Monday, February 14, 2005
instapundit points to book about hypomania and americanism. settled by people who didn't fit in anywhere else, a bit of craziness cross-bred, developed hybrid vigor, and produced america's greatness.
The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a little) Craziness and (a lot of) Success in America, by John Gartner. It looks like an interesting thesis: America, a place just crazy enough to work!
i've been looking into this theme myself a bit.
inspired by an a e van vogt story, which might have been the worlds of null-A, or not,it looks like being a little bit crazy can be an advantage.
first came to light in in depth study of johnson. monomania, manic-depressive, king of the hill. that led to jfk, and the kennedy gene for risk-taking. not a gene so much as a cultural pattern. win at any cost, knock up lots of chicks, die trying.
the things that make me a little bit crazy are also the things i like about myself.
creativty, lust for power, delusions of grandeur, not hung up on the small stuff.
i have the absent minded professor type personality.
it's easy to see that a tribal band which includes a diversity of personality types has a competitive advantage over a tribe that is all alike.
so being different is ok.
the trick is to learn to compenate for my weaknesses and take advantage of my streghths. comparative advantage. what am i good at? seeing injustice.
what am i at best just barely adequate at? fighting injustice via the system.
so the trick would be to have minions to delegate the shit-work to, only 'minions' 'delegate' 'shit-work' is not going to fly as a cooperation strategy.
i could be like an injustice broker, setting up the cases, for a dull plodder who knows how to do the work, but not set up the cases. i'm doing it again .. a steady worker without rainmaking skills.
ok, this was a rant, but a rant inspired by an instapundit post.
The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a little) Craziness and (a lot of) Success in America, by John Gartner. It looks like an interesting thesis: America, a place just crazy enough to work!
i've been looking into this theme myself a bit.
inspired by an a e van vogt story, which might have been the worlds of null-A, or not,it looks like being a little bit crazy can be an advantage.
first came to light in in depth study of johnson. monomania, manic-depressive, king of the hill. that led to jfk, and the kennedy gene for risk-taking. not a gene so much as a cultural pattern. win at any cost, knock up lots of chicks, die trying.
the things that make me a little bit crazy are also the things i like about myself.
creativty, lust for power, delusions of grandeur, not hung up on the small stuff.
i have the absent minded professor type personality.
it's easy to see that a tribal band which includes a diversity of personality types has a competitive advantage over a tribe that is all alike.
so being different is ok.
the trick is to learn to compenate for my weaknesses and take advantage of my streghths. comparative advantage. what am i good at? seeing injustice.
what am i at best just barely adequate at? fighting injustice via the system.
so the trick would be to have minions to delegate the shit-work to, only 'minions' 'delegate' 'shit-work' is not going to fly as a cooperation strategy.
i could be like an injustice broker, setting up the cases, for a dull plodder who knows how to do the work, but not set up the cases. i'm doing it again .. a steady worker without rainmaking skills.
ok, this was a rant, but a rant inspired by an instapundit post.
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