Outside the box
So I was talking to my awesome friend 'E' and while we were talking I realized how crappy it is to live 'inside' the box. To be confined by rules upon rules and restrictions piled on top of regulations..
..I don't want to say rules are a bad thing, (well they do kinda suck) but more that you need to have flexibility, trust and some wiggle room under those rules.
For instance at work you need to be trusted and not micro managed like you are a kindergartner during recess or R. Kelly at an Olsen twins slumber party. And to go along with that trust you need to be appreciated. (with these two things, watch your co-workers soar while you are their manager!)
And let them live 'outside' the box for a bit, amazing what that will to for them in terms of productivity and overall happiness. What I mean by 'outside' the box is encourage them to be creative and proactive and to handle issues on their own. If you have good employees and you already have trust established, let them make a few decisions, give them a $20 heater under their desks in the winter or add their favorite candy in the vending machines.. I don't care what you do, but let me tell you one thing, these little things go a long ways. (sorry for the cliche)
(This might get a little crazy but try and follow me...)
People need to (live outside the box) and do a few things to have a happier life:
- Take chances, and I don't mean eating McDonald's and trying not to puke.
- Challenge the status quo, because who wants to be normal anyways?
- Push personal limits and venture outside the comfort zone, this doesn't mean trying a caribou coffee over Starbucks for a day.
- Think of the unthinkables and then go do them, we all have ideas, so make them more than just thoughts.
- Exceed expectations, why(?), because you can!
And that last point reminds me to not forget this, "Yes we can" (stupidest slogan ever.. we can what... retard? I always wanted to ask him that... *shakes head at our ever intelligent leader*)
Sorry about the random rant, but it's just me being awesome.. No for real... don't laugh..
Posted in: awesomeness, Boundaries, flexibility, people, potential, trust on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at at 1:29 PM
Posts
I absolutely agree. Live outside the box and give people the power to make their own decisions, realise their out creative thoughts. That's when you get people putting more in to a job that had previously.
Living outside the box can be very rewarding, but it can also be very hard. Take it from someone who is trying to do that right now... Pushing personal limits and stepping outside the comfort zone is a tough road to take. You learn a lot and grow a lot, and hopefully the road evens out for a while, until you can think of the next crazy thing to try. The important thing is to keep trying.
I like your post, but "outside the box" is such a cliched phrase.
Still, it's tough to do. I'm starting with baby steps in ways to get out of my comfort zone, while sticking to my principles. I definitely am always one to challenge the status quo, because I am always up for a good argument, and status quos generally are troublesome because people get too complacent.
Here's one of Walt Disney's wise impartings of knowledge - "If We Can Dream it, We Can Do It". He had visions and ideas that no one had, and he brought them to life. Today, they've unfortunately devolved into the forces of mass-commercialism, but you can still see that spirit shine through.
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN!
I've already heard some Obama drones expressing some remorse for their vote. Who would've thunk?
"micromanaged....like r.kelly at an olsen twins slumber party"
***uses a continue***
This post is great. Boundaries are just that, people will struggle to live to them. If you say the skies the limit, and get motivated people, then that is what will happen.
Whenever you're ready to go into business man, let me know lol.
Hey everybody, why so awesomeness is a big reason why I started this site. :) (in case you wanted to know.. )
and moving on, I didn't mean 'micromanaged like r.kelly.....' I meant the trust part with that analogy. erk, need to get better with the writing skills and the thought process..
I'm already in business. You looking for something new and exciting a.i. ? shoot me an e'mail.
You nailed it Bamer, So many people do not realize there potential, granted a lot may be due to a lack of respect from peers, or co-workers and self-respect. They may be to scared to jump out of the box. From personal experience outside the box is where life is lived. Even though they are cliche's they are very true. Look forward to more.
Oh yeah, yes, rules do suck, guidelines would be more approprite, but not possible.
Change is not always for the better. As we may soon to find out!
McPike: Nice rip you just took on Obama.. ouch. Maybe the change will be ok, er umm some of it? I hope?
Gust: that is actually not a clichè phrase. The phrase you are thinking about is "think outside the box" and I am saying fuck the thinking, grab a bulldozer and run the whole box over...
and no it doesn't suprise me that people are changing their minds after the original vote.
The Gust:Just some thoughts to add to this topic...
You can’t challenge the status quo from inside your own comfort zone. Arguing is one thing, but rhetoric doesn’t change anything unless it is followed by action. If it isn’t, you’re just pontificating. A true challenge to the status quo can only be launched from outside the box.
In fact – step outside the box, step outside the status quo – they are one and the same. Live outside the rules. That’s what I am trying to say here. They aren’t mutually exclusive. You can’t do one while still inside the other.
Empty words don’t make a difference. Empty words don’t shake up complacency. Empty words are just that… You can talk yourself in circles, but you’ll still be inside that box, a slave to the status quo.
Sorry, we're going to agree to disagree. "Thinking outside the box" is incredibly cliched thinking, and the argument you present in your last post demonstrates a severe logical fallacy of what is known as a "false dilemma". You are saying there are only TWO options here: thinking outside the box and breaking free from the status quo, or being a slave to it. Sorry bro, but life doesn't work that way. I think you know that, too.
Further, "living outside the status quo" and "living outside the box" are NOT mutually exclusive, as is implied with what you state. There are plenty of people out there who are not part of the status quo, but can't think outside the box either.
I am all for people doing crazy, cool, wacky things that shake up the world in positive ways. But I am not for sugar-coated idealistic thinking that is done without regards to universal truths about the universe. You can challenge some stuff, but you can't give a valid "either/or" argument.
Both "choices" you present are extreme points on a spectrum of infinite possibilities. What you stated is a form of black-and-white thinking, and if you want to "live outside the box" you can't present an argument to people about breaking free or being part of the status quo when you don't take more factors into account. I can't think of even ONE SINGLE valid argument that provides an either/or option.
I like your thinking, I like your reasoning, but ultimately, the whole issue presented is invalidated because of a few simply false premises.
If you are going to epouse "thinking outside the box", don't invalidate that line of reasoning through presenting dichotomous arguments.
[/end of rant]
OK ok, duuuuudddeee.. you totally didn't understand what I said I think.
I didn't say there was only 2 options, in fact I never gave an option other than living outside the box... I don't know where you see a false dilemma?
Also if you live within the rules/regulations 100% of the time then your probably not challenging the status quo. Rules are guidelines to help up, but they by no means have to always be obeyed.. who does that? haha..
wtf are both choices bro? haha, I never gave 2 choices? And if I did I would never be 2 extreme choices at that. I said you need to live outside the box, and challenge the status quo. You don't need to be another drone that has his simple job, simple wife/kids, and everything is like "mr. rodgers neighborhood".
And I am not telling you that you have to be a crazy fool either that goes bungy jumping every saturday either.. but basically be your own self. Make your life actually yours.. specific to no one but you.
And it is not a dichotomous argument at all..
(anyone else care to weigh in on this?)
[[[OK ok, duuuuudddeee.. you totally didn't understand what I said I think.]]]
I understand what you wrote, but if you are trying to communicate something different than what you wrote, please enlighten me. Because then there is a difference between what you are writing and what you are thinking, and that's an issue.
[[[I didn't say there was only 2 options, in fact I never gave an option other than living outside the box... I don't know where you see a false dilemma?]]]
What about this: A true challenge to the status quo can only be launched from outside the box.
[[[Also if you live within the rules/regulations 100% of the time then your probably not challenging the status quo. Rules are guidelines to help up, but they by no means have to always be obeyed.. who does that? haha..]]]
I don't think rules help us, and usually hinder us. Rules are often created with the stated premise that they will help us, but they are actually a way to enable those with power to subject that power on to those who don't have it.
In fact, I challenge you to think about this: what IS the status quo? I don't think there is any such thing as a status quo. If you drill down into finding what a status quo actually is, the argument that someone is part of one falls apart under the most cursory glance. For instance, Obama is our new president. The status quo voted for Obama. But if you look at the results, America was deeply divided. 46% of voters chose McCain. White voters make up the majority of American voters - 74%. 55% of those pulled the lever for McCain. Let's drill down some more: if chances are if you are under 29, you voted for Obama over McCain (54 over 44), but if you were 30+ you voted for McCain over Obama (57 over 40). I could go on-and-on-and-on here, but the point is: what IS the status quo if our own definition of status quo shows that there really isn't one? And the results are nearly the same if I look back at the last 2 presidential elections as well.
There's no such thing as a status quo, unless there is an overwhelming majority -- something which rarely happens.
(The reason I bring up election data is because I like politics, the tie-ins between status quo and politics, and we've collected boatloads of readily-available data).
Saying that there is a status quo is like asking the hopes and goals of the human race. What does the human race believe? Who or what does the human race worship? What ideas for the future does the human race have?
Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? Replace that with "status quo" and somehow it sounds more educated, but if the definition of status quo is "the way things are", then replacing the words "status quo" with "human race" is completely legtimate.
See what I mean? There's no such thing as a "status quo". So how can someone be happy with something that is a mythical construct?
[[[wtf are both choices bro? haha, I never gave 2 choices? And if I did I would never be 2 extreme choices at that. I said you need to live outside the box, and challenge the status quo. You don't need to be another drone that has his simple job, simple wife/kids, and everything is like "mr. rodgers neighborhood".]]]
See above about status quo. But let's say you found this mythical neighborhood... well, if you actually went into each family you'd see that every family and every member of the family has their own dynamic. Again, if you scratch the surface, the idea of a status quo falls apart. I am willing to bet you that you won't actually find many "drones" out therein the world. Not everyone is original or creative, or even wants to challenge everything... but that's not the same as a "status quo".
[[[And I am not telling you that you have to be a crazy fool either that goes bungy jumping every saturday either.. but basically be your own self. Make your life actually yours.. specific to no one but you.]]]
This part I agree with. The arguments you present to come to this conclusion, though, are false.
[[[And it is not a dichotomous argument at all..]]]
Then why did you say A" true challenge to the status quo can only be launched from outside the box." ? Despite the fact that there is no such thing as a status quo, you just said that there are only two courses of action here: live outside the box to challenge the "status quo" (explicitly stated) or don't live outside the box and don't challenge the status quo (implicitly stated). There are all sorts of viewpoints and opinions. Some people can't (or won't) "live outside the box" can still challenge the so-called "status quo" (like politicians), and some people who "live outside the box" (I hate that phrase) don't have any desire to challenge anything... they are doing it just because.
Lose the cliched phrases and mindset, and you'll find that existence is much different than you ever thought. You have some good ideas, but don't get them mired into blatant falsehoods and cliches -- because you will be victim to the very "status quo" you are warning us against...
Wow, Gust. Did you forget to have your Wheaties this morning? Haha, for real. Hasn’t anyone told you that it’s less important to be right than it is to try to understand someone else’s perspective? There’s no need to ride roughshod over everything Bamer has said just because you don’t agree. If you’re not sure why he wrote something, or what he means, you should ask questions until it becomes a little clearer, not attempt to disregard every sentence.
So here’s I think: You are right when stating that the status quo is translated literally as ‘the state in which’. It refers to the way things are. It is, in other words, the current state of affairs of the world around you. The status quo, therefore, is, in a way, just another name for ‘the box’. The same box that we are talking about getting outside of.
As a philosophical concept the box is nothing more or less than the status quo. In order to challenge it you cannot just speak against it, you have to take action. Words are nothing more than empty rhetoric – change requires movement – a leap to a new place. And it is this action that lies outside the box. A true challenge to the status quo undoubtedly can only be made from the outside. Thus, in order to do one, you are automatically doing the other.
So of course “living outside the box” and “living outside the status quo” are not mutually exclusive. If you read what Bamer wrote above, he actually stated this and did not imply anything else. For what it’s worth, I consider those two statements to have the same inherent meaning. It is merely two ways of talking about the same concept.
The status quo does exist. Absolutely, 100%, it is there. It is not accurate or wise to try to apply the status quo to individual families, people, or their circumstances. The status quo is a measure of society as a whole, it is a ‘big picture’ concept. It, like statistics, cannot be applied to an individual. For example, a statistic like 25% of people enjoy bike riding, does not tell you anything at all about the person who just walked past you in the street. You even said the same while talking about percentages of people who voted for Obama – whether that individual in front of you did or didn’t is impossible to tell.
Not every person you meet will fit into what is considered ‘normal’ or even average. Not every person will fit inside every line drawn by the status quo. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The status quo – like statistics – is an over-arching concept that only makes sense when you step back and consider large groups together. The fact that there are variables in an individual’s life does not disprove the existence of a status quo.
I’m not entirely sure that you understand the concept, or point, that Bamer has been trying to make. That is: Don’t accept things the way they are if you believe you can instigate change for the better. Create new ideas, create new rules, create new opportunities to thrive and excel. Just because something is already ‘done’ does not mean it is the best way. Challenge yourself and see how far you can go. Stretch your personal limits.
It is not a cliché to do these things. Any new concept or idea that is outside the box is by definition not a cliché. The words ‘outside the box’, have been used before, you’re right about that, but the very actions Bamer is calling for are unique and as far from a cliché as can be.
I hope I shed a little light on the ‘argument’ here. Whether or not you agree is not the point, I don’t wish to change your mind, but just to explain this viewpoint a little further. It is like I said at the start – it is less important to be right than it is to be aware.
I understand the viewpoint completely. And I agree.
I completely disagree with the reasoning behind that viewpoint. And if something is written, I do "read between the lines" and analyze every little word that is said.
The reasons you support a status quo are the reasons I don't believe in one. If it's overarching, then you can put your finger on what the status quo actually is, and what their opinions and feelings are as a group. If the status quo is the human population and how things are, please attempt answer the questions I addressed above about the "human race".
It's not about being anyone being "right" or "wrong" either. It's about using sound argumentation and sound theory to come to conclusions. I completely understood the point from the get-go... but my feeling is that it is lacking originality. Sound concept - expand on it. But don't use bromides to make a point. It doesn't enhance the argument, it just takes away from it.
So does sockpuppeteering.
Love you guys.. :P :P :P
Like the arguments going back and forth too.. wish I had the mental capacity to use big words in my arguments like you two..
BAck to passing out for me.. :)
Ok, I actually read the comments now and it's clear that Gust wants to win it.
You argue only to win the arument and don't even deny it, seriously I have many emails about already by people that don't want to post on here.
just wanted to say that outloud.
You know I said the words 'status quo' and 'outside the box' as ways to make boundaries that actually don't have concrete lines.
The point isn't to try and define these lines with statistics which is what you are trying to do. Just agree that there is one. (which you have) (then you took it back) and move on from that point.
Not everything has to be completely definable to be real. I don't need statistics to prove 'the status quo' exists.
And to your point about making brominades.. come on Gust, you are the one bringing statistics about the Obama election into it. You are adding meaningless nonsense into it to try to make a point which I never orginally cared about.
I am not saying either one of you is right or wrong, but I didn't realize it would get blown out of proportion so fast. Everyone understood the original point, until it got dissected a million ways.. haha.
Leave it at that? Call it a good debate and move to the next one?
Back to creating more awesomeness! Bamer-
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