Habits - Do you want them as friends?

Habits walk in unannounced. Afterward, they create indissoluble attachment with the owner. Yes, habits are excellent (winning habits), but we have to acknowledge that there are supplementary habits which sticks with us and peel off our skin at times.

A very good essay on Habit appeared in aeon.com “The lost hope of Self Help” by Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen.

The author has managed to illustrate / convey an assortment of definitions / aspects of habit by leading personalities. In this post, I transport those paragraphs as is:

Gretchen Rubin, the author of another bestseller, describes herself as a ‘happiness expert’ and argues that habits are ‘the invisible architecture of our daily lives’

French philosopher Félix Ravaisson, in 1838, described thus: ‘The progression of habit leads consciousness, by an uninterrupted degradation, from will to instinct.’

Abigail van Buren, better known as ‘Dear Abby’, is more upbeat: ‘A bad habit never disappears miraculously. It’s an undo-it-yourself project.’

My favorite one is by Montaigne:

Montaigne wrote, ‘habit is a violent and treacherous schoolmistress. She establishes in us, little by little, stealthily, the foothold of her authority… with the help of time, she soon uncovers to us a furious and tyrannical face against which we no longer have the liberty of even raising our eyes.’ 

James is a favourite because of his ‘fly-wheel’ metaphor, from his 1890 Principles of Psychology:

“Habit is … the enormous fly-wheel of society, its most precious conservative agent. It alone is what keeps us all within the bounds of ordinance, and saves the children of fortune from the envious uprisings of the poor. It alone prevents the hardest and most repulsive walks of life from being deserted by those brought up to tread therein. It keeps the fisherman and the deck-hand at sea through the winter; it holds the miner in his darkness, and nails the countryman to his log-cabin and his lonely farm through all the months of snow; it protects us from invasion by the natives of the desert and the frozen zone. It dooms us all to fight out the battle of life upon the lines of our nurture or our early choice, and to make the best of a pursuit that disagrees, because there is no other for which we are fitted, and it is too late to begin again. It keeps different social strata from mixing. Already at the age of twenty-five you see the professional mannerism settling down on the young commercial traveller, on the young doctor, on the young minister, on the young counsellor-at-law. You see the little lines of cleavage running through the character, the tricks of thought, the prejudices … from which the man can … [not] escape. On the whole, it is best he should not escape. It is well for the world that in most of us, by the age of thirty, the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.”

The excursion and contact of habits can be examined by clicking the below path:

Link: https://aeon.co/essays/when-did-the-self-help-movement-lose-its-ethical-seriousness

C-Suite - Fixed Vs Performance Pay

There are not many articles which persuasively converse its message to readers and they contentedly accept it. One of the subject post credit crisis is the fat bonus received by C-Suite members. Many condemned them for the irresponsible actions and causing the great recession.

One such article appeared in HBR blog titled “Stop Paying Executives for Performance” by  Dan Cable and Freek Vermeulen February 23, 2016.

The writers have managed to convince everyone (other than C-Suite) that executives do not require performance bonus. I wish to bring out some sections herein (the link for the article is placed at the end of this post) which states why executives are paid for something they have to do:

First, the nature of their work is unsuited to performance-based pay. As the incoming Chief Executive of Deutsche Bank, John Cryan, recently said in an interview: “I have no idea why I was offered a contract with a bonus in it because I promise you I will not work any harder or any less hard in any year, in any day because someone is going to pay me more or less.”

Five points why it is not good is listed below:

1.      Contingent pay only works for routine tasks

Decades of strong evidence make it clear that large performance-related incentives work for routine tasks, but are detrimental when the tasks is not standard and requires creativity.

2.      Fixating on performance can weaken it

In work situations where learning is important, performance or outcome goals can have a deleterious effect on performance.

3.      Intrinsic motivation crowds out extrinsic motivation

The goal of contingent pay is to increase extrinsic motivation – but intrinsic motivation is fundamental to creativity and innovation.

4.      Contingent pay leads to cooking the books

When a large proportion of a person’s pay is based on variable financial incentives, those people are more likely to cheat.

5.      All measurement systems are flawed

 For a complex job such as senior management, it is simply not possible to precisely measure someone’s “actual” performance, given that it consists of many different stakeholders’ interests, tangible and tacit resources, and short- and long-term effects.

It is highly recommended that the article should be read for a better understanding of the non suitability of the performance based pay to top executives.

Link: https://hbr.org/2016/02/stop-paying-executives-for-performance

Lets Earn Our Gifts

Dialogue from the movie Limitless (2011) has very interesting statement to offer, which i thought should be listed here. This movie was not a blockbuster but one of the few which leaves a food for thought.

"And you would even think that, would only show me how unprepared you are to be on your own. I mean you do know you're a freak? Your deductive powers are a gift from God or chance or a straight shot of sperm or whatever or whoever wrote your life-script. A gift, not earned. You do not know what I know because you have not earned those powers. You're careless with those powers, you flaunt them and you throw them around like a brat with his trust-fund. You haven't had to climb up all the greasy little rungs. You haven't been bored blind at the fundraisers. You haven't done the time and that first marriage to the girl with the right father. You think you can leap over all in a single bound. You haven't had to bribe or charm or threat your way to a seat at that table. You don't know how to assess your competition because you haven't competed. Don't make me your competition" 

References:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/quotes

Time demolishes situation of hopelessness

We often sense the grasp of situations, as the hold of five crocodiles squeezing our head, hands and legs.

We are motionless and pause for the instance when a drop in the hold by one, will comfort a reflection/ prospect of surviving ensuing moment.

That very moment the warrior of Heraclitus will rise from us:

“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back”

Also believe that change is not unnatural and:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”

References:

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/117526-no-man-ever-steps-in-the-same-river-twice-for

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/16222-out-of-every-one-hundred-men-ten-shouldn-t-even-be

The Choice

Transformation is eternally contemplated as longed-for. What we miscarry is the trappings it brings with it.

Is static position, blameless or unpleasant?

Nowadays Economic growth is considered an essential. It liberates millions out of poverty, as it believes in trickle-down effect.

There has been forceful discussion on whether economic growth is good or redistribution in fair way is a better substitute.

One of the renowned debates took place between two eminent economists Jagdish Bhagwati and Amartya Sen. Mr. Bhagwati has focus as the fundamental aspect and Mr. Sen has social infrastructure as it core.

Today growth has bounded many in one way course.  There is no strategic time out offered by the System, so that re energising is conceived. A mistaken perception is held, either you are in or out (the famous quote by President Bush “You are either with us or against us”. Yes, I agree the quote was related to a specific state of affairs). But the kernel is vital.

How many find it stress-free to take a break and take up Writing, Travelling, Completing a course (non-career oriented) etc. and then have belief that they can join mainstream if required for a short term.

It is difficult, only the more talented one can think of or it takes rare courage to walk in that direction. Rest go through the grind.

I think what is required is a sense of when one can withdraw from the mainstream for a break or to move in different direction.

Either I wake up or the system makes it clear.

Sample selection

To understand how a population behaves / functions, men have used sample sizes. The sample sizes have played a key role in knowing / predicting the behavior of the population.

Here I wish to incorporate one portion of the article which appeared in IIA i.e. expanding the foundation by Craig Guillot. The writer has brought out importance of Information Technology in sample selection and how it has impacted the field of Internal Audit.

Still many believe even today that 10% /20%/ any other number will give a fair view of the entire population, especially in the field of audit. However, the changes in technology has helped in capturing a very high number of sample size and get a far more nearer / closer to the true nature of population.

For the sake of better understanding I will reproduce the section and I believe that Auditors / sample dependent men have to relook at the sample size they are picking:

“Günther Meggeneder, senior vice president of corporate internal audit and compliance at ista International GmbH in Essen, Germany, says technology has fundamentally changed the nature of information at auditors’ disposal. While auditors used to test “hand-picked samples” in the 1970s and 1980s, they can now evaluate entire populations of data. Internal auditors of the past conducted “theoretical” interviews, whereas today’s interviews are based on comprehensive analytics. “[Changes] have had a big impact on soft skills, but process knowledge and analytical thinking remains very important,” he says.”

I believe many, still rely on the hand-picked samples and try to understand the nature of the population. It is time to regroup and accept that that there is a need to change the perception.

https://iaonline.theiia.org/2016/Pages/Expanding-the-Foundation.aspx

Bengaluru - South Indian Food Joints

Reached Bengaluru on 10th February 2016. This was my second visit, earlier one was in November 2013.

This is not my first visit to Karnataka. I have visited Udupi, Mysore, Kollur (Mokambika temple).

Here i wish to bring down the eating places where i enjoyed having food.

1. Siddhappa ( 7th Main , 5th Cross, Sampanigram nagar, SR Nagar) -

Here you have to visit early morning as there is a queue to get taste of the idli and dosa. Worth visiting and enjoying Idli.Closes around morning 11.30 a.m.

2. MTR ( near Bishop Cotton Girls School, Vittal Mallya Road) - 

Enjoyed Dosa, Bhonda and other food.Closes at 9.00 night. One of the best places to have South Indian snacks.

3. Umesh Dosa point ( Nehru road, Seshadripuram, Triangular park) - 

     

Visited Today i.e. 14th February 2016, i visited this place after visiting ISKCON (Rajaji Nagar). This place is more known for idli and masala dosa. I will rate one of the best Idli i had in the last many years. In terms of smoothness, the idli is worth enjoying every bit. Masala dosa was worth enjoying. I would rate this place very highly in terms of quality and taste. Would not fear recommending this place to every one and make sure this place is part of their visit to Bengaluru. Next to this place there is shop selling chaats ( i have not tasted but have received strong reviews). Also, next to this is shop called Raina Ruchi Savoury shop where you can buy choco chip biscuits (worth having one box).

Considering the wideness of Bengaluru in terms of diversity there is no doubt that there are many places to visit and have tasty foods.

If any other places are there (above list is basically for south indian food) and i manage to find, will update or add separately.

Great to be part of Bengaluru City.

Review worth reading

Review of The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War (The Princeton Economic History of the Western World) in http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/features/not-so-fast-economic-growth-robert-gordon captured how American growth fell.

I wish to present two paragraphs from the review by Lawrence Summers which is to be read, for its ability to convey the change that has undergone:

 

"The strongest part of Gordon’s book is his evocation of the remarkable 50-year period between 1920 and 1970. My grandmother was born around the turn of the century and died in the mid-1970s. Reading Gordon’s chapters, I was reminded that over her adult lifetime she saw the flush toilet, electricity for lighting and central heating go from being luxuries enjoyed by a quarter or less of the population to becoming universal. She saw radio come into being and then be supplanted by black-and-white and ultimately color television. She saw air-conditioning; washing machines, dryers and refrigerators go from non-existent to universal. Over her lifetime, transportation went from meaning walking, riding a horse or taking some kind of train to being primarily based on cars and aero planes. When she had my mother in 1922, infant mortality was 75 per 1000 and large families could expect to suffer an infant or childhood death. When her youngest grandchild was born in the 1960s, infant mortality was below 20 per 1000 and life expectancy had risen by more than a decade."

 

“But whereas my grandmother would have been at sea if returned to her girlhood home, I would miss relatively little if suddenly placed in the home I grew up in."

 

The review is very well written and worth reading (link is provided above).