March 1996 -- Laws of Life, Changing Values

Laws of Life

If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

The amount of expertise varies in inverse proportion to the smaller of statements understood by the public.

Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, volume, humidity, and other variables, the organism will do as it damn well pleases.

Computers are unreliable but humans are even more unreliable. Corollary: At the source of every error blamed on the computer, you will find at least two human errors including the error of blaming it on the computer.
Any system that depends on human reliability is unreliable.

Reality is a state of mind.
People will not admit a problem exists until they perceive there is a solution.
When faced with an unsolvable problem, change the question.
There are at least 50 different ways of looking at any situation. Try to find them.
When searching for answers, ask, "What is most obvious?"
There is always an "x" factor at work in any problem, situation or equation. The "x" factor may be large or small, but it is always there. Usually, the "x" factor and/or its significance is not recognized until long after the fact.
When traveling the Road of Life, never forget: There are critical road signs missing. Be prepared to change direction and stumble around occasionally.

(Author: Barbara Taylor)

Notice these for yourself - in business, in family life, in the movies and in the news!

We are moving away from these values:	And, we are moving toward these values:
Cut-throat Competition	Cooperation
"Getting Mine" at any price	Partnership
Homogeneous work forces	Diversity in: ethnic, gender, life-style, religion
Hierarchical chain-of-command	Matrix, participatory management
Command and control	"Empowered" employees
Threatening and punishing	Motivating
Denial	Honesty
Deception	Respect
Greed	Sharing
Blaming everyone else	Accepting responsibility for our own actions
Dysfunctional systems	Healthy systems
Radical changes	Incremental changes
Violence	Creativity
Destruction of resources	Responsible use and protection of resources
Fixed, rigid models	Flexible, fluid models
Mega-corporations	Network of smaller companies
"America is best" isolation	Global economy and global inter-dependency
People as machines	People as unique and valuable human beings
Shallow facade ("Looking Good")	Credibility of Quality ("Being Good")
Criticizing others who are different	Accepting the value of diversity
Patriarchy	Balanced Male/Female partnerships
Short-term thinking	Longer-term thinking
Fighting	Loving
Anger	Happiness
Frustration	Joy
Government as "parent"	Government as "servant of the people"
Restrictive ideas, plans, structures	Expansive ideas, plans, structures
Selling a product to a market	Building a product to meet market needs
Mechanized businesses	Information, people-oriented businesses
Polarization of opposite viewpoints	Blended, balanced viewpoints
Financial success as the highest goal	Success as a result of doing the right things

Disagreement: when two or more people are dealing with minor conflicting issues. Resolution can be achieved by finding out on which point or points they disagree, defining a mutually acceptable goal and dissolving or resolving the points of disagreement based on the goal.
Aggravation: Prolonged disputes between individual people, such as continuing competition or "grudge matches." Resolution can be achieved by determining the basic issues of the grudge, and what it would take for the parties to be willing to set the dispute aside.
Civil Dispute: Resolution: formalized, using the courts. Conflicted parties are no longer able to deal directly.
Criminal Disputes: Resolution: again, these are handled in the courts.
Regional Disputes: Courts are no longer considered appropriate. These have no immediate solution in law because the nature of the dispute transcends the solutions of the laws. Resolution: is achieved through symbolic or totemic gestures, and some form of compensatory sacrifice.
War: Adjudicated through negotiation and reparation of a "diplomatic" nature.
Annihilation. Solution to the whole destruction of the environment is the selection of the new species for the people deprived of "home" to inhabit.

(Source: Michael's People, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, 1988, Berkley Books)

Nurturing. Emphasis on survival.
Alliance. Emphasis on the family/tribe/clan - strong "us-versus-them" flavor.
Reciprocity. Those not directly known to the person are incorporated in the feeling � extends to company, religion, or nation.
Appreciation. Emphasis on diversity and can range from academic passions to peace corps.
Comprehension. Accomplished through interaction. Intense involvement of many people for the purpose of discovering the underlying "truth" of others.
Altruism. Compassion for the human condition on the whole and a general sense of good fellowship with all people.
Agape. No emphasis of any kind, rather, love is a state of accepting the totality of all people.