What is communication?

Evolution

I was surfing at bbc scotland website when I saw the following photo, taken by Sean Young:

It is a real photo of people enjoying the sunset; however, the first thing that came to my mind was that someone had set it up aiming to pass a message.

The combination of these pictures can take various meanings.People behind the leader stopped following him. And due to the fact that people behind the leader represent the past and they can't have changed direction, it seems that rather the leader has take the wrong way. Possibly we lost our orientation.

Another interesting meaning would be that the evolution leads to the sunset. Nothing to do with spaghetti films,   it could mean that we are moving towards an end.

In any case, I don't want to be pessimistic. After any sunset, a new sunrise follows.

Communication distance

I think that people usually prefer to keep a middle distance on their daily interactions with others. They feel unconfortable being strangers, so introducing to people that surround them makes them feel better. However, coming very close to each other also makes them feel uncomfortable for various reasons.
But this may be a little offensive. Imagine that you 're in a bus or a train and the next seated person introduces herself to you. You get to know each other and then you lose contact. What happened there? Have you been used to help an unknown pass the boring time of commuting? During this time you could have done something more productive for you.
That is the case of people doing networking. They create contacts, sharing every now and then pretty much useless information to keep the contact alive. Sadly, it is usual that when a contact needs them, they can't be available. They can't afford so many contacts and they are not really interested in all of them.
So if we define as micro-distance how easily you make connections and macro-distance how easily you get close with a connection, then, speaking of myself, I would have a very short micro and a very long macro. This means, it's very easy for me to get introduced to people, but it is hard for me to have a stronger relationship with this contact. It seems that it is a quantity-quality issue and though I prefer quality, I give priority to quantity.

Nice advertisement quote

"Some are happy the way they are. Others, like us, prefer to discover what we can become".

Advertisement of a spanish financial institution.

Gymno Domatio, by Nikos Karvelas

One of my very favourite songs, it is called in free translation "empty room". It talks about someone who is left just waiting in an empty room for something to happen, even if this would be the end.

Instead of following a way, let the way follow you!

It's true. Connections and mentors can help you find your way much faster. But there is always a trap over there. There are people who invest so much on networking, there are people who are based so much on advices. As a result, they forget the most important key to success: WORK. You have to search and see for yourself, don't rely on someone else's opinion, you have to work hard. So, do not expect anyone to help you unless you work hard and have something to give in enchange. But if you do, don't sell it short!

I think this rule applies globally. Can you imagine the consequences of giving something expensive for free? Easy come, easy go, they say. 

This thought lead me to another. Nowadays, research is easier than ever. The resources are millions through the web. As a result, when someone tries to support a thesis, she can find articles from previous researches to support it. Those researches are based on other researches etc, it's like a pyramid. However, we should take into consideration that each research has a context. Applying one theory to prove another requires to check the restrictions. Unfortunately, in this furious era and in front of the need to show results, people have combine  

ideas incompatible.There is a confusion. Instead of working with the primary tools to construct something solid, that you own it, you borrow comlex tools which few know how to use them, and the result is poor. 

Mixing my previous thoughts, I conclude to the following:

 Instead of asking for advices on which way to follow, make your own way.

Instead of following a way, let the way follow you!

My default settings

Recently, I noticed something strange. I was just waken up and shaving, when I remembered that the previous night I fell asleep listening to music. For some reason, I felt a sense of shame for the kind of songs I was enjoying the previous night. And that was happening again and again. After sleeping, I have different music taste. More specifically, during daytime I am used to listening to western kind of music, while at noon I prefer an eastern one.
Then, I realised that this phenomenon used to be more general. As long as my mind is clear, I am keen on western way of life and my behaviour follows the context of my western-type education. By the time I got tired, my mind returns to its "default settings": the eastern way of life and behaviour of my parents.
Based on this, I formed a theory: our early education and character shaping is much stronger than the one we obtain later on from school. Our development during early childhood shapes our "default settings". Our education provides adjustments to these settings and forms our new values and behavioral norms. All of our "default settings" may be subjected to change through our lifetime. However, their core always exists buried in our mind and it comes to surface during "brain failure" (e.g.fatigue).
Can this be right? Is there a similar established theory? And if true, how can it be helpful?

Advantages and disadvantages of teamworking

It is said that there are three main advantages of teamworking. Motivation,accountability to other team members,  and comparison  to them. On  the other hand, there are two main disadvantages, the  process losses, and  the social loafing, which  is the avoidance of someone to do something,because he believes that someone  else will do it. Reaserchers have found that this phenomenon decreases in task visibility and  increases in distribute justice. It is believed to be the main reason of a team's deficiency,  and consists a popular field of  research. This is why Kotter  considers urgency as the first step in creating an effective team. The sense of urgency  reduces or eliminates social loafing. However,how hard it is to create and maintain that sense,struggling to avoid   burnout!

Imperative

Yesterday I went to the post office. I asked for eleven stamps and then watched the cashier cutting a receipt and throwing it to the basket. I was afraid that she wouldn't give it to me, mostly because it wasn't for me, and I asked her politely if I could have that receipt."That wasn't yours, don't hurry", she replied. I can't say she was rude, besides I know her, she is good at what she does; but I can assure you, the imperative sounded terrible. So, today's lesson is: avoid using imperative when serving someone. I have to find cases where one should use it. One is certainly when you have to convince or sell something; but never when serving.