Explore the Sunday Poem archives here. Mending Wall Robert Frost Something there is that doesn't love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun, And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not … [Read more...]
The Balance Between Innovation & Systems
Business is constant balancing act between innovation and systemization. Consistently performing the actions that bring the best results should be the focus of any business venture. To sit on these merits and not innovate can easily become the poison that causes businesses to suffer. On the other end of the spectrum, to focus too much on … [Read more...]
Basic Tribal Culture, Part 3: Major Weaknesses of Tribalism
This is part 2 of a 3-part series, which is continued from this series. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here At this point, we should note that while traditional tribal culture does have much to teach us from its idyllic simplicity, it is far from perfect. Studying its pitfalls and common flaws is also instructive. When tribes are run by … [Read more...]
Basic Tribal Culture, Part 2: The Tribal Worldview
This is part 2 of a 3-part series, which is continued from this series. Read Part 1 Here With this in mind, let’s discuss what the tribal ideal really is. With the assumption of local governance under the direction of concerned and involved citizens who were invested in one another’s success and security—basically a tribal council at the … [Read more...]
Basic Tribal Culture, Part 1
This 3-part series continues from this series. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE MAJOR CULTURAL TRADITIONS of the world’s history, which can be described as Warriors, Farmers and Competitors. Warriors Warrior cultures believe in enemies, battles, winners and losers, us versus them, strength, courage, victory, personal skill, honor, resiliency, and … [Read more...]
Sunday Poem: Hamlet’s Soliloquy by Shakespeare
Explore the Sunday Poem archives here. Hamlet's Soliloquy William Shakespeare To be, or not to be--that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep-- No more--and by a sleep to say we end The … [Read more...]
Things You Don’t Talk About In Polite Company
In 2002 President George W. Bush said, “The public education system . . . is where children from all over America learn to be responsible citizens, and learn to have the skills necessary to take advantage of our fantastic opportunistic society.” At first blush this is just a gaffe, Freudian in my opinion. But there is much that is more of … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 3: Foundations of American Freedom
This is part 3 of a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here The most accurate way, then, to diagram the American governmental system is to diagram the local system correctly, then the federal and state levels with their three branches each, separations of power and checks and balances. But how exactly does one diagram the local … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 2: Freedom at the Local Level
This is part 2 of a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Civics 101 The first constitutions and governments in America were local, and there were hundreds of them. These documents were the basis of later state constitutions, and they were also the models in which early Americans learned to actively cooperate to govern themselves. Without … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 1: Our Tribal Roots
This is part 1 of a 3-part article. Subsequent segments will be published daily. SETH GODIN'S RUNAWAY BESTSELLER Tribes took a quaint anthropological label and turned it into a pop culture buzz-word. And while his timely ideas helped articulate a fresh and needed approach to marketing and beyond, the power of tribal culture is far greater … [Read more...]