About LindyChef

I could put the standard who/what/where information here, but I thought I'd put some stuff in there that was more insightful ...

What is the greatest value that drives your life?

People are creatures of habit.  If there are three people, without strong leadership inevitably it degenerates to a two on one situation.  Although human nature in such events can be overcome, it is easier to understand it and to use it rather than fight against it.  That's why it never surprises me when you find that someone is speaking behind someone else's back.  It's in our nature to create an "other," an enemy to strive against and if we don't provide an external one, we inevitably turn on ourselves.  It's not that I'm lamenting the state of human affairs, I'm just saying that's what's human.  I think it's beautiful when we rise above it, but even in the best of those times, like when a team comes together to overcome an obstacle and reach a common goal, if you dig deeper you'll find that someone is harnessing human nature to redirect it in a positive direction.

What do you feel when you stand at the shore of the ocean?

I always seem to close my eyes, take in the sun, inhale the crisp salt air and smile.

What skill do you need in order to succeed?  Why?

In general, it comes down to better interpersonal skills, to see things from the other person's point of view and to remove my ego from the situation.  It's something that I've been working on quite a bit since I've realized that, no matter what you do, you always will interact with people.  If that's the case, then to truly succeed, you need to both understand people and to be able to work effectively with them.

What will save American politics and why?

A viable third party and a move away from soundbite politics.  We need a third party to create another voice and interject some complexity into the conversation, instead of divisive back biting.  With a move away from soundbites, we get to delve more into the nuances of a situation.  For example, Republicans say the economy is better and have the numbers to back it up, yet Democrats point to numerous stories of people who feel that the economy isn't working.  The truth is that they're both right.  What their soundbites don't cover is the fact that we have transferred massive amounts of economic risk from institutions to individuals (pensions to 401(k)s for example).  And their solutions don't address the underlying situation, only the symptoms.

© 2007 Martin Beally