Write!

I am convinced of the need to write. And to get better at it by practising, by doing more writing.

I've spent the last 3 days holed up at home doing nothing but reading academic papers, conjuring up a novel scientific idea and writing a mock proposal to get it funded, which I will then defend in front of a jury of faculty. Yes, my first, off-topic qualifying exam is looming, and I've been working my ass off preparing for it!

It has been a challenge trying to organize my stream of consciousness into compelling arguments. But I've also realized a smoothened flow of internal dialogue, that the writing got easier halfway through, that my thoughts got clearer and my expression more concise. I really do believe that the actual practice of formalizing my thoughts by writing forces me to give the mental jumble some logical structure, which in turn helps my thinking.

On an off-note, I saw an amusing phrase in the ST today. You can read it here. Quote:

Retrenched workers whose monthly household income are below $2,500, and are assessed to be in need of help, are eligible for the CDC's Interim Coping Package for Economic Downturn (iCope)

Well, the issue of retrenched workers certainly isn't amusing but THAT is one HILARIOUS acronym. Some brilliant civil servant must have thought "iCOPE" would be an apt acronym for the times, and starting with that, tried to generate actual words to fit the acronym. I'm not sure if the acronym is supposed to contain substantially the words it stands for. "Interim Coping Package" indeed!

Focussing on creative goals

Much of the time when we think about the end, we focus on what we want to be materially - rich, famous, successful, powerful. I have come to realize that these are not active, "creative" goals but rather the passive result of achieving creative goals.

Creative goals usually entail having acquired mastery of specific skills that often lead to the contribution of something unique and useful to society, with emphasis on "mastery", and "unique" and "useful". It is not enough to be merely good at something, one should be great. And society usually rewards "great". "Great" can come in many forms - the great concert pianist, politician, scientist, engineer, plumber even.

I think it is fundamentally important to shift focus from passive end-state goals and plow all my energies into identifying and achieving Creative goals - to be a great writer, to be a great speaker, to be a great scientist, to be a great musician, to be a great thinker. The end-states are peripheral, and the accomplishment of these Creative goals would then be a conduit to achieving those desired end-states.

It is thus also fundamentally important to focus on the process, of putting in the 10,000 hours needed to achieve mastery. Since I am very human and still need sleep, I will have to make careful choices about where I decide to funnel those 10,000 waking hours, rather than indulging my senses in a wide variety of activities as I have been doing.

Writing trivial theories

A scientific trap to avoid:

"Theorists often write trivial theories because their process of theory construction is hemmed in by methodological strictures that favor validation rather than usefulness" - Weick, 1989: 516

A surprising source: A management article titled "The End of Business Schools? Less Success Than Meets the Eye" in the AMLE journal.

Black Belt Bayesian Quote

Awesome quote!

"If you’re interested in being on the right side of disputes, you will refute your opponents’ arguments. But if you’re interested in producing truth, you will fix your opponents’ arguments for them. To win, you must fight not only the creature you encounter; you must fight the most horrible thing that can be constructed from its corpse."
-- Black Belt Bayesian

The guilt at my ambition

After reading Michael Hyatt's blog entry on "Creating a Life Plan", I was just contemplating in the shower what exactly my grand plan in life was. What is the overarching vision that gives purpose to my being? What's the 5-, 10-, heck, 20-year plan?

"To be the first minister of Science in Singapore" was an option that welled up in my mind. I was uncomfortable with that thought. Too personal, I felt, too self-centred. Certainly not a grand vision.

"To cure cancer." That too rang somewhat hollow. A little too general, at least for now. I need something that is at once grand, personally interesting and specific.

I realized that I used to be a lot more outwardly ambitious, arrogant to some. Several painful lessons in social propriety and the need to behave with more consideration, more subtlety, grinded away that young edge. With it too, went some of the bold visions and grand passions. I became more short-/middle-term focussed, not thinking of the long-term very much.

I think I started to feel bad about being ambitious, guilty about being energetic and passionate, and knowing it, in a group of people who weren't so. Along the way, the guilt at my ambition wore it down, and it's been dormant for a while.

But perhaps I'm being harsh on myself. I never really thought of the long-term. It is education, experience and age that have brought these thoughts on me. The Hyatt post is also relevant in light of the recent death of the Wife's father. What do I want to be remembered for? What is my legacy?

I will take the introspective steps needed over the next few days to generate this vision. It is something I have deferred for too long. At least, a restarting of my blog-writing is a good beginning. ;-)

Praying at the pump for oil prices to go down

The man in the street expresses his/her helplessness at soaring oil prices, here.

I think this quote sums it all up:

Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. We call on God to intervene in the lives of the selfish, greedy people who are keeping these prices high,' Mr Twyman said on the forecourt of the petrol station in a neighbourhood of Washington that, like many of its residents, has seen better days.

Amazing.

Chemists have a sense of humor too

Stop. Think for a minute. What's the best journal article title you've read?

I think this is one of the better ones I've read thus far:

AsS Melt Under Pressure: One Substance, Three Liquids

Turns out Chemists have a sense of humor too. Particular arsenic chemists. Imagine telling your friends what work on: "Oh, I'm trying to synthesize arsole" (If you didn't get that, read it aloud) or "Yeah, that moronic acid's pretty strong stuff".

Many thanks to Acidflask for this amusing read :)