The Stages of an Idea

An idea begins as an inkling--as a hunch--and when it is pursued through questioning one begins to discover the length and limits of that hunch. In its inchoate stages, the idea is amorphous and weak and useless. If it withstands enough mental or empirical testing to demonstrate its applicability in a variety of contexts, then it moves from being a hunch to becoming a useful idea with borders and backbone. Continued testing of the idea will knock off its rough edges and perhaps force a shifting of its form. The greatest ideas are elegant and compelling. They are powerful in reshaping peoples' consciousness and perspective. The greatest ideas find ready application and wide applicability.

Funny but so true

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/report_90_of_waking_hours_spent

How long does it take to change yourself?

We often think that it takes a long time to change ourselves. That's not true. Change is instantaneous. It's not changing that takes so much time.

Your body takes abstract thoughts literally

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/02angier.html

Children follow their parents' cues

How do children navigate the enormous confusion of a complex world? They follow the lead of their parents. What they choose to value, to pursue, and to conform to is heavily influenced by the opinions and attitudes of their parents, even if those views are only expressed through their behavior. Parental influence also shapes how children learn to categorize their surroundings and rank their preferences.  Parents with a strong desire to be accepted and validated by others will raise children who are more susceptible to peer pressure, whereas parents who focus on making decisions according to firmly held beliefs in principles will raise children with greater discipline and conviction. Parents who ignore the flood of media deceptions and actively choose to limit themselves to enriching media will raise children who discriminate in their own media choices. Your ability to break a negative pattern in your own life can bless your family for generations.

Your "way of being" matters

"Generally speaking, we respond to others' way of being toward us rather than to their behavior. Which is to say that [people] respond more to how we're regarding them than they do to our particular words or actions."
-The Anatomy of Peace

Do schools kill creativity?

A very funny TED talk on the diversity of intelligence and how to cultivate it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY