Are things that are cute, like baby animals etc, cute because they are small or because of how they look? Or another possibility that I haven't thought of....
UPDATE SEPTEMBER, 2015
Most things look 'cute' because of the eye size ratio to the body, most mammals are born with their adult eyes and their body grows into them.
I believe that for us as humans everything stems from identity, and the core component of that is feeling like we matter... Anything that makes us feel like we don't matter hurts us in deep and profound ways.
The sad thing is most people's actions that make you feel like you don't matter are often a reflection on them, not a reflection on you, we take it personally. How can you not? There was a great example in a book called 'walking on egg shells'and the example went something like this:
A bride chooses a church to get married in. A day before the wedding lightening strikes the church and it burns to the ground... It is too late to find another venue. Naturally the Bride is very angry, but she doesn't take it personally... It's not like the lightening deliberately and intentionally was out to hurt the bride.
So much pain in life we take personally, if we can try to understand pain is all around us and the people that love us rarely and truly don't want to hurt us, but understand that they will... And when they do, try to understand it's not about you, it's probably more likely it's about them and their problems, pasts and mistakes.
If there is something you don't get, you don't understand, then you don't get it and don't understand.
I'm reading this article and I'm not understanding why the mother did what she did... Then I realised, I don't understand because I don't understand... Anything that happens obviously happened and everything happens for a reason regardless of if we understand or not... We will never be inside the minds of these people and few have the ability to explain why, and even if they do, that doesn't mean we will accept what they have to say... But once again that doesn't change that it happened and it happened for a reason regardless if we understand why, or we don't.
Where's the line between realistic and pessimistic? Where's the line between hope and ignorance? Do we lie or twist the truth to give us false hope do we warp or focus too much on negative outcomes... Make sure your hope is real because negativity might be just being realistic and make sure negativity/worry don't overpower the possibilities of the good.
If you don't think all you'll ever use is instinct...
Depending on who you are you could take that either way.
Greed. Greed can be the builder and the destroyer. Think of someone with a good idea, works hard, is resourceful, takes time to develop the product and idea, finely tunes and ultimately becomes a success... This success gives them more money and options which is then used to build up more and then to build on top of that... They becomes more successful than was ever planned... Where is the peak? At some point, they realise maybe you could make more by cutting costs, speeding up processes, floating the company, bringing in outsiders to diversify and reach wider audiences... Now there's not just expectations but targets that an accountant, a lawyer and a stock broker start to enforce, you have a bad week... Oh no, profits are down, cut something from the budget, investigate what happened, create safety nets but can't spend any more money... Cut costs, move funding from the original projects and departments to stop legal proceedings, satisfy the spread sheets, cut more staff, get fewer to do more, simple maths right? Bad reviews, people are complaining, customers are leaving, loyalty is down, skepticism is up... Share prices fall... Panic... Cut more costs to keep profits up, product suffers, quality people no longer want to work there or be associated with your brand... Hopes of less skilled cheaper workers with expensive consultants/managements become the plan... It turns from practice to pure theory and numbers on a page, why is the company still failing. There are only so many excuses investors will accept, they leave in droves, debts are piling up, sell and sack and ship to keep a float... It sinks with nothing left but the thoughts that inspired, maintained and destroyed it.
Know where to start, know where to stop.
Isn't it unusual... We live in what some would say, a closed minded world... But more and more are becoming open minded, and in a way forcing their open minded message on 'closed minded' people (which is only a perception from your point of view) ... So why are the 'open minded' closed to the idea of being closed... So to be open minded is to accept others choices with sometimes the absence of understanding ... If we were truly open minded, maybe we would stop trying to train the closed minded to think like us.
What do you think about tough love? I think maybe it's good for us sometimes... Do we or should we respect the person dishing it out... I guess it depends on the motives.
There's a show called Sports Science... I'm not sure how reputable there are in the science world but they are a lot like mythbusters so I feel comfortable that their findings are accurate. The test was which coach gets the most out of their players, the father like/praise and encouragement type, or the pusher, punisher, aggressive to the point of abusive sometimes. Their conclusion was the latter got more out of their players. Take whatever meaning you like from that... Maybe sports and regular life are different... Maybe not? Either way, you have to push or be pushed to be great.
