Our messy future, and Seth Godin

Note: I have posted many articles on this subject Nature vs Nurture, and a comprehensive account in the last chapter of my auto-biography.

The boss, conference organizer, co-worker, interviewer, parent or client who wants your best work, your art and your genuine enthusiasm:

They can demand that you bring your best possible work the first time,

They can point out that they are paying you well,

That they’re busy, that they’re powerful, and that they accept nothing short of high performance or you’re out.

Or they can nurture you, encourage you, set a high bar and then support you on your way.

They can teach you, cajole you and introduce you to others that will do the same.

The first strategy is the factory mindset, of interchangeable parts and interchangeable people.

It is the strategy of ensuring 6 sigma perfection, on demand, and the strategy of someone in power, who can demand what he wants, when he wants it.

You don’t make art this way, or emotional connections, or things that haven’t been made before.

You may get the job done, but it’s not clear if you’ll make a difference.

Posted by Seth Godin on July 09, 2013

The future is messy…

and the past is neat.

It’s always like that.

That’s because the people who chronicle the past are busy connecting the dots, editing what we remember and presenting a neat, coherent arc.

We can publish the history of Roman Empire in 500 pages, but we’d need 10 times that to contain a narrative of the noise in your head over the last hour.

Even viral videos are easy to describe after they happen.

But if these experts are so smart, how come they can never predict the next one?

Posted by Seth Godin on July 24, 2013