind ever wander and the thought came to you “what do other life forms think of us?”  It occurs to me on a somewhat frequent basis.  For example, were you ever out in your yard and your dog is there.. what does a dog think of us?  Do they think of us much like we would think of God?  What about ants, flies or other insects, what are they thinking when they come in contact with us?  It’s a strange question, but interesting nonetheless.  Don’t you think?  I do.

Filed Under: Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: , ,

Critical of the critique

April 21, 2011 By 10 Comments

What to do?  What to do?

What am I talking about?  What am I contemplating?  Well, a lot of times, I have friends who ask me to critique work that they have done.  Primarily, people ask me to look over their website and critique it.  Basically, what does critique mean?  Well me it means to take a critical look at the work and offer tips or suggestions on how to improve parts of the work that are in need of more attention.  In other words, you must be critical of the work.

Critique Magazine

Critique Magazine

Eye of the Critique

Eye of the Critique

Problem is, even though who ask for a critique often don’t take the “critical” part very well.  In fact, when you come back and offer your analysis of the work, if you point out anything negative about the work, often you offend the person.  But, honestly, giving the critique should point out the weaknesses, because that is what you have to do to help your friend improve on what he has already done.  You are not trying to put down on the person who did the work, you are trying to help them make it better.

So, it makes me wonder, are they looking for a critique, or are they really trying to get you to look at their work and tell them how good it is?  Maybe they aren’t looking for suggestions on how to improve the work, rather they are looking for praise for a “job well done,” but were afraid to phrase it that way.

I know that I am nearly always wary of offering a critique, even when I have been asked to do so.  This is especially true if the person who is asking for my critique is a good friend, or family.  I mean, I would hate to loose a friendship or a family relationship over a critique that I was asked to give.  Then again, I don’t want to lie to the person when I honestly see areas that need improvement.  Honestly, when I give a critique, I want to help the person do better, just as I would expect them to do if I asked them to critique my work.

So, what do you think?  Do you critique work for friends, family and associates?  Do you give an honest evaluation, or do you sugar coat what you say and just point out the good stuff.  If you only point out the good stuff, is that really a critique?  Is it fair?  To me, I don’t think it is.  Either one.

Filed Under: Bad Habits, Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: , , ,

Before commenting…

April 19, 2011 By 20 Comments

…you should make sure you know what you’re talking about.

Yes, if you are a smart person, it’s important to remember to withhold comment on topics if it is something that you know nothing about.  It’s better to not comment than to comment and let everybody know that you are truly a fool.

So many people offer their opinion or comment on things without having any idea on the topic.  Think of all of the things on TV.  Jay Leno has a segment called “Jay Walking” in which he shows videos of Americans commenting on topics which they obviously know nothing about.  Of course, the people come across as fools, and rightly so.

Have a look at this video.  I don’t know the origin of the video, but it appears to be a British TV station.

So, are Americans a bunch of fools?  No, I don’t think they (we) are, but I do think that a lot of Americans like to talk, and often about things of which they know nothing.  No wonder we have a reputation of being stupid.

So, remember, if you are smart, keep your mouth shut, unless you really know about the topic being discussed!

Filed Under: Bad Habits, Being Smart, Feature Tagged With: ,

Are you complacent?

April 13, 2011 By 4 Comments

Are you complacent?  Have you ever been complacent?  I have, and sometimes I still am.  I try to avoid it, though.

What is complacency?  Well, it is when you become satisfied with something.  You get satisfied, you are no longer critical, you just accept it as it is and really do nothing to improve on it any longer.  It’s not a good habit.

Generally, I find that when you get complacent with something, that things starts to slide.  Why?  Because you are no longer giving it your attention and improving on it.  Even though it may well have been great at the time you became complacent, it will inevitably begin to go downhill when you no longer strive to improve it.  There is not much choice in the matter, that’s just how it is.

Complacency will lead in only one direction

Complacency will lead in only one direction

Ever heard the saying that if something is not improving, it’s getting worse?  I have heard people say that kind of thing before, and it’s really true in many instances.  If you are not complacent, you are paying attention to what is going on.  You are striving for improvements.  You are working, or at least thinking about the project at hand, and that work helps improve the project.  Once you accept the project and become complacent, you stop working for improvement.  As time goes by, you not only stop trying to improve in it, but generally you will also tend to ignore it, and the lack of attention can accomplish only one thing really… the project slides in importance, and also slides in it’s quality.

I have been Complacent

I have been Complacent

I have had this problem with some projects in the past.  One in particular that comes to mind was a business that I still own.  The business was really a big money earner.  It had lots of customers, and it was an innovator compared to it’s competitors.  But, because it was flying so high, I got complacent and gave the business less of my personal attention.  No problem for a few years, the company kept doing well just through it’s own inertia.  But, after a few years, things started to slide.  At first, you don’t get concerned, you just figure that it’s an anomaly.  Things will get better next month.  Seven or eight months down the line, though, when things continue to slide, you know something is wrong.  A bit longer and you realize that you’ve been complacent, and it cost you dearly.

Projects, businesses or whatever it is that you have become complacent about can be recovered, if you don’t let them slip too far.  If you let them go for too long, though, and the slide proceeds too far, it will be difficult to recover, and take a long time and a lot of effort.

Perhaps my best advice to avoid complacency might sound a bit strange.  What I would say is that you should step back from the project more often.  But, for a short period of time.  Don’t just let the project go, but strategically step back to refresh your mind.  After being away from the project for a few weeks, when you return again you’ll have a fresh perspective, a new way to look at things.  You’ll see things differently than you did before, when you were deep in the project.  Stepping back for a refresher will allow you to refresh, see things differently, and innovate in ways that you couldn’t before, because you were too close to the project.

So, don’t get complacent.  But, do step back for a refresher.  That will help you sustain your interest, and do it through a new view.

Filed Under: Being Smart, Feature, Good Habits Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »