The Edge 2: Chapter 3 - The Power of Positive and Negative Thinking

In Chapter 3 of "The Edge," Perkins lists "optimism" to be one of the qualities of Shakelton and leaders.
The catch is, according to Perkins, that it's not just optimism, but "optimism that is checked by reality."
 
With "optimism," I always think of the way people baselessly think that everything will turn out fine without commitment of any effort to whatever they are tasked to do. According to Free Dictionary, optimism is defined as "a tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation."

I don't think that optimism in terms of positive thinking is useless.
Working at UNIQLO, there are so many times that I get scolded or cautioned by other staffs, many times about mistakes that I just happened to make that one time which makes me have all these "negative" feelings like sadness, frustration. The worst occasion is when I get scolded about leaving a shelf messy, with clothing all over the place and unfolded, when I've been away from my designated area for a long time attending to customers. It really sucks because that means that they are perceiving me as someone who hasn't learned the way the store operates, and the store's philosophy of keeping the store organized at all times. The frustration sometimes almost inhibit me from appreciating what I have been told, but I always care to say "thank you" to the person. It might be different from "positive thinking" since it is pure etiquette as well as my responsibility to improve the way I work. Nonetheless, this has helped me feel more gratitude towards the person and learn better from my mistakes.

"Negativity" isn't all that bad, though. There's this article "The Power of Negative Thinking," which talks about how negative thinking - thinking about worst-case scenarios - is highly effective in reality assessment as well as determination of future decisions.

I've always been what Perkins might call a  "pessimist" when it comes to exams during middle and high school. No matter how much I studied, it never seemed to be enough; I was always worried that I'll fail. So I just studied more. Here, negative thinking didn't result in inertia or inaction - it always gave me more incentive to take actions, to study.

I feel that the "Positive Thinking/ Optimism" encouraged by Perkins and "Negative Thinking/ Pessimism" promoted by the WSJ article are basically the same thing.  The difference is just about the ratio of positive to negative. The former has more of the "positive," obviously, because it focuses on the future, what possible steps can be taken rather than on the risks, while the latter focuses more on the risks, and formulate future steps based on them.

Being able to encourage and give hope to others is important, perhaps indispensable for being a leader, but I believe that the important thing here is to always have the mentality and the drive, the energy and power to keep moving forward, even when times are dire.

(http://www.collegemediamatters.com/2012/05/04/college-memes-final-exams-edition-guest-starring-effie-trinket-the-rock-polar-bears-pawn-stars-guy/)

Random 1: Technology and Food

"Technology and Food." There's a lot on the news about that. 

The serving of the world's first test-tube burger created a sensation this August in London.

Then there is the 2011 experiment by Japanese scientists in Okayama that synthesized meat out of human feces...
 →Digital Trends: Japanese Scientists Synthesize Meat from Human Feces 
I tried to look up more current information, but there was none.

If you think about it, it's not that outrageous (of course, it's completely repugnant at first encounter.)
Humans, feces, feces meat, regular meat...they're all composed of atoms. The difference is the combination of atoms. Even if the same atoms are used, there is the possibility of isotopes.
It even presides over the in vetro fertilized patty in that the technology reuses waste while the former simply creates more. The synthesized meat which the Okayama scientist displays in the video above looks just like normal meat, too.

It's not like they're telling us to do what these guys do.

(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby_koala.jpg)

Think of sulfur. We Japanese people tend to describe the smell of hot springs as "sulfuric," and from this many people uneducated in chemistry think that sulfur smells. In truth, that isn't the case.
Sulfur by itself does not smell. The "rotten egg" smell is caused by sulfur COMPOUNDS, like H2S (Hydrogen sulfide). So if you were to "cut up" the compounds into atoms, the horrid smell would be gone.
What the Okayama scientists are doing is basically the same, though psychologically, it is hard to accept.

There are many other things, like DNA modification to the invention of agricultural tools, evolution of kitchen and cooking tools, waste problems, etc. Technology has changed the way that we humans interact with our food.
But today, I won't be going into all that scientific stuff.

Its about one of my current hobbies: restaurant/cafe hunting.

I recently have had quite a many occasions where I had to/got to eat out with other people, and it gets monotonous when you start running out of places to eat. You might not call it really "hunting" because I don't wandering around places and randomly going into one. I either happen upon some information about the place like with #3 below, or search using keywords on Google:
- I use the internet.

I've had 3 chances to actually do something with this newly-fermented hobby:

1. A sushi restaurant in Iwate's Iwaki during the summer.
∟The review site which I found the restaurant informed me that it was a Kaitenzushi. It indeed had a rail, the only problem being that it wasn't moving. The store also boasted of unique menus, and they had some, but they were pretty costly.

It became a reminder not to trust the internet so much. Nevertheless, it had served as an incentive for me to explore Iwaki further. 

2. caffe beanDaisy
This is a cafe in Yokohama. It had a really nice, relaxing atmosphere; the walls and floor were wood, and the illuminations were subdued. I was having a meeting with my friend, so it helped in that the place was basically quiet too.

3. Pizza at the ongoing Italian fair at Shinjuku's Takashimaya

Akinari Makishima, the 2010 world champion of Pizza-making is holding a special event where you can eat-in the pizza that he and his staff make.
The Italian fair will be held till this Monday, so anyone interested should definitely give it a go.

Restaurant/cafe hunting really is fun because it prompts me to go into avenues and take turns that I've never taken before. If it is close to my home, I get to know more about my hometown. If it is close to university, the same for that town. If the restaurant/cafe is nice, it can become a future dining place with various friends as well. 
Not only that, the hunt has given me opportunity to experience atmospheres that I've never experienced before. It's also really interesting to just immerse myself in various buildings with different themes. Since I am eating there, it gives me time to absorb the many amazing different ideas and space that people can create.

Now I can't even think of how I would've found these places otherwise- I probably wouldn't have... especially #3.

These events spoke to me about the significance that information and one's ability to obtain it has.

RAB

. . .

Anyways

Schools which have implemented tablets and other technology are being featured increasingly in the news.
There's an article by the Wall Street Journal titled For the Web-Deprived,  McDonald's is Study Hall,
which talks about  how limited internet connectivity is still a huge problem, and a growing problem, producing even wider gaps
This lack of connectivity limits both the studnets' and the schools' ability to make use of the internet effectively.
Cafes in Japan too appeal to customers with the "There's Wi-Fi here"  pop-ups. There's already a first-world problem regarding unstable connectivity on the campus of ICU.

I find it so interesting how technology and science has not only directly affected food and changed the way they are, but also has had significant effect on how they are presented to potential customers.

This hunt really allows me to see things and experience things that I have never done before; I am keen on continuing this. Anyone who'd like to join me is always welcome :)

The Edge 1: Chapter 1 -Vision and Focus -

Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is surely a famous song.

I don't know when I first listened to this song, and when I started to sing it in Karaoke, but I sure was confused when people kept saying "Oh, Armageddon!"

Just a few days ago, I finally got to see the film.

It felt great, finally being able to solve all the mystery around this "Armageddon" thing.
Now I have a clear vision of what people are talking about when they say "Armageddon" upon hearing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

The song was used in a pretty unexpected, but the only matching place in the movie...

(Picture from: http://www.benitomovieposter.com/catalog/armageddon-p-138632.html?language=en)

The movie was apparently made in a rush, and there are some parts that I'd seriously like to complain about, and the event sequences were typical of apocalypse movies + I could guess who was going to survive, it was a pretty good film. Enough with the movie critique. 

It spoke a lot about being a leader, too. A person who can be considerate of others at the most crucial times, a person who can willingly sacrifice himself for others...

It wasn't just about Harry Stamper,

 [SPOILER ALERT]

the leader of the gang who, excluding astronauts, are a bunch of oil plant workers which Hamper owns. So, most of the crew who went to space in order to destroy the huge asteroid that is about to hit Earth are a bunch of laymen about space. They were trained for a mere few days, and then went to space. To destroy a huge asteroid which is due to shatter Earth in its journey through space.

Even when their friends get killed by space in a millisecond, they continue with their duty - to drill a hole into the asteroid where they can implant a nuclear bomb which will shatter the asteroid before it hits the Earth, making it mostly non-apocalyptic.

The will to go on - would I have been able to hold it?

Shakelton surely did. He learned about it from his earlier expeditions (21). Not only that, he was able to successfully steer his crew that way.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I mean, I'd even hesitate now if I was asked if I'd like to go on a TRIP to space.

I get goosebumps watching pictures of supernovas...

(Picture from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/universidadcatolica/4521853388/)

 

They're so beautiful...

The men of Armageddon goof off, and joke no different on their way to space than their regular days, they focus. 

Reading of Shakelton's success after their ship got stuck, and ultimately broke down, I've increasingly come to realize how important that is. Some stress is good, but panic will make one's brain stop thinking. On the other hand, it's not good to force one's self to think that everything is completely normal and harmless, in a manner that forces one to escape from reality (one person had space dementia, and I don't think this is unrelated).

I don't know if Shakelton did this, but I think it is important to acknowledge, in times of trouble, that one is actually in trouble. Not so that one can curl up into a fetal position and wallow and die or wait until someone comes to the rescue, but so that one can unify the mind and reality, and hold a cool head.

∟If you are the type that was able to laugh at the one above, try this.

It's amazing that he was able to, like I mentioned above in the [SPOILER] section, navigate his crew's agitation for the sake of their total survival, carving out a plan from nothing in the middle of nowhere, with no help available, where each day could be their last, forsaking his long-held dream of doing something in the Antarctic.

I'd really like to read books about the expedition and Shakelton himself now.

Class 2: Negotiations - Never forget the goal -

Water takes up 71% of the Earth's surface.

...and 75% of the human body. 

(Well actually, this is only for infants, the percentage in adults is more like 60%. I wanted to make some dramatic impact.)

I've never ever considered doing so until now, Juicy oranges might be a great snack after running.
After all, the orange that Ken gave us was really tasty.

But for me, nothing beats a glassful of water, maybe with some ice around this time.  

After all, water is vital for survival.
You'll get dehydrated if you lose more like 15% of your water.
You can't expect to live more than 2 to 3 days without water, wherease you might survive weeks without food.

Just think about it.
"I'm not going to eat anything a week" = Ok, you're fasting or going on a diet.
"I'm not going to drink anything for a week" = CRAZY
(→HowStuffWorks "How long can you go without food and water?")


And in Palestine, water is a pressing problem.

Palestine doesn't, as is obvious from its location, have much rain, and when it rains, it easily vaporizes.
Aquifers(underground water) and the Jordan River are their main water sources.

Yep, this is also something from the conference that I talked about in my last post.
But hear me out.

Israel is also rather on the water-shortage side. But it also cuts off Palestinian aquifer by building the Wall and thus creating a de facto border which includes more water in Israeli land. Israelis can water their lawns while Palestinians have to ask neighbors for drinking water.
Most Israeli people don't know about the water shortage of Palestinians, and there are some faults on the Palestinian side too. For me, and for this topic, though, I feel that the Israeli government is at fault.

Anyways.
With this topic, we did negotiations.
The basic situation: There are two states Nations "1" and "2" (we used much more sophisticated names in the camp). Nation 2 just earned its independence from 1.  There is also a river that is an important water source for both states, which originates in Nation 1. Nation 1 decides that it wants to build a dam for industrial use, to boost its economy, and thus, a negotiation between the states was held.
(Nations 1 and 2 were used so that we (mainly the Israeli and Palestinian participants) could keep a cool head about the whole process.)

I was in a State 1 group, namely, the one that has the "upper hand. " My team could basically ignore Nation 2 and build the dam. But that was while the whole situation was limited to the scope of States 1 and 2.

You can basically do anything. Build the dam no matter what the other says, force a hard bargain on State 2, etc.
An Israeli girl (though she is over 20 years old) had a different idea.

Her proposal: To negotiate a trade alliance with Nation 2, with a big bargain of about 50% trade in exchange for scrapping the dam plan.

After a few negotiations, the two nations came to an agreement.

The agreement: Nation 2 will reserve a 35% trade margin and Nation 1 10%, and the dam deal is off.

There were 2 of the same negotiations going on. Ours finished in a matter of seconds while the other went on in a heated discussion.

The plan's significance doesn't end there though. With a peaceful trade alliance, allies of Nation 2 will also be more willing to trade with Nation 1, which will surely increase its production ability and boost its economy.

"Never forget the ultimate goal, but change approach accordingly, be flexible" - Now that I think about it, this is the same as The advice of Chapter 1 of The Edge.

The girl told me she learned her way in a Negotiations Class at an Italian University, where she attended for one year as an OYR.
It wasn't something that I was used to, or something that I even considered. Some part of it is due to the fact that I can't help considering games as "games," something that I can't construct participants, players, situations, etc, outside of what I have been given as a prerequisite of the game.

Our proposal which looked into the future and not just this second, was fruitful.

(Picture from: Gizmodo [J])

Class 9/11: Interpersonal Communication

Nonchalantly inviting people over for card games, sharing tobacco, wrapping arms around people they've met only a few days before to take pictures... That's the way of the Palestinians and Israelis. Engaging, friendly, energetic...you name it.

This summer, I've had the opportunity to go on a two-week long camp with Palestinian and Israeli college students through this organization I've joined upon entrance to ICU. They were by far the friendliest people I have ever met.

One game we played...a game called TAKI:

 (Image from: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Taki-CARD-GAME-FOR-YOUNG-AND-SENIOR-/270938928320)

It is very similar to UNO, with some strange features like switching cards with people next to you.

They brought many things from Israel and Palestine to show us Japanese participants - games, food, and their life story. They were simply fun, and I also got to know a bit more about a land I knew not much about until then.

Though I do believe age is one factor to be considered- the college students, especially the Israeli people were at the maximum 9 years older than I - I believe it can be said that it is their character, how people in the Middle East work, that made this intimacy all possible.
(The reason behind this significant age difference is military service. Israeli men have a compulsory military service for 3 years and women 1, and upon completion of military service, it is common for people to go on a carefree journey that lasts about an year. People start college after all this.)

There are many things I want to learn from their attitudes- not just for leadership, but to become a better person, a funner person to be and to be with in general.


Most of the other significant experiences I have regarding interpersonal communication - especially those physical ones - come from middle school.

I remember being scared of looking blue-eyed people in their eyes when talking to them. I always had this feeling of being sucked into them - getting dizzy and all. I eventually mustered my courage and got over it. Today, I have no difficulty looking into their eyes...at least, I think so.

Then there's also the effort I put in to try keeping up the habit of bowing to teachers in the U.S. once I moved there for middle school. Bowing to a person while passing by him/her, as most or all of those reading my blog may know, is a natural, respectful action towards the person.
- Didn't work.
  Just like the awkward handshake, bowing didn't work because the receptor (recepient) - the teacher - didn't have any idea or appreciation of being bowed to.

Conversation about receptors can lead to food science - the reason that a body cannot appreciate or notice some substance or taste is because it lacks the receptors. For an example, the reason that people get poisoned with puffer fish poison is because the  human tongue don't have receptors that catch them.We don't spit the puffer fish poison out because we don't notice them!

(image from http://photozou.jp/photo/show/206346/18957453)

One of my childhood dreams is to eat this puffer fish sashimi.
Anyways, I do believe that receptors differ for each person and their affiliation - such as country.
 I felt that in class there was a tendency to regard the "Western (U.S. style et al.)" physical intimacy as the best. It is true that there are many things that can and should be learned from the intimacy, as mentioned with the Middle-Eastern style in the beginning, there is beauty in the way that, for an example, Japanese do things.
Bowing to teachers and smiling affection towards them was, I felt as an elementary schooler, a  beauty.

As a last note, here's a Youtube video about empathy, which completely goes over the explanations about mirror neurons.

 RSA Animate - Emphatic Civilization

(RSA Jump to their HP)

This is all good, but, taking an example from the video, there are some people who don't think spiders crawling up one's arm as creepy. They don't feel plight - rather, they exclaim that the spider is cute and promptly takes that spider into their own cupped hands. Are mirror neurons initiated in these cases?
　→　How to stop being afraid of spiders: http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Being-Afraid-of-Spiders