May I ask you a question, for I am interested in what you see?
Why do I want to ask for your insight?
I have been working on a series of projects over a number of years that combine my life’s work, knowledge, process, talent and experience to benefit the “greater good”. To strengthen the project outcomes, I want to strengthen the input side of the equation. A key component of my process is a continual analysis of the “why”. If the vision and project ideas are for the “greater good”, then I need to get input from the greater so I may do some good.
A key component of my philosophy is the use of engagement as a process element. This Blog’s request to the public is a key process step and engagement platform to gain knowledge, understanding and alignment.
For the reference point to be clear, I challenge each of us to step back and look at the human condition both in ourselves and people in communities we are familiar and unfamiliar across the globe. The request for your input is directed around people and what drives them to develop ideas and take action.
Why do people forge ahead and strive to survive and keep going, both in good times and especially in difficult times?
Is it a character trait or a human trait?
Is it a mindset that we, as people, adopt that gives us fortitude?
Has it changed through history?
In my initial thoughts and conversations with others, one word seems to surface. Hope.
Do you agree with this word as an answer?
What does it mean to you?
Does another word or series of words answer the question better?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts so I may continue to formulate the dialogue and solutions. Once assembled, I will unveil.
Please stay tuned.
Alright Stuart! I guess i feel that i am here to help others. This is what keeps me inspired and to make this world a better place. This is myself journey. Thanks for asking!
Love, Stacy
My word: Discovery
Why do people forge ahead and strive to survive and keep going, both in good times and especially in difficult times?
Most people are willing/eager to “discover” new ways of doing things, new treatments for medical conditions, land and space not yet explored, the meaning of life…..
Is it a character trait or a human trait?
Discovery is a human trait – from the earliest days of childhood, we’ve wanted to discover what is behind that couch or what happens when we stick our finger in the socket. Discovery can happen with intention or by happen stance.
Is it a mindset that we, as people, adopt that gives us fortitude?
As we age, our willingness to “discover” may be tempered by other things that surround us – fear, despair, unwillingness to change. Indeed, those whose appetite to discover more is not just a mindset – it is a passion, a yearning for more, a commitment to strive to find the best…
Has it changed through history?
Discovery is a constant – yet, what is discovered is always changing.
In my initial thoughts and conversations with others, one word seems to surface. Hope.
It’s like the chicken and the egg. Through Discovery, one finds Hope. Through Hope, one finds the need to Discover.
Do you agree with this word as an answer?
See above.
What does it mean to you?
Hope is a feeling. Discovery is an action.
Interesting project! “Hoping” to “discover” more….. Kathy
I’m left brain oriented, so I’m not sure my answer will satisfy your creative needs. After my basic needs are covered and my family is happy and healthy, what drives me is business creativity, originality and profitability. I’m contrarian and competitive, so I like doing things differently and doing them better than others. It’s all about having fun. Financial statements are merely score cards. How’s that?
Stuart…I received this link from Stacy. I consider myself an activist. I have always fought for the underdog. Throughout the years, I have faced many trials and tribulations….but I never gave up. I agree, the word HOPE is a defining word with many meanings. After hope, there has to be some sort of impact, event, activity or change to make hope happen. Whatever it is that you or all of us may hope for…..has to include some sort of effort. Physical or verbal effort…financial effort, educational effort etc. This is what I strive for everyday.
To do something….even a little something….that can touch even just one person…..and paying it forward.
I feel (hope) that if everyone would practice ETHICS…..and just “do the right thing” without haste, greed or recognition….that the world in all of it’s horrors…would see good in the world. I consider myself a humanist. I have studied religion and theology for many years. Ethical behavior and humanity seems to be what I “believe” in.
I was told by someone when I was a child this story…..I try my best to live by it each day. With all the conflict in the world…..religious, political….etc…. this just always seems to fit!
There were 3 men:
The first man believed only if he did good things he would go to a better place called heaven and all would praise him when he died.
The second man tried to do only good things because he was so affraid of going to a place called hell and never wanted anyone to know his failures because of his fear.
The third man tried to only do good things, admits when he did wrong, accepted his failures with integrity because he believed….it was just the right thing to do.
I love your blog…and wish you well on your research and efforts for what you will do with it!
My word EFFORT
With Kindness,
Deyne
oops….my word : EFFORT
I was emailed this response which I add:
From Marc:
Great questions – interesting project! I’m not sure I’m qualified to discuss the essence of why people forge ahead during difficult times and, especially, if it’s hope that drives them. Though I’ve had plenty of challenges in my lifetime, even some life threatening moments, none have been so daunting as to beat me down or rattle my ability to hope. That said, I’ve seen people thrive in situations around the world that truly boggle the mind. I’d ask a farmer in Zimbabwe who’s had his land taken away by the war vets or a teenager living in a shantytown built in a garbage dump on the outskirts of Manila – someone who truly has to believe that life will get better in order to make it through the long hot days and cold nights. Hope this helps though it might now be what you’re after!
I’d be lying if I said that it had been my good fortune to work with many outstanding leaders in my years ‘in business’. If I spent a half an hour, I might be able to recall as many as five or six in a half-century, and reflect upon what it was that made me put each in that list. For now, I will just pass along for consideration the one who comes most readily to mind.
He was a very large man. Before you ever met Enrico, you would make a note to yourself concerning his exceeding height, broad shoulders, large smiling face and bright eyes looking squarely into your own. One evening when we were discussing what sort of young people we wanted to recruit into the business – the next generation – I had my way of describing the characteristics I looked for, but he reduced his criteria to this simple phrase: “the ones with the bright eyes”. I am sure that if he had insisted that he explain himself in his native Italian, rather than his adopted English, the full explanation would have been as elegant as it was incisive, but we knew each other well enough by then that I rather preferred the short-handed metaphor he had invented on the spot.
But, to confirm our understanding across languages and cultures, I asked him if this story captured his meaning:
A centurion captain had been called to the quarry because the captives were becoming unruly. The day before a Roman guard had been wounded in an attack. He approached a corner of the pit where three of the enslaved Armenians were working with their legs bound by a single chain. He called down to them while remaining saddled above.
To the first he asked, “What are you doing there?” The slave snarled loudly, “I am using this sledge to build up my arms that one day I may drag you down from your high place.”
He asked the man next to him the same question. That slave spoke silently, with broken words, “I am breaking these stones to fill those baskets so I may be given bread for one more day, that I might see my wife before I die.”
“And you, slave; what are you doing here?” he asked the third. The third man said, “I am carving the stones from which the cathedrals are built in Rome.”
Yes, Enrico (the most noble Roman I had the privilege of knowing) agreed, that was the one with the bright eyes.
I was emailed this response which I add:
From Divya:
I have tried to answer to your questions from our perspective in India and other 3rd world countries. Hope it makes sense.
Why do people forge ahead and strive to survive and keep going, both in good times and especially in difficult times?
Beyond everything else in my case, I do so as it gives me a sense of achievement and a sense of purpose in life. For individuals who struggle for the very basics like food, clothing and shelter in life, its all about survival.
Is it a character trait or a human trait?
I would say it is a biological trait and in some its more active due to the rigor we have gone through in life.
Is it a mindset that we, as people, adopt that gives us fortitude?
Yes it is the mindset but it again varies from individual to individual. At the end of the day only the fitest should survive right, the will to fight and survive.
Has it changed through history?
At a genetic level may be not but at an application level it definitely has.
In my initial thoughts and conversations with others, one word seems to surface. Hope.
Do you agree with this word as an answer?
Hope is relevant only when your basics are met. Everyone hopes in the long term but every day you fight to survive.
What does it mean to you?
Does another word or series of words answer the question better?
I would say Survival would be apt specially if you move to the poorer part of the world, its still all about day-to-day living.
Regards,
Divya
I was emailed this response which I add:
From Elaine:
Stu, this is cool. I think that what keeps us going is part human nature and part survival of the fittest. Human’s by nature are explorer’s, and that instinct alone is enhanced when one becomes two and then more. The basic necessities of life have changed so dramatically over just the last 20 years, some find it a challenge just to keep up. I’m not sure if it is Hope or Faith, but people tend to rely on those 2 words to help them along their journey. Everyone experiences life on a separate plan but somehow find a common ground by our daily chores. What I don’t like is have’s or have’s not of our current society. All people should have the basic needs and safety in their lives and I feel that everyone is responsible to try and make that happen. Life is fragile and should not be taken for granted.
When Pandora opened Pandora’s Box, she let out all the evils except one: HOPE. Apparently, the Greeks considered hope to be as dangerous as all the world’s evils. But without hope to accompany all their troubles, humanity was filled with despair. It was a great relief when Pandora revisited her box and let out hope as well.
HOPE can be passive in the sense of a wish, or active as a plan or idea, often against popular belief, with persistent, personal ACTION to execute the plan or prove the idea. Consider a prisoner of war who never gives up hope for escape and, against the odds, plans and accomplishes this. By contrast, consider another prisoner who simply wishes or prays for freedom, but without genuine hope, or another who gives up all hope of freedom.
HOPE is about living a life consistent with your values and your motives. It’s impacted by where you are and your circumstances. It’s attitude. Your paradigm. Is the glass half full or empty? Is your life full of opportunity or is the world /your boss / the stock market / a professor / the neighbor out to screw you over?
I think some people’s orientation is naturally hopeful and then they apply that belief to the situation. Is control over your life, destiny, the outcome within your control or out of your control? That’s what drives your actions.
HOPE and CHANGE? In Massachusetts…
I disagree that survival is a human trait or characteristic. I feel that the need to survive is inherent in all animals. Where I see the difference with humans is the need to thrive. So to stick to your question, I would agree that hope gives us the desire to survive, but where does that hope come from? For some, it is a belief in God that always provides hope for a brighter future. For others it’s knowing that there is much more to accomplish in life. For some, it may just be that instinct that tells me there is another meal if I can make it another day.
I do not see myself as tested to survive. I see the people in Haiti, the young girl who was attacked by a shark and continues to surf, and people who are starving in our streets as the survivors. They have shown a commitment to see tomorrow when their world is collapsing. In my mind, they must have a great hope for what the future holds.
Has this really changed through history? Maybe the reasons to have hope have changed, but I do not think the basic need to survive has changed. Whether it was running from a T-Rex, or helping subdue a terrorist on an airplane, the need to survive takes over, and controls your actions.
We could take this in another direction, and ask why some people are willing to risk the need to survive to save another human? I do think that is a unique human trait. People run into burning buildings to save a person or even a pet. Do they understand the risk, or do their emotions override the minds instinct to survive?
This was a great question. Thanks for making me think about it. Looking forward to seeing the results.
Hey Uncle Stu
I agree a lot with what Kathleen said, however the word I would choose would be ‘experiences.’
I believe new experiences is what nurtures a person’s soul. These experiences can be adventurous, religious, spiritual (I do believe the two are separate), social, etc. I believe that discontent with one’s life comes from falling too deep within one’s comfort zones, hence missing out on all the world has to offer. I do believe in God, and I believe his greatest gift is this world and everything it has to offer. I also believe that these experiences have criteria.
They cannot impede on another individual’s ability to experience this world. However, enhancing an individual’s ability to experience can be a truly rewarding experience for yourself. I think it’s important to focus on the latter. This is where one can improve their own life by searching for opportunities to help others. I believe this is not only important, but absolutely necessary. Why? Because if everyone was focused on themselves, we would end up impeding each other’s abilities to enjoy this world. Obviously this happens everyday. Summed up, I think people just need to be good to each other. From there people will feel better about themselves, their lives, and the people in their lives. When hard times come, and they will, the individual will have a strong base both in mind, spirit, and family in order to cope. Plus, if everyone else is focusing on helping others, that individual can count on the support from their community that they’ve invested in.
I know many would classify this as idealist. However, many realities today were at one time ‘just’ ideals. Equal rights, democracy, women’s suffrage, etc. Yes, many of these still are in the works around the globe. However, they are in a better state than they were 200 years ago. The only way to achieve big things is to dream big things.
That’s a lot, and it’s a work in progress. I believe it will be my whole life, as it should be. However simply put…
1) we should always strive for new experiences, this enriches the soul, body, and mind
2) many of these experiences should focus on helping others, at the very least, not impeding other’s abilities to enjoy the world
3) one needs to invest in the people around him, both for his sake and theirs
4) I believe that a belief in a higher power that entails a doctrine of basic moral ethics is important, it makes the world more mysterious and controls our tendency to inflate our own self-importance, however rational thinking should not be thrown to the wind in the name of religious ideologies (hence the difference in personal spiritual contemplation and subscription to religious doctrines whether or not they make sense) faith should be simple, love for ones self, others, and God, people have always made too many rules…it’s hard for me to spend quality time with my family and friends or spend time exploring the great outdoors and not believe that there’s something bigger than myself in this world
I look forward to discussing this further in April.
Nick
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