The Power of Counter-Intuitive Thinking

"Why did the Swiss lose the watch market to the Japanese and others?

According to Bill Byron Concevitch, chief learning officer for Verint, the Swiss discovered the idea of a transistorized watch over 40 years ago, yet they did nothing about it. In his book, Counter-Intuitive Selling (Kaplan Publishing, 2007), Concevitch points out what happened. The Swiss didn’t pursue the idea of a transistorized watch because it was counter-intuitive to their thinking.

Some Japanese businessmen were visiting Switzerland, heard about the idea, and asked the leaders of the Swiss watchmaking industry if they planned to pursue the idea. Told no, the Japanese recognized the opportunity. As Concevitch explained during a visit to AMA, the Japanese were prompted to pursue the idea because they had no preconceived notions about watches. The story, he shared, points out the importance of giving up old habits and embracing new ways of thinking and acting—counter-intuitive to our current thinking.

“Today,” said Concevitch, “the Swiss still have a small piece of the global watch market, but 80% of watches today are built in Japan and elsewhere."

World Of Sport - The Unmasking Of Kendo Nagasaki

Awakening from a Cultural Trance: An Ecopsychological Case Study by Molly Young Brown

This is a story of awakening -- to the cultural trance and mythology of a home town, and to the psychological and spiritual effects on someone growing up in that culture. It is an ecopsychology story because of its implications about an individual's interrelationships within the larger human world and the more-than-human world, and because the awakening took place on a vision quest in the wild.

I was raised in Los Alamos, the "Atomic City," the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Los Alamos is nestled in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, so my childhood playground was nature. From an early age, I camped, picnicked, and played in the woods and canyons which interlaced the town, establishing a strong relationship with trees, mountains, creeks, and critters. I believe it was this relationship which sustained me and eventually helped me to awaken to the cultural trance of my home town.

Welcome to Neuroanthropology

Neuroanthropology is a collaborative weblog created to encourage exchanges among anthropology, philosophy, social theory, and the brain sciences. We especially hope to explore the implications of new findings in the neurosciences for our understanding of culture, human development, and behaviour.

The God Chemical: Brain Chemistry And Mysticism | NPR

For much of the 20th century, mainstream science shied away from studying spirituality.

Sigmund Freud declared God to be a delusion, and others maintained that God, if there is such a thing, is beyond the tools of science to measure.

But now, some researchers are using new technologies to try to understand spiritual experience. They're peering into our brains and studying our bodies to look for circumstantial evidence of a spiritual world. The search is in its infancy, and scientists doubt they will ever be able to prove — or disprove — the existence of God.

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Connectivity

Blogged with the Flock Browser

10 Ways to Stay Marketable When You’re Out of Work | Business Pundit

Out of work? That doesn’t mean you’re also out of opportunities. Any single one of the ten methods below will help you stay marketable. If you try all ten suggestions, you’ll dramatically increase your odds of landing a new job, client, or key relationship.