Friday 7 June 2013

 In the world of advertising, we should probably think with a pinch of salt, certainly contain an element of truth. As you attempt to 'sell' a proposition or to persuade someone of something, think about the terms and descriptions you are using.The world, it sometimes seems, is full of people who have something to say. It often seems somewhat less densely populated with people who really want to listen and sadly, the ones with the smallest amount of receptivity, usually turn out to be those who are keenest to make speeches and communicate particular ideas. The moral here is if you want someone to pay attention to you, pay more attention to them. 
If you don't know what the best thing to do is, stop and consider what the 'least worst' option might be. Try to do no harm. That's not always as easy as we might imagine. Often, the most harm is done when people genuinely believe that they are doing no harm! But then, there's the kind of confidence that stems from arrogance and the kind of open-minded uncertainty that stems from humility. As long as you keep asking questions, you will come up with answers that steer you in the most constructive direction. 
There's a famous old saying. 'Let sleeping dogs lie.' Well, it's not just a saying; it is an adage, a maxim, even potentially a motto. It is advice whose wisdom really cannot be questioned. Just imagine if instead, we went around advising each other to do the opposite. 'Wake up the sleeping dogs at every opportunity!' Our world would be full of snarling and barking. Intuitively, we all prefer a quiet life. But if we keep too much, too quiet, for too long, it isn't just the dogs who stay asleep. Don't lose consciousness. 
The Old Testament tells of a tower built by a nation who figured that, 'as God lived in the sky, they should try to get closer to Him.' Apparently, this offended their deity who sought to scupper their plan by afflicting them with a curse. Suddenly they found that they no longer spoke the same language. Without the ability to communicate and co-operate, the tower collapsed. Can this be true? Well, it is in the Bible so surely it must be. If you seek success  be sure you fully understand what someone else is saying. 

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