Leadership in an Uncertain Future

<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97GkUpqiNP0/YWR0PTmAAsI/AAAAAAABWh0/tssNPrVAhzQ90Vu4VVPrJNia5VLc2kF3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Thomas%2BCole%2B-%2BThe_Course_of_Empire%2B3%2B-%2BThe%2BConsummation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1200" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97GkUpqiNP0/YWR0PTmAAsI/AAAAAAABWh0/tssNPrVAhzQ90Vu4VVPrJNia5VLc2kF3wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/Thomas%2BCole%2B-%2BThe_Course_of_Empire%2B3%2B-%2BThe%2BConsummation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Course_of_Empire_(paintings)#/media/File:Cole_Thomas_The_Consummation_The_Course_of_the_Empire_1836.jpg">The Course of Empire - The Consummation of the Empire</a></em> by Thomas Cole, 1836 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></figcaption><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="preformatted-block"><pre class="text"> </pre></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong>Timeless & Timely</strong> has audio versions of the posts for you to enjoy. They are available to <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Premium subscribers</a>. This one is available here: </em><a class="button primary" href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/leadership-uncertain-future-audio">▶️ Leadership in an Uncertain Future</a></p><div><hr /></div><p> </p><blockquote><em><strong>“The best-laid schemes of mice and men<br /></strong></em><em><strong>      Go oft awry,<br /></strong></em><em><strong>And leave us nothing but grief and pain,<br /></strong></em><em><strong>     For promised joy!” </strong></em> <em>— Robert Burns, 1785</em></blockquote><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>Did you ever have the perfect event planned, only for everything to go awry?</p><p>A product launch, a surprise celebration for an important milestone, a romantic meal. In your mind’s eye, you envisioned everything going off flawlessly, almost scripted like a scene out of Hollywood.</p><p>Then…WHAM!</p><p>Reality hits, and it’s not pretty. A supplier doesn’t come through with essential parts for your launch, a message doesn’t make it to the honoree in time, the power goes out in the middle of cooking dinner.</p><p>What do you do?</p><p>Before you head in any one direction, the first step is simple: acknowledge the reality of your newfound situation.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Very well. So the universe is not quite as you thought it was. You’d better rearrange your beliefs, then. Because you certainly can't rearrange the universe.”</strong> — Isaac Asimov, 1941</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Every leader needs a plan. But they also need backup plans.</p><p>Better leaders know it’s not enough to have a plan. They’ve seen things go sideways before. And like any self-aware person, they know that it could happen to them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Take General Dwight Eisenhower for example.</p><p>He prepared his troops as best he could for Operation Overlord (aka the D-Day invasion). He sent this letter to his men:</p><blockquote><p><strong>“You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. We will accept nothing less than victory! Good luck!”</strong></p></blockquote><p>He also built their confidence:</p><blockquote><p><strong>“This operation is planned as a victory, and that’s the way it’s going to be. We’re going down there, and we’re throwing everything we have into it, and we’re going to make it a success.”</strong></p></blockquote><p>But Ike knew that there were variables that were out of his control: the weather, the number of enemy awaiting them, and scores of other things. So he prepared a note in the event of a catastrophic loss that day:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N8_P6vVLCfw/YWR047Nk8nI/AAAAAAABWh8/QSvXLosW6cs_6wJGXRF8LjuMEKiNbw3bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s936/Ike%2BLetter.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N8_P6vVLCfw/YWR047Nk8nI/AAAAAAABWh8/QSvXLosW6cs_6wJGXRF8LjuMEKiNbw3bwCLcBGAsYHQ/w410-h640/Ike%2BLetter.jpeg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Image credit: </span><a href="https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/in-case-of-failure" style="text-align: left;">The National Archives</a></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”</strong></p></blockquote><p>The Allies’ victory was not assured that day, but after many casualties, they succeeded. Ike did not need to send that admission of failure—written with nerves so jangly that he misdated the note as July 5 instead of June 5.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Life is divided into three periods: past, present, and future. Of these, the present is short, the future is doubtful, the past is certain.” </strong>— Seneca, 49</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p> </p><p>Seneca’s observation is an important one: nothing in the future—<em>nothing</em>—is certain. Leaders need to have contingency plans and to adapt to the changing market forces, on the fly if necessary.</p><p>So back to the initial example. You find yourself in an unexpected circumstance.</p><p>Maybe you had planned a series of promotions for your company on Facebook or Instagram this week. The big Facebook outage was a surprise—certainly to the folks at Facebook, some of whom couldn’t even access their buildings.</p><p>What did you do instead?</p><p>Some people flocked to Twitter. Others turned inward and took an opportunity to enjoy some relative serenity.</p><p>But the prepared leaders likely knew that it isn’t wise to rely on platforms you don’t control. Building on rented land is a guaranteed disaster. They had their own platforms, their own way to contact their communities. They didn’t depend on Facebook’s availability, nor on its capricious algorithms.</p><p>Facebook itself is in need of a contingency plan. The social media giant has been on top for so long, it seems otherworldly to consider it on the decline. But <strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/technology/facebook-files.html?campaign_id=4&emc=edit_dk_20211004&instance_id=41978&nl=dealbook&regi_id=75113674&segment_id=70609&te=1&user_id=d65752cb66270b61c489c6eaa53f121c">Facebook is showing signs of weakness</a></strong>, and absent its need to pivot, users ought to give deep thought as to where and when they leverage the platform.</p><p>Especially given what we know from <strong><a href="https://flipboard.com/@tech/the-whistleblower-behind-the-facebook-files-reveals-herself-tt0alok8077isp6o">the whistle-blower</a></strong>, who may be Facebook’s biggest threat in years.</p><p>Makes you wonder what kind of a backup plan the leaders at Facebook have.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I'll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p>If you’re interested in hearing more about understanding trends and preparing for the future, tune into this episode of the <em><strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless">Timeless Leadership</a></strong></em> on the topic of <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/adaptability" target="_blank">Adaptability</a></strong> with Jeremiah Owyang:</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="170px" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/timeless-leadership/adaptability-IqjdJen-6Yb/embed/" style="min-width: 100%; width: 1px;" width="100%"></iframe><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="1439" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div>

Leadership in an Uncertain Future

The Course of Empire - The Consummation of the Empire  by Thomas Cole, 1836 (public domain - Wikipedia) Timeless & Timely  has audio ve...

Read more »

Are You Collecting or Accumulating?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5_R6wYzv34/YWRvjLKir5I/AAAAAAABWhs/616FXLOzAEw7YdN0Gn4L0TwePcgmGo0jQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Giovanni%2BPaolo%2BPanini%2B-%2BAncient%2BRome.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2048" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5_R6wYzv34/YWRvjLKir5I/AAAAAAABWhs/616FXLOzAEw7YdN0Gn4L0TwePcgmGo0jQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h494/Giovanni%2BPaolo%2BPanini%2B-%2BAncient%2BRome.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["captionedImage",null]"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437244">Ancient Rome</a></em> by Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1757 (public domain - Metropolitan Museum of Art)</span></figcaption></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><em><strong>“</strong></em><em><strong>INTENTION (n.): The mind's sense of the prevalence of one set of influences over another set; an effect whose cause is the imminence, immediate or remote, of the performance of an involuntary act.”</strong> — Ambrose Bierce, 1906</em></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><em><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br />Timeless & Timely</strong> has audio versions of the posts for you to enjoy. They are available to <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Premium subscribers</a>. This one is <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/collecting-accumulating-audio" target="_blank">available here</a>. </em></p></div><div><br /></div><div><div><hr /><br /></div></div><div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"></p><p>I think there are two types of people in the world: collectors, and people who have yet to discover they’re collectors.</p><p>Collecting comes from an inner passion. Something excites you, intrigues you, makes you want to get deeply involved.</p><p>Some people are born collectors, while others learn the nuances and benefits of being a collector by being exposed to those who collect.</p><p>For many collectors, the thrill isn’t the collection itself; it’s the process. The hunt. Learning deeply about a subject: stamps, coins, baseball cards, cars, books, or lately, <strong>NFTs</strong>.</p><p>Now, before we get too far, let’s agree to one thing: there is a difference between a collector and an accumulator (someone who has all the discernment of a vacuum cleaner).</p><p>And thus the three Ds of collecting: <em><strong>deliberation</strong></em>, <em><strong>discernment</strong></em>, and <em><strong>display</strong></em>.</p><p>Or, taking these three attributes together: intention.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Intention is what we talk about with David Amerland, author of <i>Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work, and Play Meaningfully</i> in the first episode of Season 2 of the </strong><em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/intentionality">Timeless Leadership</a></strong></em><strong> podcast:</strong></h4> <div><iframe frameborder="0" height="170px" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/timeless-leadership/intentionality--vQmHXfUB0V/embed/" style="min-width: 100%; width: 1px;" width="100%"></iframe> <hr /></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes explain the importance of collecting knowledge with intention:</p><blockquote><p>“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.”</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>When you set out to collect something — and to me, leaders are in the business of collecting people for their teams — you do so with a specific intention in mind. You <em><strong>deliberate</strong></em> which items and with what features you’d like to pursue.</p><p>It could be first American edition James Bond novels, material written about Edgar Allan Poe in the decade after his death, or collectibles from the DC universe offered on VeVe.</p><p>As you come across different specimens, you begin to <em><strong>discern</strong></em> which are appropriate for your collection. Do the books have dust jackets, or are they signed or inscribed? Are the collectibles common, uncommon, rare, or ultra rare?</p><p>Such details about condition and relative scarcity not only determine whether you might want them in your collection, but also how much they cost. It works with physical items as well as with hiring. Rare talent with good reputation means they’re going to cost more to bring on board.</p><p>And finally, <em><strong>display</strong></em>. What’s the sense of having a collection if no one knows you have it? Most collectors I know are thrilled to be able to share their collections with others — particularly with others who can appreciate the collection.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>The Big Draw</strong></h2><p>Ultimately, every collector has one thing in common: they love stories. They love to tell them and listen to them.</p><p>For any good collector, knowing an item’s provenance and its chain of ownership adds to the romance and intrigue behind it. Association copies — that is, items that have been owned by people associated with the author, artist, or creator in some way — are just as interesting and valuable as nascent copies.</p><p>Or perhaps they recall the seller or the shop they were in when they purchased it, thus reliving an exciting memory as they were on the chase. A book collector friend of mine recounts pre-dawn starts that led through the countryside into barns, antique stores, estate sales, and used bookstores. He retells these moments as if they were part of a chase scene in a movie. It’s delightful.</p><p>If you’re around enough interesting people or read enough material, then you might find that like me, you begin to collect stories. In fact, I’ve begun chronicling some of these in a series I call “<strong><a href="https://racket.com/scottmonty">Wow Finish</a></strong>” on Racket.</p><p><br /></p><h2><strong>Putting It Together</strong></h2><p>Once you’ve got the beginnings of a collection, things will naturally fall into place. You can spot patterns, or see themes. As you do, it’s an opportunity to consider how you arrange your growing collection.</p><p>That is the essence of <strong>curation</strong>.</p><p><br /></p><p><i><b>We talk more about curation in <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-intentional-art-of-curation">the Premium edition</a> ("<a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-intentional-art-of-curation?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web" target="_blank">The Intentional Art of Curation</a>") where I share some secrets on how I curate material for Timeless & Timely every week.</b></i></p><div class="embedded-post-wrap" data-attrs="{"id":42041086,"url":"https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-intentional-art-of-curation","publication_id":28922,"publication_name":"Timeless & Timely","publication_logo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b0b5664-8343-4c87-a050-1a89626389ec_1280x1280.png","title":"The Intentional Art of Curation","truncated_body_text":"“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?” — George Eliot, 1871 You’ve been to a museum, right? As you wander around the galleries, stopping at the display cases and pausing in front of wall hangings to ponder the artist’s meaning,…","date":"2021-10-01T11:00:34.934Z","like_count":1,"comment_count":0,"bylines":[{"id":429,"name":"Scott Monty","photo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9ea180a7-4ad6-4937-b37a-52810591c920_2717x2531.jpeg","bio":"Strategic communications and leadership advisor inspiring people to be better communicators, leaders, and humans. First executive at Ford to lead digital communications. Soothing voice available for hire.","profile_set_up_at":"2021-04-25T06:21:53.329Z","publicationUsers":[{"id":1595,"user_id":429,"role":"admin","public":true,"is_primary":false,"publication":{"id":28922,"name":"Timeless & Timely","subdomain":"scottmonty","custom_domain":"www.timelesstimely.com","custom_domain_optional":false,"hero_text":"Makes you a better leader, communicator, and human with advice and counsel from the past for the issues of today. ","logo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b0b5664-8343-4c87-a050-1a89626389ec_1280x1280.png","author_id":429,"theme_var_background_pop":"#2879af","created_at":"2020-02-02T20:45:53.185Z","rss_website_url":null,"email_from_name":"Scott Monty","copyright":"Scott Monty Strategies","founding_plan_name":"Timeless Supporter","community_enabled":true,"invite_only":false}}],"twitter_screen_name":"ScottMonty","is_guest":false}]}"><br /></div><p>For now, keep this in mind: curation is essential when bits of information begin to overwhelm us. Curation is a way of telling a story by assembling the right material in the right order, and giving it context.</p><p>In an age when we’re overloaded with the number of platforms on which to communicate — let alone the amount of content on each — knowing how to curate is an essential skill.</p><p>Similarly, as you assemble your team, you need to think like a curator: put the appropriate managers in place with the right talent, and the right structure. If you throw a bunch of people together without organization or purpose, the result will be chaos.</p><p>The best leaders are collectors and curators. They deliberate over the strategy, discern the talent and resources needed, and arrange everything in a way to display the culture of the organization.</p><p>And doing so with great intention.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I'll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="1393" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div></div>

Are You Collecting or Accumulating?

Ancient Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1757 (public domain - Metropolitan Museum of Art) “ INTENTION (n.): The mind's sense of the prev...

Read more »

How Much Is Enough?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abiRjnAl7bY/YUyT6xnXucI/AAAAAAABWCg/zuqT6kH-RAQF8MaIf__qZY1gF-JzsfgTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/JS%2BPughe%2B-%2BThe%2BTantalus%2Bof%2BTo-day.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1024" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-abiRjnAl7bY/YUyT6xnXucI/AAAAAAABWCg/zuqT6kH-RAQF8MaIf__qZY1gF-JzsfgTwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h418/JS%2BPughe%2B-%2BThe%2BTantalus%2Bof%2BTo-day.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>The Tantalus of Today</em> by J.S. Pughe, 1897 (public domain - Library of Congress)</span></p><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p><em><strong>Timeless & Timely</strong> has audio versions of the posts for you to enjoy. They are available to <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Premium subscribers</a>. This one is <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/how-much-is-enough-audio" target="_blank">available here</a>.</em></p><p><em><br /></em></p><div><hr /><br /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expense, and my expense is equal to my wishes.”</strong> — Edward Gibbon, 1776</em></p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></blockquote><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><hr /><br /></div><p>Tantalus had everything going for him.</p><p>He was the legendary king of Sipylus, a son of Zeus and Pluto, famous for his immense wealth, like Midas and Croesus.</p><p>But, like some people of privilege, too much simply wasn’t enough.</p><p>Tantalus was welcomed to Zeus’ table on Mt. Olympus—a great honor for a mortal. But he abused Zeus’ hospitality by stealing ambrosia and nectar and brought them back to his people to make them immortal and reveal the secrets of the gods.</p><p>Then, he offered up his son Pelops as a sacrifice, cutting him into pieces, cooking him, and serving him to the gods to test their powers of omniscience. When they discovered Tantalus’ treachery, the gods punished him with an eternal sentence befitting his offenses.</p><p>Tantalus was forced to stand in a pool of water, chained underneath a fruit tree with low branches, for eternity. Every time he reached for a piece of fruit, the branches rose beyond his reach; every time he bent to quench his thirst, the water receded.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>As you know, the English word “tantalize,” meaning to tempt or torment with the sight of something desired but out of reach. For Victorian or Edwardian antique hunters, the tantalus is a wooden rack of decanters secured by a lock; the idea was that servants would be unable to enjoy the nectar of their employers.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NK5IV3BoNA/YUyUhsHfkmI/AAAAAAABWCo/Ar_dgSbQ0yQWkVvv1DJQxXNDQalD5WYXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s912/Tantalus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NK5IV3BoNA/YUyUhsHfkmI/AAAAAAABWCo/Ar_dgSbQ0yQWkVvv1DJQxXNDQalD5WYXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w632-h640/Tantalus.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Victorian-era tantalus</span></i></figcaption></figure></div><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false" style="text-align: left;"></label></div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Ancient Greeks knew it, Victorian British knew it, and it’s still true today: show us something that we don’t yet have, something that might be within our reach, and we will try to attain it, even if we already have everything we need.</p><p>How often do we find ourselves in a situation, wishing we had more or better? We tell ourselves “<strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/if-only">if only</a></strong>.”</p><p>If only I had a better salary, I’d feel secure. If only I had a bigger house, I’d be content. If only I got that promotion, I’d be happier.</p><p>If only… If only…</p><p>We seem to predicate how we feel and how we live our lives based on tangibles and outcomes. As if there were some end goal, some final state of being that we could attain if we possessed something or passed a level—an IRL version of “<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Achievement%20unlocked">Achievement unlocked!</a>”</p><p>If you have desires that are then satisfied—more money, a different house, a different job, a vacation, an ice cream cone, a single malt whisky—does that keep you happy and satisfied? Likely not. Your circumstances change briefly, but then you find you’re back to saying “if only…” again.<span class="embedded-post-publication-name"></span></p><p><br /></p><h2><strong>From Sacrifice to Elegance</strong></h2><p>The Jimmy Carter era was a short stretch of American history blighted with long gas lines, a 55 mph speed limit (for fuel economy more than safety), and a cardigan-wearing president who, in February 1977, advised Americans to set their thermostats at <a href="https://youtu.be/3SFM999m5c0?t=17">65°F in the daytime and 55°F at night</a> to sacrifice for their fellow citizens.</p><p>The Reagan era ushered in “a return to elegance,” where Americans threw off the shackles of sacrifice and adorned themselves with the symbols of a new era, symbolized by stockbrokers in power ties, suspenders, and limousines.</p><p>The decade that was decorated in decadence delivered to us such cultural moments of excess as represented by the fast lanes of Jay McInerny’s <em>Bright Lights, Big City</em> and the “Greed is good” speech in <em>Wall Street</em>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><br />“Greed is good” equates to “more is better,” and before you know it, Americans were encouraged to pursue happiness, one the triptych of unalienable rights granted to them in the Declaration of Independence.</div><p>That founding document was written at a moment of great upheaval for the country, when our well-read forbears understood human nature and knew history deeply.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>It is precisely at moments of change—a new job, a new house, democracy under threat, or some other significant event—when we should consider what fulfills us and more importantly what our responsibility is to those around us, rather than what we might have more of.</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”</strong> — Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)</em></p></blockquote><div class="embedded-post-wrap" data-attrs="{"id":33313805,"url":"https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/money-happiness-and-worth","publication_id":28922,"publication_name":"Timeless & Timely","publication_logo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b0b5664-8343-4c87-a050-1a89626389ec_1280x1280.png","title":"Money, Happiness, and Worth","truncated_body_text":"“Money is human happiness in the abstract.” — Arthur Schopenhauer, 1851 Money is one of those topics that traditionally hasn’t been discussed in polite society. People who don’t have enough of it may be embarrassed or anxious, and people who d…","date":"2021-03-05T16:55:24.462Z","like_count":2,"comment_count":0,"bylines":[{"id":429,"name":"Scott Monty","photo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9ea180a7-4ad6-4937-b37a-52810591c920_2717x2531.jpeg","bio":"Strategic communications and leadership advisor inspiring people to be better communicators, leaders, and humans. First executive at Ford to lead digital communications. Soothing voice available for hire.","profile_set_up_at":"2021-04-25T06:21:53.329Z","publicationUsers":[{"id":1595,"user_id":429,"role":"admin","public":true,"is_primary":false,"publication":{"id":28922,"name":"Timeless & Timely","subdomain":"scottmonty","custom_domain":"www.timelesstimely.com","custom_domain_optional":false,"hero_text":"Makes you a better leader, communicator, and human with advice and counsel from the past for the issues of today. ","logo_url":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b0b5664-8343-4c87-a050-1a89626389ec_1280x1280.png","author_id":429,"theme_var_background_pop":"#2879af","created_at":"2020-02-02T20:45:53.185Z","rss_website_url":null,"email_from_name":"Scott Monty","copyright":"Scott Monty Strategies","founding_plan_name":"Timeless Supporter","community_enabled":true,"invite_only":false}}],"twitter_screen_name":"ScottMonty","is_guest":false}]}"><div class="embedded-post-header"><br /></div></div><p>Does the consumption of more or the process of acquisition blind us to other priorities? Does it make us oblivious to the needs of others, or cause others to see us as callous in the face of suffering?</p><p>Look, it’s fine to chase things that bring us joy, in whatever form that might take. Like the saying goes, “Money can’t buy happiness. But it can buy ice cream, and that’s basically the same thing.”</p><p>The question is, how much ice cream is enough?</p><i><blockquote><b>“We reach. We grasp. And what is left in our hands at the end? A shadow. Or worse than a shadow—misery.” </b><i> — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1926</i></blockquote></i><div><br /><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background: white; border: 1px solid #EEE;" width="480"></iframe><br /></div></div>

How Much Is Enough?

The Tantalus of Today  by J.S. Pughe, 1897 (public domain - Library of Congress) Timeless & Timely has audio versions of the posts for ...

Read more »

Smoke and Mirrors

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Leaders need to act in accordance with their values</h4><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZe6jS2rAGE/YUONyJxI4eI/AAAAAAABV8w/eRvxwdPDmB8TbHJkDXHbJSFRHaKJNkFjACLcBGAsYHQ/s800/Edward%2BBird%2B-%2BThe%2BCheat%2BDetected%2B1814.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="800" height="508" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZe6jS2rAGE/YUONyJxI4eI/AAAAAAABV8w/eRvxwdPDmB8TbHJkDXHbJSFRHaKJNkFjACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h508/Edward%2BBird%2B-%2BThe%2BCheat%2BDetected%2B1814.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-cheat-detected-123948">The Cheat Detected</a></em> by Edward Bird, 1814 (Sir John Soane's Museum - CC BY-NC-ND)</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%share_url%%","text":"Share","class":null}"><br style="text-align: left;" /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“The truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.”</strong> — Marcus Aurelius</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br />The camera ought to be listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.</p><p>More than the awe-inspiring Great Wall or the mysterious Machu Picchu, cameras have allowed us to capture and easily manipulate the world around us.</p><p>As early as 1855 in Paris, at the second world fair, a German photographer demonstrated his ability to retouch the negative of a photograph, thus producing a more desired effect.</p><p>This harmless action has evolved into the now-familiar editing features we see in the photo apps on our phones. What was once the capturing of unflinching truth is now subject to our whims and moods.</p><p>Susan Sontag <a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/swindle-fraud/funhouse-mirror">observed</a>, “Instead of just recording reality, photographs have become the norm for the way things appear to us, thereby changing the very idea of reality, and of realism.”</p><p>That could almost be the mission statement for Instagram — and of its parent company, Facebook, while we’re at it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>Facebook’s Reality</h2><p>In a devastating investigation, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em> uncovered the truth behind Instagram (“<strong><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?st=tfirs5pwfi7lb2o&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show</a></strong>”). But this goes deeper than the typical head-in-the-sand approach that companies like Facebook have taken.</p><p>In this case, it wasn’t third-party research the company chose to ignore. It was <em>the company’s own research</em>.</p><blockquote><p>For the past three years, Facebook has been conducting studies into how its photo-sharing app affects its millions of young users. Repeatedly, the company’s researchers found that Instagram is harmful for a sizable percentage of them, most notably teenage girls.</p><p>“We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” said one slide from 2019, summarizing research about teen girls who experience the issues.</p><p>“Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression,” said another slide. “This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups.”</p><p>The research has been reviewed by top Facebook executives, and was cited in a 2020 presentation given to Mr. Zuckerberg, according to the documents.</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>When Mark Zuckerberg appeared in front of Congress in March 2021 and was asked specifically if Facebook had studied the effect of Instagram on children, he admitted that the company had.</p><blockquote><p>In August, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn in a letter to Mr. Zuckerberg called on him to release Facebook’s internal research on the impact of its platforms on youth mental health.</p><p>In response, Facebook sent the senators a six-page letter that didn’t include the company’s own studies. Instead, Facebook said there are many challenges with conducting research in this space, saying, “We are not aware of a consensus among studies or experts about how much screen time is ‘too much,’ ” according to a copy of the letter reviewed by the Journal.</p><p>In public, Facebook has consistently played down the app’s negative effects on teens, and hasn’t made its research public or available to academics or lawmakers who have asked for it.</p><p>“The research that we’ve seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can have positive mental-health benefits,” CEO Mark Zuckerburg said at a congressional hearing in March 2021 when asked about children and mental health.</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>You <em>Knew</em></h2><p>In another instance with a media executive, <strong><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4733894/user-clip-knew">Rep. Heather Wilson excoriated CBS president and CEO Mel Karmazin</a></strong> in a hearing on Broadcast Decency Rules in 2004, saying, “You <em>knew</em> what you were doing…because it improved your ratings, it improved your market share, and it lined your pockets.”</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.c-span.org/video/standalone/?c4733894/user-clip-knew" width="512"></iframe></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Using intentional deception to achieve a desired outcome is nothing new; we’re warned of it in the very first book of the Bible, as Eve is deceived by the serpent. It is one of God’s commandments handed down to Moses.</p><p>It is deeply and inextricably woven into human nature.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Men are so simple, and so much creatures of circumstance, that the deceiver will always find somebody ready to be deceived.”</strong> — Niccolò Machiavelli, 1513</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>We’ve seen Facebook’s tactics before. And since Scott Galloway called Facebook leadership “<strong><a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/facebook-leadership-is-lipstick-on-cancer-nyu-professor">a lipstick on cancer</a></strong>,” it shouldn’t shock you that the tobacco industry first used them.</p><blockquote><p>The experts Philip Morris hired work for firms whose scientists regularly contend in medical journals, courtrooms, and regulatory arenas that their clients’ chemical products pose little or no health risks to the public. The firms have been instrumental in delaying new regulations by criticizing the work of other scientists, and emphasizing the doubt inherent in health science. The resultant uncertainty has helped delay attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to crack down on ubiquitous chemicals with known dangers, such as formaldehyde, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium. ["<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/low-tar-cigarettes/481116/" target="_blank">Contesting the Science of Smoking</a>," <i>The Atlantic</i>]</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>This aversion to admitting the truth behind scientific studies spans back to the early 1950s, when research linked smoking to lung cancer. The tobacco companies’ response? A secret meeting at the New York Plaza on December 14, 1953 to develop a strategy to twist science and mislead the public about the dangers of smoking.</p><p>In 1964, the Surgeon General released a report of thousands of articles and began requiring cigarette companies to post the Surgeon General’s Warning on every pack of cigarettes. </p><p>The tobacco companies <em>knew</em> of the harm of cigarettes, but they would continue to deny that cigarettes cause cancer for another 35 years, instead relying on filters, low-tar cigarettes, and other innovations that would continue to allow them to rake in the profits.</p><p>In 1999, the United States Department of Justice sued a number of tobacco companies for fraud under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. Judge Gladys Kessler found that the companies intentionally misled the public about the health risks, nicotine addictiveness, and selling to youths.</p><p>She took a full year to write the 1,652 page opinion of <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Philip_Morris">United States of America v. Philip Morris USA</a></em>, and it was damning.</p><blockquote><p>“In short, [the companies] have marketed and sold their lethal product with zeal, with deception, with a single-minded focus on their financial success, and without regard for the human tragedy or social costs that success exacted.”</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"></pre></div><p><br /></p><p>How is Facebook any different?</p><p>Every blue-blooded socialist and every red-blooded capitalist will admit that company executives are responsible for and obsess over profits. There’s nothing inherently wrong with profitability.</p><p>But leaders have the well-being of society to consider as well. Is your product or company doing more harm than good? Do your actions reflect your values?</p><p>If you’re pursuing profits at the expense of your values or the values of a decent society, it’s all just smoke and mirrors.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></blockquote><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Join the club by signing up below:</div>

Smoke and Mirrors

Leaders need to act in accordance with their values The Cheat Detected  by Edward Bird, 1814 (Sir John Soane's Museum - CC BY-NC-ND) “Th...

Read more »

Travel Restricted? Try Reading

<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHZzTFRnUAw/YTDP25GbI7I/AAAAAAABV0Q/kn9cgficuwUJRKB1BEGzknOZ9CGxDjLlgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1232/Great%2BBooks%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWestern%2BWorld.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1232" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHZzTFRnUAw/YTDP25GbI7I/AAAAAAABV0Q/kn9cgficuwUJRKB1BEGzknOZ9CGxDjLlgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Great%2BBooks%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWestern%2BWorld.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">From the author's library</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><i>A version of this appeared in the <b>Timeless & Timely</b> newsletter that helps you become a better leader, a better communicator, and a better human. <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe" target="_blank">Get it delivered to you regularly</a>.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong><br />“I have a passport to a far better age,</strong></em></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>As close as the bookshelf, as near as a page”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— William Schweikert, 1984 </em></div><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>You like to read, right?</p><p>Well of course you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t subscribe to this little newsletter.</p><p>But have you ever stopped to ask yourself <em>why</em> you read?</p><p>As a child, it was to become a better reader—to learn the language and become more proficient at every field of study that requires reading (all of them, essentially). And, to put it more simply, you read to have fun.</p><p>As an older student, you’d read to become a better thinker, a better reasoner, and more well-informed on topics that interested you. Along with your reading assignments came a healthy dose of essay writing.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” </strong></em><em>— Annie Proulx</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>If you want to become a better writer (and thus, a better communicator), the secret is to practice by reading more. You’ll be exposed to different styles, a wider vocabulary, and broader ideas. And they’ll rub off on you.</p><p>But what about your reading habit <em>now</em>? Why do you read today?</p><p>It probably goes without saying that you read to continue the process of learning. The best leaders are life-long learners.</p><p>You read to understand your industry and the associated forces that may impact it. You read to fine-tune your craft. You read for self-improvement.</p><p>But shouldn’t there be more?</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>In his letters, Gustave Flaubert wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote><strong>“Do not read as children do to enjoy themselves, or, as the ambitious do to educate themselves. No, read to live.”</strong></blockquote><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"https://ctt.ac/7_27y","text":"Tweet this quote","class":null}"><br /></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"https://ctt.ac/7_27y","text":"Tweet this quote","class":null}">Read to live.</p><p>Timeless and timely advice, I’d say.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Books are voyages of discovery. And with them, you can get your passport stamped on destinations around the world and over many centuries.</p><p>See the fog-enshrouded streets of Victorian London, the newly-laid cobblestones of the Via Appia in the second century BC, experience Hemingway’s Spanish bullrings of the 1920s, and Fennimore Cooper’s Mohican country of the 1750s.</p><p>What do we find on these journeys?</p><p>Aside from the sundry settings, to which our senses may be attuned for the first time, we find something more fundamental: we discover ourselves.</p><p>In what we read, we find the present in the past and the past in the present. And in doing so, you discover within yourself the presence of a once and future person.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before.”</strong> — Clifton Fadiman</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>As travel restrictions begin to ratchet up once more (just today <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/01/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html">the CDC advised</a> unvaccinated people to refrain from traveling over Labor Day weekend), we still have the ability to travel in our minds.</p><p>My friend <strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/cspenn/">Christopher Penn</a></strong> is bringing people along with him on his virtual travel adventures. Through an Oculus app, he is able to travel around the world virtually, and he shares his travels on Instagram.</p><p>Perhaps you appreciate books and don’t have as many at hand as you would like. Or you just miss the wonder of a curious mind and a lazy afternoon that accompany browsing the shelves of a library or used book store. Youre in luck: the Internet Archives <strong><a href="https://mymodernmet.com/internet-archive-library-explorer/">Library Explorer allows you to browse 3D shelves by subject, age, date and other sorting criteria</a></strong>.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“I care not how humble your bookshelf may be, or how lonely the room which it adorns. Close the door of that room behind you, shut off with it all the cares of the outer world, plunge back into the soothing company of the great dead, and then you are through the magic portal into that fair land whither worry and vexation can follow you no more.”</strong> — Arthur Conan Doyle, 1907</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Don’t let your geographical restrictions limit what you read.</p><p>And please, give your scrolling thumb a rest. Put down the phone and pick up a book instead.</p><p>You might be surprised at how much living you do.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p>I’ll be back on Friday with more thoughts on the physicality of books and what they mean to us, along with some interesting timeless and timely links and recommended items to round out your reading habit. Be sure to sign up for Friday’s updates, exclusively available to Premium members. You can <b><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/44f59cab" target="_blank">try it for free</a></b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/44f59cab" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="273" height="66" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiyvVhiJn6I/YSeKDEadabI/AAAAAAABVl0/I8f2d7rCmAQU6Cx49OR12YFCxPFaT4B9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/button_day-free-trial.png" width="273" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p>

Travel Restricted? Try Reading

  From the author's library A version of this appeared in the Timeless & Timely newsletter that helps you become a better leader, a...

Read more »

Other People's Property

<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orNA9Zk4VWo/YSeGwpzZs_I/AAAAAAABVls/a6w_4fi6cP8rT1ff9gqifobU9ULgqBJxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s702/Tom%2BFreeman%2527s%2B2004%2Bpainting%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bburning%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWhite%2BHouse%2Bon%2BAugust%2B24%252C%2B1814%2B%2528White%2BHouse%2BHistorical%2BAssociation%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="702" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orNA9Zk4VWo/YSeGwpzZs_I/AAAAAAABVls/a6w_4fi6cP8rT1ff9gqifobU9ULgqBJxQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h440/Tom%2BFreeman%2527s%2B2004%2Bpainting%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bburning%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWhite%2BHouse%2Bon%2BAugust%2B24%252C%2B1814%2B%2528White%2BHouse%2BHistorical%2BAssociation%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">Tom Freeman’s 2004 painting of the burning of the White House on August 24, 1814. (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/167721133253158/photos/pb.167721133253158.-2207520000.1409144793./834551549903443/?type=3&theater" style="text-align: left;">White House Historical Association</a><span style="text-align: left;"> / Facebook)</span></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p> </p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“How can you build on such a quicksand?”</strong> — Arthur Conan Doyle, 1904</em></p></blockquote><p> </p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>The White House, sometimes called “The People’s House,” is the most well-known piece of public housing in the world.</p><p>And it’s a powerful reminder that we don’t always control where we live or do business.</p><p>Every four or eight years, the occupant of the White House is required to move out. And just like that, the permanent staff goes into a whirl to prepare the residence for a new president.</p><p>It was 214 years ago this week — on August 24, 1814 — that the British army, laying siege to Washington, DC, set the White House on fire.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>It seems apt timing then, that late last week, OnlyFans made an announcement that rocked the world of creators. The site, known as a platform for those who create a variety of sexual content for their fans and viewers, abruptly announced <a href="https://www.axios.com/onlyfans-ban-sexually-explicit-policy-6d3298bd-49c1-40ca-9698-55cfecec8fa3.html">they would ban explicit content</a>.</p><p>Since many adult actors turned to the site during the pandemic, it became a break-out success. But OnlyFans says t<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22639356/onlyfans-ceo-tim-stokely-sexually-explicit-content-ban-banks">he banks that back the payment systems on the site object to the content</a> — particularly because user-generated content has not been independently verified and can contain material related to sex trafficking.</p><p>The point is this: when you rely on someone else’s platform for your livelihood, you may find your destiny is not in your own control.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.thetilt.com/newsletter/no-fan-of-rented-land">Don’t build your house on rented land</a>,” as they say.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /><br /></div><p>Listen to the "<a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/control" target="_blank">Control</a>" episode of <b><i>Timeless Leadership</i></b> — an interview with Carey Lohrenz:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1071156154&color=%23ce1a21&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe></div><p></p><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/timelessleadership" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Timeless Leadership">Timeless Leadership</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/timelessleadership/control" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Control">Control</a></div><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label> <pre class="text"><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: normal;"><hr /><br /></div><br /></pre></div><p>In this case, the content creators don’t control the platform on which their content is hosted. And to add another layer, the platform doesn’t control the payment system.</p><p>While it’s not impossible to get around such an arrangement, neither is it easy.</p><p>Creators of any kind can take control by owning their own land. That is, they can create their own domain or website. They can host an audio show on a platform that gives them the ability to determine where to distribute the program.</p><p>When it comes to payment systems, we’re beginning to see the emergence of players in cryptocurrency such as <a href="https://rall.io">Rally</a> that allow creators to benefit from 100% of the money that changes hands. [<em>Disclosure: I own the Timeless Coin (<a href="https://rally.io/creator/MONTY/">$MONTY</a>) on Rally. Check out my coin for benefits that accrue to holders.</em>]</p><p><br /></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>To Rent or to Own?</strong></h2><p>There have always been trade-offs to renting versus owning.</p><blockquote><p>When a theologian renting from ninth-century Islamic philosopher al-Kindi hosted two cousins for a month-long visit, the landlord increased the rent proportionally. His reasoning: a dwelling has a “limited existence.” A tenant enjoys this without the burden of ownership, then leaves the space “a dung heap and in dilapidation, only repairable at grievous expense.” (“<a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/home/miscellany/repairable-grievous-expense" target="_blank">Miscellany</a>” from<i> Lapham’s Quarterly</i>, Volume X, No. 1, Winter 2017)</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Being active on social media means you need to follow someone else’s rules and that without warning, they can shut down and leave you stranded. Users can accrue huge followings on social media if they’re willing to take that risk.</p><p>Email newsletters, while typically smaller in size than social media followings, allow you to have direct relationships with your audience — and if you decide to change email service providers, you can take them with you.</p><p>The presidency itself is a job with 100% turnover. The troubles of the world are his for the duration of his term in office, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The officeholder receives a nominal salary, public housing, an airplane, a country estate, and an executive chef — all of which he relinquishes upon leaving office.</p><p>But those troubles and those perks give the jobholder the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. More than most private-sector jobs could.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Risks and rewards abound at every level.</p><p>As with anything in life, you’ll be judged by what you do with your time and talent.</p><p>You just need to decide where you’re going to spend it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"></pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p>Stay tuned on Friday when we’ll address scarcity and abundance and how it applies to work and life. Becoming a Premium Member means you’ll be rewarded with additional content each week — and you even get a chance to <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/44f59cab" target="_blank">try it for free</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/44f59cab" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="66" data-original-width="273" height="66" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OiyvVhiJn6I/YSeKDEadabI/AAAAAAABVl0/I8f2d7rCmAQU6Cx49OR12YFCxPFaT4B9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/button_day-free-trial.png" width="273" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>

Other People's Property

  Tom Freeman’s 2004 painting of the burning of the White House on August 24, 1814. ( White House Historical Association  / Facebook)   “How...

Read more »

Present Tense

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4nqoBrvsbs/YR5wXKsLKtI/AAAAAAABVhw/T2Vs6r-Alo4jiHF5hqyGeGHO1E_4gmdngCLcBGAsYHQ/s968/James%2BRattray%2B-%2BShuja_Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="968" height="470" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4nqoBrvsbs/YR5wXKsLKtI/AAAAAAABVhw/T2Vs6r-Alo4jiHF5hqyGeGHO1E_4gmdngCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h470/James%2BRattray%2B-%2BShuja_Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shuja_Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg#/media/File:Shuja_Shah_Durrani_of_Afghanistan_in_1839.jpg">Interior of the palace of Shauh Shujah Ool Moolk, Late King of Cabul</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by James Rattray, 1848 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /><hr /></div><p> </p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Not to know what happened before one was born is always to be a child.”</strong>  — Marcus Tullius Cicero</em></p></blockquote><p> </p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Leadership is messy.</p><p>Regardless of the time or situation in which they find themselves, there are choices leaders face that are difficult, outcomes that are unexpected, and interactions that can go sideways.</p><p>The leader confers with trusted advisors and relies on well-picked team members to make decisions to the best of their ability at the time.</p><p>But leadership isn’t like choosing ham or tuna for your sandwich. It’s much more nuanced and requires weighing forces seen and unseen, to result in an outcome that is, on balance, a net positive.</p><p>Part of doing that is not only living in the present, but understanding the past. Taking stock in those whose shoulders on which you stand to help you determine what needs doing now.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p> </p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“We are all part of a larger stream of events, past, present, and future. We are all the beneficiaries of those who went before us.” </strong>— David McCullough, 1998</em></p></blockquote><p> </p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>We fall into the trap of thinking we’re unique and never before has someone had to deal with the same issues we have. When we do this, we struggle as we tackle each obstacle as it occurs.</p><p>But what if we didn’t have to struggle so much? What if we could anticipate what comes next by recognizing patterns? That could help us avoid traps and jump ahead of the competition.</p><h3><em>How can we know who we are and where we are headed if we don’t know where we’ve come from? </em>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/C0lB3" target="_blank">TWEET THIS</a>]</h3><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>All one needs to do to appreciate this is to look at the history of Afghanistan. The 20-year war that the United States just concluded was never going to end well.</p><p>Alexander the Great arrived in the area of Afghanistan in 330 BC after defeating Darius III of Persia a year earlier at the Battle of Gaugamela. His army faced very strong resistance in the Afghan tribal areas where he is said to have commented that Afghanistan is “<strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Afghanistan#Alexander_and_the_Seleucids">easy to march into, hard to march out of</a></strong>.”</p><p>For as long as outside forces have been trying to form alliances and cohesiveness in Afghanistan, the internal forces have been fighting and rejecting them.</p><p>The opening of “<a href="https://youtu.be/2--QHlqyppY">A Study in Pink</a>” — the first episode in the BBC’s <em>Sherlock</em> — concerned an army doctor returning to London after serving in Afghanistan in 2010. He was suffering from PTSD and was looking for someone with whom to share lodgings.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2--QHlqyppY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>This was exactly the scene that opened <em>A Study in Scarlet</em>, the first Sherlock Holmes story, set in 1881. Dr. Watson returned from war, having been injured at the Battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan during the <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Afghan_War">Second Anglo-Afghan War</a></strong>.</p><p>Outside forces that get involved in conflicts in Afghanistan have <em>always</em> left in defeat. Alexander the Great knew it, and the British knew it — twice before they repeated the error in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p> </p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“The old wheel turns, and the same spoke comes up. It’s all been done before, and will be again.”</strong> — Arthur Conan Doyle, 1914</em></p></blockquote><p> </p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>If we are willing to take the time to more deeply understand the events of the past, whether corporate history, local history, or world history, it will help ground you in what you may need today, tomorrow, or next year.</p><p>The leader who is prepared is the leader who <strong>observes </strong>and <strong>reflects</strong>, <strong>learns </strong>and <strong>challenges</strong>, and <strong>imagines</strong> and <strong>decides</strong>. [<strong><a href="https://ctt.ac/a9Q5j">TWEET THIS</a>]</strong></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>That’s much easier when armed with examples from leaders who have done it before.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%half_magic_comments_url%%","text":"Leave a comment","class":null}"><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em>Stay tuned Friday for the subscribers-only premium content when we’ll look at the impact of the past on emotional intelligence. And of course, the usual curated content.</em></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="10491" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Present Tense

Interior of the palace of Shauh Shujah Ool Moolk, Late King of Cabul  by James Rattray, 1848 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)   “Not to ...

Read more »

Responding to Forces Beyond Our Control

<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSkTwJoDrMM/YRRRRBS66WI/AAAAAAABVV0/9syzBzl2MqIGbTk-ksmDpHDzGy-QyDbsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/John%2BSingleton%2BCopley%2B-%2BWatson%2Band%2Bthe%2BShark%2B1778.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1624" data-original-width="2048" height="508" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSkTwJoDrMM/YRRRRBS66WI/AAAAAAABVV0/9syzBzl2MqIGbTk-ksmDpHDzGy-QyDbsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h508/John%2BSingleton%2BCopley%2B-%2BWatson%2Band%2Bthe%2BShark%2B1778.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46471.html">Watson and the Shark</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by John Singleton Copley, 1778 (public domain - National Gallery of Art)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea—whether it is to sail or to watch it—we are going back whence we came.”</strong> — John F. Kennedy, 1962</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br />Have you ever been to the beach and picked up a shell large enough to put up to your ear and to listen to it?</p><p>As much as we would like to think we’re hearing sounds of the ocean, it’s simply <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seashell_resonance">seashell resonance </a>— the sound of ambient noise in a concave enclosure.</p><p>But the romantic notion of hearing the ocean in a shell has some magic about it. The proximity of the shell to the seaside makes it all the more appealing and believable.</p><p>This myth is similar in structure to the old yarn that the salinity of the ocean and of blood are of a similar percentage (they are not, in fact). Yet we still find these tales circulating.</p><p>Humans have always been drawn to the sea and stories about it. We flock to the coast for idealized living and for vacations. Did you know that more than 85 percent of Australia’s population l<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Percentage-of-population-living-on-the-coast-in-Australia-and-Worldwide_fig2_281942196" target="_blank">ives within 50 km of the coast</a>? </p><p>The lure of the coast is inescapable.</p><p>And this is even with threats to the eternally changing coasts — something that’s been happening since the continents first began tectonic shifts.</p><p>The ongoing change of the seas and their coasts are constant and volatile, a combination of conditions that range from predictable cycles to unexpected and sudden events.</p><p>And we have had to learn to deal with its various states as we enjoy it and live off of it.</p><p>We accept the reality, which includes risks as well as rewards.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>The fishermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts have always known this. If you happen to find yourself in Gloucester Harbor, you’ll undoubtedly see the Fisherman’s Memorial.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0SfNVCuY5w/YRRRoOdJKvI/AAAAAAABVWA/FYLpPGKt2mEondHC1gHaD0szcs0cfFkwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/FishermanMemorialGloucester.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0SfNVCuY5w/YRRRoOdJKvI/AAAAAAABVWA/FYLpPGKt2mEondHC1gHaD0szcs0cfFkwQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/FishermanMemorialGloucester.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FishermanMemorialGloucester.jpg#/media/File:FishermanMemorialGloucester.jpg" style="text-align: left;">Fisherman's Memorial, Gloucester, Massachusetts</a><span style="text-align: left;"> (</span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/" style="text-align: left;">CC BY-SA 2.5</a><span style="text-align: left;"> - Wikimedia Commons)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><p></p><p>The sculpture features a lone fisherman at the wheel, looking out into the harbor (and is not to be confused with the Gorton’s fisherman, even though Gorton’s, creator of the fishstick, was founded in Gloucester). It is a monument to the more than 10,000 men who lost their lives to the trade in its first 300 years — including 249 men in 29 vessels in the year 1879 alone.</p><p>Fishing is a dangerous trade, as the fate of the Andrea Gail can attest, after sinking when unexpectedly finding itself at the intersection of three huge weather systems, as featured in Sebastian Junger’s <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3fV8mqw" target="_blank">The Perfect Storm</a></em>.</p><p>The potential reward of a massive catch was what the crew was willing to sacrifice as they raced against time and nature.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>“He who commands the sea has command of everything.”</strong> — Francis Bacon, c. 1600</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>In business, we take on risks every day. In normal times, these risks include acquisitions, new hires, and gutsy campaigns.</p><p>Now we have leaders making decisions about whether to require employees to return to the office, get vaccinated, or wear masks.</p><p>Leaders acknowledge that there will always be some elements that are out of our <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/control">control</a></strong>. The best we can do is assemble our teams, prepare ourselves for any likely scenario, and keep our spirits up as we work together.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%share_url%%","text":"Share","class":null}"><br /></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>A Word About This Week’s Image</strong></h2><p>In 1749, 14–year–old Brook Watson was attacked by a shark while swimming in Havana Harbor. John Singleton Copley’s pictorial account of the traumatic ordeal shows nine seamen rushing to help the boy, while the bloody water indicates that he lost his right foot.</p><p>The rescuers’ anxious expressions and actions reveal both concern for their thrashing companion and a growing awareness of their own peril. Time stands still as we, along with the sailors, are forced to ponder Watson’s fate.</p><p>Miraculously, Brook Watson esacaped almost certain death and went on to become a successful British merchant and politician.</p><p>Although Copley underscored the scene’s tension and immediacy, these poses actually were based on art historical precedents. The harpooner's pose, for example, recalls Raphael’s altarpiece of the Archangel Michael using a spear to drive Satan out of heaven.</p><p>The oil painting’s enormous acclaim ensured Copley’s appointment to the prestigious Royal Academy, and he earned a fortune selling engravings of its design.</p><p>Unfortunately, by the 1790s his powers had started to decline and in the new century his work was considered unfashionable. He died of a stroke, debt-ridden, in 1815. [<i>Source: <a href="Source: https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/copley-watson-and-the-shark.html" target="_blank">National Gallery of Art</a></i>]</p><p>How quickly the tides and sands shift, moving us in ways that are beyond our control.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><hr><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="299" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p><p><br /></p>

Responding to Forces Beyond Our Control

Watson and the Shark  by John Singleton Copley, 1778 (public domain - National Gallery of Art)   “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go b...

Read more »

Memento Mori

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro-GueYLeEc/YPloI87dgsI/AAAAAAABU1s/M9CIwDpWiOcuRDbHVN0-er-QDclYItl1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Manuel%2BDom%25C3%25ADnguez%2BS%25C3%25A1nchez%2B-%2BThe%2BSuicide%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B%25281871%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1920" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro-GueYLeEc/YPloI87dgsI/AAAAAAABU1s/M9CIwDpWiOcuRDbHVN0-er-QDclYItl1gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h384/Manuel%2BDom%25C3%25ADnguez%2BS%25C3%25A1nchez%2B-%2BThe%2BSuicide%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B%25281871%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manuel_Dom%C3%ADnguez_S%C3%A1nchez_-_El_suicidio_de_S%C3%A9neca.jpg">The Death of Seneca</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Manuel Domínguez Sánchez, 1871 (public domain - Wikipedia) </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong><br />“Everlasting misfortune does have one blessing, that it ends up by toughening those whom it constantly afflicts.</strong><b>”</b> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Seneca, 42<br /><br /></em></div><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>I didn’t intend to write about suicide this week.</p><p>But that’s the thing about suicide: for those who must live in its aftermath, it is never an expected occurrence.</p><p>This week, we had to break the news to our 17 year-old son that <strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/vinnie-marroni-miracle-assist-foundation">a longtime friend of his died by suicide</a></strong> late last week. It was devastating for us, as we had known him since he was about 10.</p><p>In addition to our sorrow over the loss, we were heartbroken for our son, who had a tough time processing it as well. A parent’s instinct is always to protect their child, and in this instance, there was nothing we could do to protect him from the pain.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>I don’t know that I have any words of wisdom about suicide. This is something that humans have been grappling with for millennia, so all I can do is offer some observations that connect it to what I write about here: leadership and communication.</p><p>Parenting is leadership. Our children are like the next wave of managers that we train — the most important job of a leader is preparing the next generation of leaders — and every day, through our actions (taken or untaken) and words (spoken or unspoken), we demonstrate what we expect of them.</p><p>So when it comes to dealing with suicide, we help them grapple not only with the loss of a friend, but with the topic itself, in an effort to understand it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Death is a part of life. Indeed, the leading cause of death is birth. The title of today’s newsletter, “<em><strong>Memento Mori</strong></em>,” (remember that you die) is the phrase chariot drivers whispered to commanders on parade in Ancient Rome. And it has become the unofficial motto of Stoic philosophy.</p><p><em>Memento mori</em> serves as a powerful reminder that our time here is limited, and that death is inevitable for every last one of us.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>The Facts of Death</strong></h2><p>With suicide rising as a cause of death—since 1999, suicide rates have <strong><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/30/u-s-suicide-rate-rose-again-2018-how-can-suicide-prevention-save-lives/4616479002/">risen by 35 percent</a></strong>—even before the pandemic, it is part of our collective experience.</p><p>Typical emotional markers for suicide include depression, lack of interest in activities once enjoyed, irritability, anger, anxiety, shame or humiliation, and mood swings. The natural assumption would be that COVID-19 led to an increase in suicide, but <strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8110323/">that wasn’t the case</a></strong>.  After a steady increase for 20 years, it would seem that suicide rates are already high.</p><p>I’ve lost many friends, family members, and associates (online and offline) to cancer, heart attacks, and accidents. A few of my online friends have died by suicide as well, driven by struggles of mental health.</p><p>We freely talk about the importance of cancer screenings and of healthy habits to impact our heart health, but we’re skittish about the topic of mental health. Mental health is stigmatized. But guess what?</p><p>Mental health <em>is</em> health.</p><p>It is the health of the most important organ in your body: your brain. And just like there are heart diseases caused by the body not producing the proper amount of certain enzymes, there are diseases associated with our brains caused by the body not producing the proper amount of certain chemicals or electrolytes.</p><p>And yet we treat people who seek mental health services as if they should be ashamed of it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Shame on Who?</strong></h2><p>While it initially seemed odd to tackle the topic of suicide with you, I thought back to last week’s newsletter, in which I explored the concept of <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2021/07/have-you-no-shame.html">shame</a></strong> and its connection to duty, honor, and accountability.</p><p>And as I reflected on Sánchez’s painting above, I was reminded of the long tradition of <em><strong>honor suicide</strong></em>: when a person chooses suicide to escape the shame of an immoral or dishonorable action.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“I believe that no man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— David Hume, 1755</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>In such cases, the suicide itself wasn’t considered dishonorable; it was a natural way to leave the earth after experiencing something that would have been difficult to live with.</p><p>Seneca was a prime example of that. As Nero’s tutor, he tried to steer the youth clear of certain tendencies. Ultimately, he fell afoul of the emperor and had to take his own life. More on <strong>accountability </strong>and Seneca’s choice <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2021/01/leaders-need-to-be-accountable.html">here</a></strong>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>As Hume implied, we all have different ways of considering what our lives are worth. Whether it is an ancient philosopher, a World War II kamikaze pilot, or a troubled teen, each knows their value and breaking point.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Parental Advice</strong></h2><p>The most difficult part in absorbing this suicide close to our family is the feelings of hurt we have for our son, and knowing the right thing to say.</p><p>Above all, whether a parent or a leader, the most important communication skill you can bring to any relationship is <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/10/the-liberation-of-listening.html">listening</a></strong>.</p><p>We let our son know that we are always there for him, available to listen whenever he wants to talk to us. Or, if he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to us, we can find someone who will listen to him. Call this <em>memento audiere</em>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>The other is to encourage <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-transparency-of-innovation">transparency</a></strong>. We encouraged him to talk about his friend, memories of them together, and any feelings he has about the situation. The more we talk together, the more we can be aware of what our needs are. <em>Memento loqui</em>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Ultimately, there is only so much within your power to <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/control">control</a></strong>. In expressing our sorrow and pity for his friend, we reminded our son that this was ultimately his friend’s choice. There are certain things that are beyond our control.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Like any struggle, I keep telling myself and my son that this is temporary. There will be times when it eases up, receding like the remnants of a wave, then moments again when it crashes to shore.</p><p>This is just part of the process.</p><p>Part of growing up.</p><p>Part of life.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure> </figure></div><div><hr /></div><p>In Friday’s newsletter, I’ll be writing about my first experience with suicide, how it shaped me, a teenager's canny lyrics about the topic, and I’ll share some links—both timeless and timely—about grappling with suicide. Be sure to sign up as a Premium subscriber so you can read it.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe now","class":null}">Meanwhile, I've opened this essay, “<strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/cycles">Cycles</a></strong>,” that was previously available only to Premium subscribers. Feel free to read and share it.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="9847" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Memento Mori

The Death of Seneca  by Manuel Domínguez Sánchez, 1871 (public domain - Wikipedia)  “Everlasting misfortune does have one blessing, that it...

Read more »

Have You No Shame?

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkQAYpWRn4I/YO-x_LboGQI/AAAAAAABUyM/BQeWGwQUrm4dPWMKrvm8N6G9IG6ft0FNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Thomas%2BRowlandson%2B-%2BThe%2BBurning%2BShame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1024" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkQAYpWRn4I/YO-x_LboGQI/AAAAAAABUyM/BQeWGwQUrm4dPWMKrvm8N6G9IG6ft0FNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/Thomas%2BRowlandson%2B-%2BThe%2BBurning%2BShame.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Burning_Shame_-_MET_DP88060.jpg">The Burning Shame</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Thomas Rowlandson, 1809 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons, </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">CC0 1.0</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“I am no longer good through deliberate intent, but by long habit have reached a point where I am not only able to do right, but am unable to do anything but what is right.”</strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Seneca, 65</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Every day, I’m amazed at how many people view the world in absolutes.</p><p>We have so much information at our fingertips, accessible through a few swipes or clicks on supercomputers we hold in our hands.</p><p>Gone are the days that required a trek to the local library, thumbing through the card catalog, where thousands of cards held the secrets of our collective knowledge, held in a warm embrace by shiny oak drawers and cold a metal spindle.</p><p>No longer do we need an understanding of the Dewey Decimal System.</p><p><br /></p><p>And yet, with the ability to connect to individuals and information anywhere across the globe in the blink of an eye, we seem more clueless than ever.</p><p>Social media, once the promised land of digital discourse and avowed “public square” of conversation, has devolved into shouting matches, untamed trolls who no longer live only beneath bridges, and personal attacks that range from merely cruel to outright dangerous and even illegal.</p><p>In the digital world, familiarity—passing or otherwise—does indeed breed contempt. This is unfortunate, as it ought to breed empathy, with our awareness that there are billions of individual stories and perspectives out there, each with its own set of struggles.</p><p>But it’s simply easier to sort and categorize in one of two buckets. Pro or con. Good or evil. My side or your side.</p><p>Somewhere out there, we need to be seeking common ground.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Moral Absolutes</strong></h2><p>This week, <strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/us/politics/biden-voting-philadelphia.html">President Biden tried to find common ground</a></strong> in a speech on voting rights that are supposed to be afforded to us all under the Constitution (and under subsequent legislation). In doing so, he appealed to the better angels of those who seek to restrict voting by asking,<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><b><span style="font-size: large;">“Have you no shame?”</span></b></em></p><div class="preformatted-block"><div style="text-align: center;"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label></div><p> </p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">That phrase stood out to me.</p><p>It is reminiscent of the phrase used by <strong>Joseph Welch</strong>, a Boston lawyer representing the Army at the McCarthy hearings in the Senate. On June 9, 1954 Welch stood up to the bullying senator live on national television, saying, “<strong><a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/public/it-was-said/ep-6-edward-r#paragraph_2263?utm_source=public_transcript&utm_medium=paragraph&utm_campaign=public_promo">At long last, have you no sense of decency?</a></strong>”</p><p>Whether asking about shame or decency, it is an arresting question. It pierces the veil of any argument and asks us to consider the dignity of our fellow citizens.</p><p>Here’s the thing about shame: it requires you to have a conscience—to feel as if you are breaking a code, whether it’s personal or collective.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LftQIhG6Pk/YO-ymx-t6SI/AAAAAAABUyU/UgrTiod0HUEboNPtSiGpOsaSm-GGJ4qgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/SHame.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1200" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LftQIhG6Pk/YO-ymx-t6SI/AAAAAAABUyU/UgrTiod0HUEboNPtSiGpOsaSm-GGJ4qgwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h224/SHame.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“It is not for outward show that the soul is to play its part, but for ourselves within, where no eyes can pierce but our own; there she defends us from the fear of death, of pain, of shame itself”</strong></em></div></em><p style="text-align: right;"><em> — Michel de Montaigne, 1580</em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>A sense of shame is the mirror image of a sense of honor. If you fall short of your ideal (or the ideal of a community), you feel shame.</p><p>If you have a sense of virtue or integrity, that is.</p><p>When <strong>Horace </strong>wrote the third of his <em>Odes</em> in 23 BC, he made it clear that our better angels should triumph over our impulses:</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Virtue, repudiating all base repulse, shines in taintless<br />honors, nor takes nor leaves dignity at the mere will of the<br />vulgar.”</strong></em></p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>In an ideal world, achieving that level of inner victory would be easy.</p><p>In reality, when it comes to our moral responsibility—to our family, our employees, or even our country—there will always be competing forces that require us to make choices.</p><p>Choosing to place a family member in childcare (or eldercare) versus keeping them at home is not an easy choice: it involves a financial commitment for the sake of a career or better medical attention than we can provide. Many people struggle with this decision.</p><p>Similarly, the decision to lay off a significant portion of employees in order to save an insolvent company is a gut-wrenching one for any CEO (one with a soul, at least). Do they put a percentage of people out of work, or do they prolong the dying breaths of the company until everyone is affected? Either way, there’s pain involved.</p><p>As difficult and nuanced as these decisions are, at their core they represent certain dichotomies:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/honor-and-duty">Duty</a></strong> or desire.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/honor-given-honor-taken">Honor</a></strong> or shame.<br /><br />Virtue or vulgarity.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/leaders-need-to-be-accountable">Accountability</a></strong> or <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-blame-game">blame</a></strong>.</span></p></h3><div class="preformatted-block" style="text-align: left;"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p style="text-align: left;">After the appropriate amount of soul-searching, you’ll need to choose.</p><p>And then you should be ready to answer whether or not you have shame.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><em><strong>See you again on Friday </strong></em><span style="background-color: transparent;">— </span><em><strong>but only if you're a Premium subscriber</strong></em>.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. <br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="4772" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Have You No Shame?

  The Burning Shame  by Thomas Rowlandson, 1809 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons,  CC0 1.0 ) “I am no longer good through deliberate inten...

Read more »