Communicate for Connection

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It is all too easy to use communication to focus attention on ourselves, as if we are always the most important person in the situation. Worse yet, we often use our problems to make demands. If we don’t honor the dignity of others, we risk apathy or resentment. There are many ways to improve, but we can start by refining our words:

To tie in the AMP framework, it is important to respect the autonomy of others. We should also give people the opportunity to use their expertise to offer unexpected ideas. If we push forward with only our own knowledge and creativity, the best solutions will be missed.

Expanding Perspectives

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Expanding perspectives exposes new opportunities to improve value. This can be through time, people, space, or any factor relevant to a problem.

Helping More People

In most cases, any solution requires much less societal effort if we try to help more people. This often adds some complexity to the design, but the cost per person is far less. Discoveries are the best examples, as we can share them globally with little additional effort.

The video is actually an example of 2 types of discovery:

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How AMPed are You?

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In this classic TED talk, Dan Pink refers to autonomy, mastery, and purpose (AMP) as key factors to motivation. While some will jump to motivation in the sense of getting something, I find it as useful in the sense of motivation to keep going, goal or not. We should find energy from both our current situation and unrealized potential.

Tracking and visualizing AMP

As with anything we care about, it helps to understand our current state and possible futures. As an example, I created a table with some factors that contribute to my AMP. I have given each a score, 4 at best and 1 at worst.

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Better Sooner than Later

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Inflation aside, money earned in early years is worth more than in later years, due to growth potential as an investment. Put another way, a $10 hourly wage is worth more when you’re 18, than it is when you’re 40. Buying power, at the time, may be low, but it can become significant after years of compounding as an investment. Assuming you can return a modest 5%, annually, $10 becomes $70 dollars in 40 years:

Compounded Earnings
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How we Spend is a Greater Influence than our Vote

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While some of us live in close ridings, where only a handful of votes can determine the outcome, most of us have less impact on elections. Voting is still important, and impactful. The power you give to others, through spending, is often greater.

What matters more?

  • 1 vote for the environment; or constantly burning fossil fuels for driving and heating, while importing from countries with poor environmental protections?
  • 1 vote for a higher minimum wage, or buying from companies paying unlivable wages, or outsourcing to cheaper regions?
  • 1 vote for promoting human rights, or buying from countries that actively suppress the rights of their citizens?

I didn’t name specific parties, as it is a subjective judgement to say which candidate or party best addresses each issue. Regardless, the companies we give money will influence government in more obvious directions, and will also directly impact the issues we value.

Actions prove our beliefs, and the more significant actions offer greater proof. If the greatest action we take is a vote every handful of years, how much do we really care?

4 Reasons Why You Should Switch to Signal Messenger

Signal Messenger
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Signal Messenger

Many people haven’t heard of Signal, it doesn’t have backing from any of the big tech corporations, while authoritarian regimes try to block it entirely. I only stumbled upon Signal after it was mentioned in a few articles involving Reporters communicating securely with Sources. This also happened around the same time as Facebook was exposed for using their apps to collect all sorts of information. Facebook isn’t alone in such practices, which contributes to the 4 reasons why you should switch to Signal Messenger:

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Stop the Pendulum

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Ever notice how often people gleefully describe a situation as pendulum swinging in their favor? This is rarely a result to celebrate, for one of two reasons:

  1. We are in the middle of two extremes, and the pendulum continues to swing beyond us.
  2. We are near an extreme, and the pendulum inevitably swings back to the other extreme.

The worst part: Pendulums aren’t actually going anywhere, they just bounce back and forth till they finally run out of energy.

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5 Ways Lending Loop Could Improve the Auto-lend Function

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Lending Loop is a Canadian peer to business lending platform, which I enjoy for several reasons:

  • Businesses use loans to support their development, whereas personal loans often have some measure of excess/luxury spending. I consider the risk of default less with the former, as a consequence. So far, this seems to be accurate.
  • As I am repaid on a per loan basis, I can have a steady stream of funds available to either re-lend or withdraw for other purposes.
  • The rates are competitive, for whatever risk level I am comfortable with:
Lending Loop Rates
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Heroes are Symptoms of a Broken System

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Why are heroes symptoms of a broken system? When a system works well, the regular efforts of people are enough to fulfill the system’s purpose. When it is broken, people need to go above and beyond.

  • If financial systems operated diligently, bailouts would be small and caused by an external disaster.
  • If work was effectively planned and coordinated, overtime would be reserved for truly unpredictable staffing shortages.
  • If Gotham’s justice system effectively addressed crime, there would have been no need for Bruce Wayne to become Batman.

This may all sound obvious, but we still hear plenty of examples where people use acts of heroism as purely good signs. Something along the lines of, “Isn’t it great that someone went above and beyond to save us?” No. At best, it is lucky on 3 counts:

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