Power of Limited Systems : World Cup 2014 Germany 7 Brazil 1

World Cup 2014's semi-final  ended with Germany beating Brazil 7 : 1. Germany won in spite of and because of its limited systems. Limited systems are that powerful and devastating.

Main Reasons for Brazil's Loss

1. Brazil coach's big picture does not seem to include "flanks" and "midfield." 
2. Germany's limited systems are powerful and devastating.
3. Brazil failed to come up with better or newer systems e.g. Germany already know how to cope "total football," "tiki taka," etc. Brazil should at least borrow from Stephen Chow and his Shaolin Soccer Have you noticed that Muay Thai's kicks are useful in getting the balls back in crowded situations? 

Limited Systems

 They are limited because

1. they apply to only certain specific situations.
2. they lack creativity, inspiration, flair, sparks.
3. they can miss certain opportunities.
4. they can break down totally in certain scenarios.

 Still they are extremely powerful because

1. they are simple to carry and execute
2. they are simple to change for certain opportunities and system breakdowns.
3. Even when you have to discard them all, they are too simple to cost you a lot.  

One Proven Way to Build Confidence

True confidence comes from accepting your total and ever-present failure to be like anybody else, and from building your life from there.

1. Specialize. But don't specialize out of fear of competition. The competition will find its way into your home turf anyway.
   
2. Feel free to compare. It is both natural and good for learning.
   
3. Accept that you have already failed and that you will never do things the way the stars in your chosen field have done or are doing.

You don't play football like Maradona?

No problem.

Do you make that 10-meter pass today better than you did yesterday?

Will you make it better tomorrow?

You may not be a second Maradona, but you may make bigger contributions to football than the first and only Maradona!

Good luck!

One More Way Not to Build Confidence

Another common advice to build confidence goes, 'Stop comparing with others. Just work hard.' This advice is both impossible to follow and also harmful to do so.

Impossible

How can we stop comparing?

1. We do not live alone, in total isolation, in the universe.
2. We do not live in sensory deprivation chambers, with eyes seeing nothing, with ears hearing nothing, and so on.

Harmful

Why should we stop comparing? In matters of learning, comparison comes even before imitation and copycatting!

Say, I am a young swimmer. How much arrogance or blindness would it take for me not to know and learn from Thorpe , Phelps and other greats.

Say, I am a young golfer. How much arrogance or blindness would it take for me not to know and learn from Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player and other greats.

Say, I am a young footballer. How much arrogance or blindness would it take for me not to know and learn from Ronaldo (Brazil), Romario, Maradona and other greats.

There must be a better way. Let's see.

One Way Not to Build Confidence

Looking for your core competence, sticking to your strengths, staying true to your essence are commendable life strategies. But they will never build you true confidence. They encourage you to live inside a cocoon, to avoid real threats and real opportunities.

 Orcas cannot climb trees. Monkeys cannot fly. Eagles cannot swim.

So orcas should keep themselves to seas, monkeys to trees, and eagles to the sky?

1. So a budding poet should not study math because he will never be able to do math as well as his classmates? 
2. So a budding mathematician should not touch literature and arts because he will never do them as well as his classmates? 
3. So a promising engineer should never dabble in enterprise because he will never do business as well as her classmates?

All sound and sensible and sham and fake and lame!


If you avoid competition and comparison, the universe is never wide enough for you.


If you choose math out of your fear to compete in other fields, you shall find lots and lots of competition in your own field. What about famous mathematicians in history?

If you choose poetry out of your fear to compete in other fields, you shall find lots and lots of competition in your own field. What about famous poets in history?

If you choose business and enterprise out of your fear to compete in other fields, you shall find lots and lots of competition in your own field. What about famous entrepreneurs in history?

There is a better way. See the next post.

Forgiving for the sake of Willpower and Energy

There are many ways to create and maintain willpower and energy. Forgiving yourself is one powerful approach. In how many ways can you forgive yourself?

Kind Forgiving

You try this when you run into a setback. If you beat yourself up every time you make mistakes, you will stay down longer than necessary. A better idea is to forgive yourself, learn your lesson and move on. That will shorten your recovery time tremendously.

Casual Forgiving

Once I taught a civil engineer how to write feasibility reports. He was a bit embarrassed that his reports were corrected a bit too much. And he sounded defensive and a bit too eager to enter into arguments with his colleagues and superiors.

I told him that I am very comfortable with my English. But I will also have similar problems if I am to write such reports. Because each domain/field of study has its own unique / idiosyncratic / peculiar / WEIRD stylistic conventions and usages!

But then, I told him, I won't argue. I 'd just accept corrections, stop making similar mistakes and move on, have peace and prosper.

BECAUSE I have a CAVALIER attitude to English (or for that matter, any language ). I don't take them seriously and so I can forgive easily, recover easily and move on.

Ambitious Forgiving

Kim Jordan, CEO of New Belgium Brewing says this in Fortune.

Stay on the forefront. When we invest in new technology, we expect some of that to fail. If you expect things to always succeed, you’re probably not far enough out on the learning edge.

So, when you are not making mistakes anymore, be worried, very very.
And, when you are making mistakes lots and lots, remember and congratulate yourself that you are probably "far ... out on the learning edge".

Forgive yourself,  forgive others, forgive all and move on. Better worlds, better futures await you!

How to Overcome Inertia and Initial Fears

Some kids and teenagers are too reluctant to try out stuffs that only look difficult but in fact are not. Here are some tips to help them tackle their inertia and initial fears.


The Genius of Instinct: Reclaim Mother Nature's Tools for Enhancing Your Health, Happiness, Family, and Work advises small steps.

1. Small steps are safe.
2. Small changes are pleasurable to human brains.
3. Such steps allow us time to know something in depth.

 

Maybe another way is to make them fall in love. When they are too much in love, they may forget to fear.

How to Arouse Curiosity

Curiosity can do wonders in learning. But a few kids were not born curious. Then, how can we arouse curiosity in such students? A wonderful book called  'The Genius of Instinct: Reclaim Mother Nature's Tools for Enhancing Your Health, Happiness, Family, and Work' has some answers.

1. Fun : Everyone becomes curious about what they regard as fun.
2. Novelty : They may also become interested in new stuffs.
3. Collative attributes : This is about collation i.e. collecting, sorting, ordering, arranging things.

According to the author, "collative" techniques are particularly good for invoking  curiosity. In practical terms, it means

1. we show students that there are gaps  in their understanding and world view.
2. we show students that there are discords, contradictions, dissonance  in their understanding and world view.
3.  we dare them to imagine, visualize, mental-simulate some more possible worlds, rather than the one they are used to.