INSANITY Redefined

 

INSANITY Redefined.  To quote no less than Albert Einstein, INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS, whew!@#$%?   One of the few words in English that has carried on that endless stigma is INSANITY.  99.99% of us [and I was once one of them] would instantlly map INSANITY with psychiatric interpretations.  NOT until I came across this one-liner from Albert Einstein and it speaks volumes.  Of late, I realized that a good plurality of us would, at times, succumb to this twisted mindset.  And admittedly, I realized we can be vulnerable enough because after all, habits die hard and those NOT so bad habits die harder💚💛💜

LIKE when want to improve our academic standings in school BUT that hardly changes.  WHY?  Because we haven't changed!  LIKE when we want to improve our relationships with our partner/spouse after all those rough patches BUT it seems to even worsen more than ever.  WHY?  Because we haven't changed!  LIKE when we wanted to improve our financial situation BUT that hardly changes.  WHY?  Because we haven't changed!  LIKE when we're angling for a job promotion BUT it seems we're stalled?  WHY?  Because we haven't changed😡😡😡

Heard someone makes this noise:  NOTHING IS WORKING.  YES, I heard it NOT just many times from others.  I used to utter those words several times before.  And to make things matter worse [during those really bad times], I would shrug off my shoulder with my body language sending the message that NOTHING WORKS, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO.  Seriously?  I used to get stuck in that world of "DEADEND-ness"!@#$%?  So, WHAT's causing us to get blinded during those 'DEADENDs"?  Here's a no-brainer.  Often, we would forget that there is a mirror right there for us to face? An frankly, there are times WHEN we're aware of that mirror and YET, in a quite common sighting, we're stubborn to face the mirror💥💥💥

Sadly, sometimes we act like the victim, begrudgingly living with the "THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO" mindset.  Seriously!  To make matters worse, sometimes even with no ill intentions, we would be concocting stories to justify that level of INSANITY we are unable to extricate ourselves from.  And here's the thing.  That INSANITY continues, happening the same way over and over again, and YET, there we are, expecting [feeling "ENTITLED"?] that things will get better even up to several notches.  C'mon dude, let's wake up from that state of stupor!@#$%?  As I learned for the very first time WHEN I stepped into the technology space NOT so long ago, INPUT--->  PROCESS---> OUTPUT.  That's it NO LESS.  WHAT YOU PUT IN IS WHAT YOU OUTPUT😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  WHILE it's true that there are extremely challenges in life, let us end up with those motherhood statements that LIFE IS HARD, that I'VE GIVEN MY BEST, that THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.  Those are words that will lead you towards the deepest labyrinth of doom and failures in life.  So, WHAT's our FIX?  

Simple, dude simple.  WHAT'S NOT WORKING, FIX IT.  You can coax it in the mildest words to avoid hurting our feelings BUT at that point, call a SPADE a SPADE.  And if FIX has to be done, damn it, FIX IT before INSANITY gets defined!!!

Upsides of 'DOUBLESPEAK'

 

Per se, I would personally NOT encourage OR incite DOUBLESPEAK. For obvious reasons, even on the periphery, it tends to veer towards bad faith and to some extent, dishonesty.  And I WON'T distance myself from those reasons because I totally stand pat on it.  Having said that, let's face it, life is NOT 'cut and dry' everyday and every tick of the clock.  Throughout our journey, there are is quite a long list of those UPSIDEs of DOUBLESPEAK.  Way back our school time, WHEN we were angling for a better ranking in class, you could speak less so as to downplay your preparedness for a school competition you're contesting in.  Finally WHEN you plunge into the job market, you start to learn and harness the ropes of DOUBLESPEAK by glossing and even 'window dressing' your CV/Resume to kind of boost OR enhance the content and 'heaviness' of your work/skills credentials☝☝☝

I vividly recall the multiple times I reached a crucial stage in the recruitment process WHEREIN I felt I was in a GO OR NO GO stage.  And often, during that crucial stage, the interviewer can dangle a ballpark of the salary offer to be tendered.  Same question I asked myself multiple times.  If the ballpark does NOT seem good enough, should I decline it outright OR should I DOUBLESPEAK???  I thought that was critical question I had to ask myself and come up with the best answer!!!

BUT before I get misconstrued, allow me to crystallize concretely my stand.  If the situation calls for an honest and good faith stance, any form of DOUBLESPEAK does NOT have a place in the equation.  If you're an entrepreneur managing your business, OR you're a worker expected to 'deliver the output' within specs, within budget and within timelines, DOUBLESPEAK has NO place therein.  WHY?  Because it behooves that we be honest and transparent every step of the way no less.  If one's approach gets tinged with DOUBLESPEAK, that is kind of veering into the kind of 'shady' areas WHERE one may be doubted [OR worse, suspected] of bad faith OR worse, dishonesty.  So, you might ask, WHEN is it fine to DOUBLESPEAK💧💧💧

Funny I stumbled across this scribbled equation.  Looks and sounds like a joke BUT it's NOT.  In fact, this is more factual more than anything else as it implies that WHEN we sum up a half-truth with another half-truth, you will likely end up with one BIG LIE, no less.  BUT at times, DOUBLESPEAK is unavoidable under certain circumstances💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  There will always be times WHEN DOUBLESPEAK may be warranted.

LIKE WHEN you are in an argument

LIKE WHEN you are facing a nemesis

LIKE WHEN you are into negotiations

LIKE WHEN you are with suspicious people

LIKE WHEN you are under fear OR duress

YES dude, there are UPSIDES OF DOUBLESPEAK as long as you are within bounds, within reason, within conscience and within the bounds of the law.  Other than that, we WON'T incite DOUBLESPEAK😡😡😡

Split-second Decisions!

 

HOW often do we get into those SPLIT-SECOND decisions? NOT so often, right?  Oooops except I vivldly remember WHEN I was on a long-drive for that 12-hour travel [WHICH has become my annual ritual, so to speak].  YES, admittedly, during those long-haul drives, I would likely have around ten SPLIT-SECOND decisions to make, LIKE finding a trick to wiggle out from a bumper-to-bumper conundrum, LIKE getting ahead of a snail-paced 20-wheeler truck.  BUT other than that, YES, we do get into SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS

BTW, SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS should NOT be dissected literally.  Point is, there are DECISIONS in life WHICH would randomly pop-up, totally unexpected, and yet  it does become urgent to reach a GO OR NO GO DECISION based on those random urgencies.  Question:  WHEN do those SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS really become actionable 

Generally, the urgency becomes that apparent from a survival OR safety consideration.  BUT times have changed, dude.  These days, life-changing considerations become urgent as it becomes a life-changing DECISION OR even a NON-DECISION.  LIKE opportunities, WHO would want one to slip through your fingers if that arises?  Obviously, NOT all opportunities are served on a platter and even if they are served, there is often a QUID PRO QUO

That Covid-19 Pandemic was our shared SPLIT-SECOND DECISION kind of thing.  99.9999% of us all were in a quandary with our health [and life at that] were at the precipice of the unknown.  WHEN vaccination researches were fast-tracked by Pfizer and the global pharmas, we were torn between embracing it OR shunning it away like a plaque.  Till today, some of us made regrettable SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS, like it OR not

Our takeaway:  There is no RUNBOOK to guide us in grappling with SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS but instead, everything boils down to these very basic grounds:

• Assess/Validate UPsides versus DOWNsides
• Formulate INFORMED DECISIONS, period
• NEVER succumb to pressure in decision-making

That AI Inflection

 

That AI INFLECTION POINT.  As recent as just last year, we [and I was one of the majority] were leveraging on AI in a similar fashion we've got used to with 'Mr Google'.  BUT HOW time fleets fast enough, today, AI has somehow seamlessly transitioned from that experimental phase towards today's autonomous systems WHERE you can even dump on AI's lap practically everything, save for your actual food consumption OR your medical lab works.  Other than that, NOT to douse cold water on AI leapfrogging towards the frontline📗📙📘

YES YES yowwww, we can entrust to AI almost anything and everything now.  Not too long ago, one of our most treasured stuff at home are the stacks of albums.  And I vividly remember, each time I'll have my pictures developed at the shop, I made sure I had a spare album tailored-fit for those 4R-sized ones.  Alas, today, AI can rewrite and enhance all our digital photos whatever way we want it📌📌📌

As recent as last year, I'll admit that when I reached out to AI, it was spinning around WHAT and WHAT, no more than that.  These days, those WHATs and WHATs are just the 'takeoff points'.  After getting all responses for the WHATs, we can append the HOWs and even go as far as asking WHERE are your strengths and WHAT are your achilles heel.  And by a stretch, if you're into those love-life woes, you can even reach out to AI as our Dr Love.  Asking Dr Love WHERE did you go wrong, and WHAT can you leverage on. And WHEN your emotions are somewhat skidding, that's WHEN we need to quickly arrest that skidding, right💥💥💥

WHAT insights can we pick from AI as its evolution seems unstoppable?  I'll always stand my ground on the arguments WHERE emotions and intangibles will get into the equation, that calls for human intervention and conversely, for AI to be take out of the equation.  NOT that we distrust AI but let's face it, NOT all the stuff in life can be resolved via and end-to-end through AI, NO sirrrrrs☝☝☝

Our takeaway:  AI OR NOT, let's NOT gloss over everything that's AI.  NOT to be a pessimist OR a cynic BUT here's the darn obvious truth.  Much as we embrace all the leaps and bounds of AI, some variables in our human equations will remain as our exclusive domains.  Talk about emotions and any that's intangible, let's grapple with it as humanly as possible and drill-down with stretched patience, NOT cutting corners even if the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  Indeed, That AI Inflection😡😡😡

Good Criticism Is Akin To 'DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH'

GOOD CRITICISM Is Akin To 'DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH'.  No sirrrrs, I'm not veering into Gemology, NOT my domain, ouch.  Instead, I'd like to take a pause and take stock of criticisms because quite often, criticisms trigger rough patches that surface, all because of CRITICISM.  BUT before one positions himself aggressively to argue all about CRITICISM, per se, CRITICISM should be welcomed by anyone anytime, BUT on one condition.  THAT CRITICISM has to be good and genuine.  BUT again, being good and genuine is very relative.  WHAT is good and genuine to one fellow is bad and fake to another one.  That's the great divide.  So, how to do we clear out those murky waters WHICH just gets murkier📗📙📘

Unfortunately, CRITICISM is often seen as harsh.  More than being harsh, CRITICISM is generally 'unwelcomed'.  WHY?  It is because generally, our human nature tells us that CRITICISM is like premeditated and triggered out of bad faith.  Hmmmm, that's debatable because there is no solid ground to support that assumption.  So, WHO's at fault?  It all boils down to our human nature.  Once CRITICISM falls upon us, we start to get into that defensive mode and worse, we would tend to quickly conclude that that CRITICISM has been made out of bad faith👇👇👇

Funny as this might sound BUT I heard someone blurt out that we might just as well be PAYING people WHEN they CRITICIZE?  Seriously?  YES dude, WHAT was meant was NOT monetarily BUT PAYING attention, PAYING time, PAYING appreciation, PAYING reflection BUT again on one condition:  As long as that CRITICISM is genuine and good, made and expressed in good faith.  Along those lines, WHILE genuine CRITICISM is hardly coaxed in the nicest words, they deserve the positive reflection from us💚💛💜

Admittedly, CRITICISMs are NOT comparable to those 'slaps on the wrist'.  They are hardly 'window-dressed'.  Instead, they are coaxed in 'off the gloves' words, sharp, with NO praises, and worse, it can cut down on people's ego, often trimming a person's pride.  And guess WHAT's the common result?  Maybe 95% of the time, we will take offense.  WHO would NOT anyway, right😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  NOT to take sides BUT allow me to temper interpretations for our insights today.  We're NOT encouraging the mobs to CRITICIZE, NOT at all.  Instead, let us be circumspect.  WHEN and WHERE CRITICISM deserves to be shared [in good faith], go for it as long as it is done in GOOD FAITH.  The worst thing to happen is WHEN CRITICISM will create gaps and divides and WHERE it exists, those gaps and divides will widen and worsen.  Since it is NOT that easy to discern if someone is CRITICIZING in good faith or not, let us NOT 'shoot from the hip'.  Instead, take stock of things and validate.  Give that CRITICISM the chance to be validated!!!

Getting Ready To Live But NEVER LIVING?

 

Getting Ready To Live But NEVER LIVING?  Is this just a play of words?  Noooooo sirrrrrs, this is something serious we need to spend time on.  Let's face it.  How often are we in the midst of preparations, either for a pursuit, an activity, a project, an advocacy, a deliverable, a promise, a commitment, on and on?  Off hand, I would say that at least 90% of the time, we're GETTING READY TO LIVE!  BUT alas, the bigger question is, are we ever LIVING, if at all💚💛💜

We can't blame our human nature.  We're more often in that PREPARATION mode.  Obviously, that's the way to go, right?  WHO should NOT be preparing?  BUT if there's one key realization I have uncorked is that, more often, we are so immersed GETTING READY TO LIVE BUT in the end, are we ever LIVING, if at all?  After we reach the FINISH LINE, after achieving our end goal, HOW often are we relishing, reaping and enjoying the fruits of all our hard work?  Surely we would be defensive to retort, like, BUT OF COURSE, I am LIVING and enjoying it.  BUT there's a BIG BUT there!!!

In the bluntest words I have ever heard, one resource speaker had this opening spiel:  STOP EXISTING and START LIVING.  And I deeply exhaled to realize its truism.  HOW many of us are indeed EXISTING BUT NOT LIVING?  I would speculate that a big slice of us all do get trapped in that quagmire.  BUT again, WHO can be blamed but the vicious cycle wherein today, we're into this pursuit and obviously, you're so focused to that latest pursuit.  One that gets done next day or next month, there you go, pursuing another pursuit.  Hey dude, did you relish that previous pursuit you succeeded☝☝☝

BTW, I DON'T come with a clean slate here because many times I was guilty of being into that vicious cycle over and over again.  WHILE I was never into Sales, think of a Sales Executive WHO, today, is so focused to achieve his quota for the month.  And finally, on the last day of the month, he closes a deal and achieves the quota.  Come next day is a next business month and new quota kicks in.  Sadly, I'm tempted to paint that analogy of life with that typical Sales career, achieving the quota for today or this month and after achieving it, moves on to achieve the next cyclical quota, whew.  Seriously💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  What's our FIX for this?  No quick FIX dude but it can be fixed.  And all it takes is for one to list down [with seriousness] his REASONS FOR LIVING.  Once those REASONS FOR LIVING gets embedded, commit to consistently embrace all those REASONS FOR LIVING so that you DON'T end up in that cyclical vicious cycle of GETTING READY TO LIVE BUT NEVER LIVING😡😡😡

'The Only Way Out Is Through'

 

NOT my line but allow me to quote this one-liner as it hit me right through my nerves:  'The Only Way Out Is Through'.  Regardless if you're just another fellow in the street OR you're a global leader, I'm sure that at few times [multiple times in my case] in your life journey, you would realize you're in that 'deep long tunnel' and there you are, in a quagmire, kind of pushed against the wall, thinking how to wiggle out.  Until your life is so engaged and glued to that dilemma of extricating oneself from that deep fox hole.  Admittedly, in the past, I did find myself in those deep fox holes, several times, I was akin to that 'headless chicken', kind of panicking scampering end-to-end from one direction to another, only to 'huff and puff', gasping to breath as my adrenaline rush only made me more drained😄😄😄

To the credit of Robert Frost, the great American poet, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH is the best answer to a big chunk of the challenges we face in life.  Put it this way, many times in life, we were in a specific situation because we were complicit, we were part if NOT the 'architect' behind that situation.  THAT situation we were in dire financial straits?  Probably because we drained our coffers?  THAT situation we were in a conflict [WHEN we were supposed to be NOT part of it]💢💢💢

Many times [if NOT most of the time], we were unconsciousy dragged into a situation we DIDN'T had the slightest inkling that we will end up in a challenging situation.  BUT the thing is, once you have 'crossed the bridge', there's NO way to UNDO it.  Instead, let us figure out HOW the hell we can get out of a situation.  SO HOW?  Just my 2-cents.  Firstly, embrace that situation.  You just CAN'T run away from it, dude!  Avoiding OR refusing to recognize that situation you're in right now will only exacerbate and prolong your dilemma.  It worsens the difficulty and before you know it, that pain within just becomes unbearable at some point☝☝☝

So, WHAT IF we stand pat and we refuse to recognize that you're trapped in that deep fox hole?  Dude, for one thing, you'll be running against time, literally speaking.  Knock on wood, that situation may continue to be slipping beyond your fingers, beyond your control, until you might realize you're approaching that 'lowest point'😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Much as technologies have always included that 'UNDO' function, it's a loud NOoooooo in life, there's just NO 'UNDO' because once you're in a situation, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.  NOT behind it.  NOT over it.  NOT even avoiding it.  This all boils down to gathering your energy and sheer determination, nothing less dude!!!

Is There Such A "FINISH LINE"?

 

Is There Such A "FINISH LINE"?  The thing is, 99.9999999% of us are so FINISH LINE-focused, be it during our school days, at the workplace, in our personal businesses and even in our holidays and social life.  It's like everything has an ENDPOINT where everyone is so darn glued to compete and complete, AS IF we were in the midst of that very competitive annual Boston Marathon.  BUT hey dude, not everything in life is tied-up to the FINISH LINE, not at all☝☝☝

YES YES yowwww, we always [NOT just often] hear that life is a game and it being a game, there's always a FINISH LINE at the end of that game.  Literally and technically, that is true, that is, if we're referring to a competitive game.  BUT alas, people tend to say that life has a beginning, a midpoint and an ENDPOINT.  And then, things get stretched once we hear that FINISH LINE.  BUT here I am, standing squarely on my feet, I'll vociferously argue that there is NO such thing as a FINISH LINE.  True, life forces us to constantly strive for greater things and even as life forces us to NEVER give up and NEVER surrender.  And as long as people believe that they cannot and should NOT stop trying, then we can reinforce our motivation and even sustain that momentum to keep us going💧💧💧

Browsing through my history files, I came across that 1991 Nike commercial with that headline-grabbing title 'THERE IS NO FINISH LINE".  And WHAT I think makes that Nike commercial a standout is that there were NO words spoken OR sung [at all].  Instead, a runner was shown jogging throughout city streets.  And on the buildings the runner passed by, clips of some of the all-time greats were shown💥💥💥

And that reminds me of perfect examples of people who, deep within themselves, believe that there are NO FINISH LINES.  I'll take on NBA's GOAT Michael Jordan and even boxing's Floyd 'Moneyman' Mayweather, they take on every new challenge in life like there is simply NO FINISH LINES ahead!!!

Our takeaway:  Per se, I am NOT aghast and against FINISH LINES because they are normally the catalyst that will trigger our adrenaline rush.  BUT here's the thing.  If we will end up embedding FINISH LINES in every single endeavor we will engage, that is a 'tall order' we CAN'T crack many times more.  WHY?  Because FINISH LINES have the benchmarks and thresholds we need to keep up BUT let's NOT forget we are neither a Superman OR Superwoman.  We've got our own capacities and limits.  WHY measure up to the pre-defined FINISH LINES WHEN you can tailor and customize your own FINISH LINE realistically?  YES there is a FINISH LINE BUT it's for us to define it [and NOT the other way around]😡😡😡

When Is NORMAL Really NORMAL

 

When Is NORMAL Really NORMAL?  Problem is, WHEN something is either seen, observed OR just perceived as common, then it becomes NORMAL.  And that's the huge disconnect is the NOT so obvious fact that even if something is COMMON does NOT mean that it's NORMAL.  WHEN I look around our communities, on the surface, it does NOT seem like there are reverberations beneath that huge disconnect.  It's true our respective societies would show and manifest lots of positivities.  This was even much apparent during the Covid-19 Pandemic WHERE volunteerism sprouted everywhere and obviously, medical researches witnessed its own leaps and bounds with short-term and fast-tracked breakthroughs.  All along, we were witnessing [sometimes NOT so obviously], lots of broken things across☝☝☝

Sadly, it is so effortlessly easy to assume that almost everything is just NORMAL today.  BUT can we agree that if we look around, some of the people we even know first-hand are quite dysfunctional?  Compliant to data privacy, we DON'T need details to openly admit that tjere's too much abuse, divorce [and even de facto separations in countries WHERE legal divorce is difficult [and sometimes costly] to secure.  Add in addictive behavior, we will realize that it's often tagged as far too common [BUT does being COMMON make it that NORMAL?]???

WHEN a plurality [if NOT majority] of marriages end up in the rocks, does that COMMONALITY make it NORMAL?  Of course NOT!  BUT if it's NOT NORMAL, has there been concerted efforts and advocacies to address the unabated increase and worsening of divorce rates across countries?  And in today's internet technologies, the proliferation of pornograhic sites tops the charts and even pedophilia, WHICH used to be a headline-grabbing news before, seems as NORMAL as taking one's regular meals💧💧💧

BUT to me, this boils down to attacking the bull by its very horns.  It behooves that we address the very root cause to rectify things and if it is something that just needs tweaking, then nursing that element back to health.  The worst misstep we can do [or NOT do at all and simply ignore] is to take things at its face value, that is, WHEN things are that common, it becomes NORMAL.  We can start with social media.  While subscribing and following in Meta FB seems just NORMAL, you DON'T subscribe and follow BY DEFAULT at all!!!

 Our takeaway:  Supposedly, we should NOT be wasting our time dissecting as to WHEN is NORMAL REALLY NORMAL.  Breaking it down within semantics, to be NORMAL means it is part of the generally accepted norms, WHETHER it's the old traditional norms or our new societal norms.  So WHAT's the catch?  Simple dude.  Anything that CAN'T be accepted hook, line and sinker and unconditionally embraced with open arms simply points us to the fact that that thing at hand is NOT NORMAL. So, WHEN IS NORMAL REALLY NORMAL😡😡😡

Are We Better off IF WE LISTEN MORE?

 

Are we better off IF WE LISTEN MORE?  Me thinks that way.  BUT the bigger question looming behind that teaser is this:  IS LISTENING DIFFICULT?  Yes, that's a 50% bonus question because half of it is a no-brainer WHILE half of it could a 'tough nut to crack'.  So, WHEN is it damn easy to LISTEN?  YES YES yowwwww, WHEN people are singing praises to us, alongside all the 'Hossanas in the highest' refrains.  It's true indeed, WHEN everything seems shiny and dandy, LISTENING is so effortless.  BUT here comes the tough question.  HOW can the flip side of the coin tell us that it could be difficult to LISTEN?  Been there, went through it and in the past, I'd say roughly half of the time WHEN it was time to LISTEN, I felt loud decibels are noises no less💥💥💥

And if you're now at the edge of your seat, curious enough to hear those moments WHEN admittedly, I was struggling with LISTENING, it was during disconnects that were worsening to become full-blown arguments and conflicts.  There is hardly a difference if the conflict is between global powers OR even between couples.  Each of the protagonists will tend to dig in, take a hardline stance, combative and aggressive to the end.  And even arbitrators will hardly make its mark because often, the protagonists just WON'T listen to anything that he does NOT agree with, WHICH becomes tantamount to NOT LISTENING.  That's the issue of those DIVIDEs☝☝☝

YES, that's WHEN LISTENING IS HARD.  As it turns out, LISTENING is a kind of superpower that, frankly, few people have [BTW count me amongst the majority].  True, everyone of us have heard about active LISTENING and if we approach any counsellor, they will sing the same tune.  And yet, we all know that somehow it just ISN'T as easy as it sounds.  I mean, WHILE technically it is NOT hard, BUT translating it into action and practice may seem to be next to being that impossible indeed💚💛💜

All along, my key realization is that the kind of LISTENING that nurtures intimacy and connection is LISTENING that is deeply rooted in the intention to emphatically and compassionately understand.  More specifically, the intention we have is often to seek to compassionately understand.  BUT unfortunately, perhaps, despite our good faith and best intentions, this precisely becomes the very reason WHY LISTENING IS HARD😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Back to our $64 question.  ARE WE BETTER OFF IF WE LISTEN MORE?  But of course, absolutely dude!  As long as our ego and pride DON'T prevail, I can guarantee that LISTENING MORE makes us better off.  I have enough reasons to believe this stance WHEN I vividly recall those countless moments I was seating across the table with C-levels.  More often, I was doing the talking and they were spending a bigger chunk of that 1-on-1 ACTIVELY LISTENING.  And I'll be the first one to admit that those moments made me BETTER OFF because probably 98% of those times, I did reap the benefits and advantages of people LISTENING MORE.  Really, moot and academic, dude!!!