First Blog

It is almost foolish to speculate on why or how someone like Albert Einstein was a genius.   People like Einstein and Newton are essentially off the scale of human intelligence.   Yet, they live among us, make very human errors, and act in very human ways. So, we take them for humans, albeit just really smart specimens. As to Einstein, he told us his formula for discovery. That was through the thought experiment , wherein he would conceive of a physical situation such as what would happen as he looked in a mirror as both were accelerating toward the speed of light. This was, for Einstein, the beginning of relativity.   But what for you and I, had we been given this experiment? The implication is that Einstein dwelled on the problem endlessly until some ideas emerged.   Then, by sheer strength of will he managed those ideas into the beginnings of a theory.   Finally, it became a fait de complet. What is not mentioned is that Einstein also had an intense proclivity to indepen

The most common advice I’ve ever heard about achieving, from books to sports, from beliefs to politics, from love to marriage, and on and on, is this:   “ Never give up .”    Sometimes, we hear “never, ever, give up.” Winston Churchill is famous for this quote, but it is no doubt common over all of time, in every place, and for almost all endeavors. The undertow is persistence.   Never underestimate the value of persistence.

An equation for life.   This is a very important relation.  Let A = (your) attitude, P = (your) persistence, and I = (your) intelligence.  In terms of your quantified versions of these In words, your attitude quotient plus your persistence quotient exceeds your intelligence quotient. This simple  inequality demonstrates your attitude and persistence applied to your life can have more effect than your native intelligence.  Indeed, look around you.  Note how some people, idiots in your mind, have achieved what you desire. Now look at their attitude and persistence. That's how they did it.  Indeed I believe in many cases The lesson here is not to give up because you think you don't have the smarts.  Keep at it with a strong and positive attitude and with a relentless spirit for achievement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- On Power.   Some people crave power far more than fame or wealth, the other two base needs of hum

Doubling down. Theory, ideology, faith, whatever it may be, we see now in current affairs the intransigence of public and scientific players the willingness to persevere with a policy or theory, of some position despite the evidence it  seems not to be working. The remedy is not to revise, readjust, or relegate the program or  position, but to double, even triple, down upon it.  It is true, they argue, we just haven't given enough time or resources to fulfill its benefits.  It doesn't matter the topic, ranging from health care, to green solutions, to capitalistic markets, adherents will not let go.  Their theory is correct, they contend, we just need to persevere along this path. Persistence is the by-word of all too many.  This country, founded greatly upon William James' concepts of  pragmatism, has reversed course to pure belief.   Now this leads us to an conundrum.  It is seemingly impossible to let go, reverse course, or reformulate.  Remarkably, this is a partic