On Words and Business

It is my habit to carry a pen and small notebook with me to take notes or jot down ideas. I also have a notebook and pen next to my bed, to write down whatever is in my head and go back to sleep (even though the notes are, almost without fail, illegible to me the next day).

These days I guess lots of people use their blackberries or smart phones for these kinds of things. Call my old fashioned.

I just wish that last night, when I awoke with what I knew was a fabulous idea for this blog post, that I had actually taken the time to write it down.

If you suffer from having too many email messages to read, an avalanche of blog posts, a pile of magazines and newspapers (for us old school types), and an abundance of internet and t.v. news to read and watch, you might need to go on a low information diet.

Here’s how.

Some inspirational and well written words:

“Our challenges may be new.  The instruments with which we meet them may be new.  But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.  These things are true.  They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths.  What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.”

From the Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama

Can we please stop the practice of describing groups of people as including “women and children.”

Regarding the plane accident last Thursday, a CNN reporter described the victims as “155 people, including women and children.”

I assume that a group of people includes women, men, and children, unless otherwise noted–such as a group of 155 men or a group of 155 girls.

The word people is a collective noun describing human beings and that includes men, women, girls, and boys.

On top of that, someone was quoted as saying “…women and children first, right?”

In the past, hundreds (or not so many) years ago when women had fewer rights, did not fight in combat, fly planes, work as firefighters, or drive race cars perhaps (perhaps) women needed special protection and their presence was rare or noteworthy enough to call it out. However, if we ever did that kind of attention and protection, we don’t anymore.

Children, on the other hand, do need protection and special treatment. So let’s replace the “women and children first” sentiment to “children first.” And let’s assume women can take care of themselves. And let’s assume that groups of people include all types of people–women, men, girls, and boys. But if it’s important to the story, feel free to describe the group of people as “including children.”

So, I admit it: I haven’t started using Twitter and I can’t figure out why I should.

I’m not a Luddite and I don’t believe that absolutely everything must have a point or deeper meaning.

But I don’t understand the appeal of keeping track of someone’s thoughts and actions throughout the day, and stopping to share my thoughts and actions with everyone else.

Can someone explain it to me?

The good news:  86-93% of us are employed

The bad news:  7% of us are unemployed, with up to 13.5% of us are either unemployed or underemployed

You never hear that first number in news reports or press releases.

Granted: the economy is truly struggling.

But what role does psychology play here? What about the power of words to persuade and soothe? What about finding a way to acknowledge the reality and avoid sticking our heads in the sand, while also avoiding doomsday predictions and the all-negative approach?