Lab notes

They do. Quite a lot. And being smart, they often get away with bad decisions … but being smart, the outcome is still the same. Scott Berkun’s essay draws the distinction between smart people and wise people, explore why smart people would defend bad ideas and gives a few clues on how to handle such situations.

But one thing I did learn after years of studying advanced logic theory is that proficiency in argument can easily be used to overpower others, even when you are dead wrong. If you learn a few tricks of logic and debate, you can refute the obvious, and defend the ridiculous.

If when you say “I need the afternoon to think this over”, they say “tough. We’re deciding now”. Ask them if the decision is an important one. If they say yes, then you should be completely justified in asking for more time to think it over and ask questions.

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Keith’s To-Done blog has a collection of personal productivity and writing tips. I’m always on the look for better ways to get more stuff done and keep my sanity in check. His recent entry has great tips on how to be a more productive blogger:

• Start with a title. Sometimes just coming up with that initial idea and writing down the title for your post will get the words flowing.
• Adopt a conversational tone and style. This helps your words flow more freely. It might not be the “best” way to write, but it’s served me well and it saves me time.
• Connect and motivate. I’ve found that community is a great way to keep your energy level high. Talk to people, create content centered around discussion. This leads to more energy and more ideas. As well, it’s very motivating to know that people are into the same things as you and dealing with the same issues..

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