Monthly Archive for November, 2008

When Different is Better

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Last time I wrote about the question “What if everyone…?”  In many situations, that question is a useful guide for decisions.

Sometimes, that question just doesn’t work.

For example, imagine you are considering going back to the land and becoming a farmer.  So you ask yourself, “What if everyone became a farmer?”  Well, there would be no one left to take the food to market or serve it in restaurants.  There wouldn’t be enough land to go around.  All that farming wouldn’t leave time for intense, specialty training courses like those taken by doctors and rocket scientists.  We’d need to significantly reduce our population and return to the Middle Ages.

Whoops, wrong question.

The “What if everyone…?” question works when the action you are considering adds as more people do it.  The more people vote, the more our system reflects the people.  The more people litter, the more our roadsides become trash dumps.  The more companies compete for CEO’s, the more it looks reasonable to offer golden parachutes.  If the situation can be described as “more… more…” or “less… less…” then “What if everyone…?” leads to a helpful conclusion.

On the other hand, the more people farm, the less each farmer gains from it.  Farming - and work in general - is a “more… less…” situation.  When the talent or skill you are offering the world is rare, it is worth more than when everyone can do it.

So here’s a good question for those times when different is better:  “What unmet need would I enjoy filling?”

That’s a question worth spending some time on.

I know that I enjoy helping people explore such questions.  So, if you want to come to an answer more quickly, give me a call at 575-640-0979.

And may you enjoy creating what only you can.

Small Steps

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“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space:  Build a rocket.

For $195 plus travel expenses, you can build a rocket and learn how to design a nozzle and propellant for a particular use.  Doug, my husband the aerospace engineering student, has his eye on this one.  Check it out at:  http://www.space-rockets.com/ae101.html

Book Recommendation

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Anathem by Neal Stephenson

I had heard that Anathem was slow going - and so it is, but only because it brings you into the cloister of people who have chosen to live slowly.  Fraa Erasmus lives in a concent where the gate only opens every ten years.  The days of opening are approaching, and he plans to step outside, then return to the lifestyle that has existed there for hundreds of years.  But other things are approaching, too.  Cryptic words from his mentor and strange actions from their leaders suggest a looming crisis.  Anathem does not waste a single word in creating this world and the terrible importance of the events in it.  As in the best of Asimov’s novels, in Anathem conversations hold world-changing meaning.

Does One Matter?

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on November 4, 2008
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Election day brings out this paradox:  with so many people voting, how can my vote make a difference?  Yet, if everyone decided not to vote, there would be no election.

Worse, if just you and the people like you decide not to vote, then the people unlike you will win.

One way to evaluate a decision when your impact seems small, is to ask “What if everyone did this?”  Then choose the action that results in the best outcome if everyone takes it.

In economics, this strategy is called rule utilitarianism, because you are checking the utility of everyone following the rule.  This is an effective strategy to reduce pollution - most people can quickly see that if everyone tosses litter by the road, they will create an ugly mess.  Rule utilitarians are socially conscious.  They don’t ask special privileges for themselves.  They don’t do what would be harmful if everyone did it.

Many volunteers are rule utilitarians, although they probably don’t call it that.  The habit of asking “What if everyone did this?” is a tool to live from integrity and compassion.  It is a pointer to making a difference.

It’s one way to look at the meaning of being one person out of many.

And here’s another:  of course one person matters, because only one person can ever do anything.  The group does not take action - each individual in the group takes an action, and those actions, together, add up to the effect of the group.  Just like now is the only moment of power, one is the only number of action.  Without individual action, there is no action at all.

So try the question “What if everyone…” next time you face a decision, and cherish and use your power to act.

To your significance!
Anna Paradox

Small Steps

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“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space:  Link to space information from your website.

Sites with more incoming links rise in search engine rankings and receive more traffic.  When you link to them, you incrementally increase the attention given to space.

One good site to link to is the Spaceports blog.  I’ve appreciated the quality and timeliness of the reporting there over the last two years.  I would also appreciate your links to the blog archive of this newsletter at www.creatingspace.annaparadox.com.

Book Recommendation

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Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio

Fantasy often features one hero who grows from unremarkable beginnings to make an immense impact on their world.  In this case, the hero is Agatha Clay, unpromising science student, who slowly discovers herself to be Agatha Heterodyne, powerful inventor and heir to an amazing castle.  The Foglios tell this story in smart and funny words and beautifully drawn, detailed pictures.  I have linked to their website, where you can read it for free.  There is a special pleasure in holding the physical copies, so consider buying a volume for yourself or as a gift.  Starting with Vol. 2, they are in color.