In Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author describes a device he calls “the old South Indian Monkey Trap.” It consists of a hollowed-out coconut with some rice inside, chained to a stake. The coconut has a hole in the top just large enough for a monkey to insert its hand but not big enough to remove a fistful of rice. While villagers watched from a distance, Pirsig writes, a hungry monkey would reach in and become trapped, unable or unwilling to give up its handful in exchange for its freedom. The villagers could then walk right up and take the monkey away.
Read MoreWhen I look at that chair, it reminds me of my school days including elementary, middle and high school. At that time, I lived in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. My family and I used to sit in those robust red chairs when we ate meals every day. My father was a silent person. He used to say that we should not talk a lot while eating. That is the way he had been raised and educated by his own grandparents from his childhood. It must have been due to Confucianism. My mother was also very silent; she did not speak out loud.
Read MoreAs #2 on Forbes 400: The Wealthiest in America list for 15 years straight and a net worth of $73 billion, Warren Buffett (aka the Oracle of Omaha) seems to know what he’s doing in the business world (to say the least). The chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett is one of the most successful investors in the world.
But, his cleverness goes beyond smart investing – he’s also an incredible manager and has been able to recruit and build a team of people that have helped lead his company to success. And, he’s done this by focusing on three particular traits in potential hires:
Read MoreAfter amassing 14 years of coffee roasting expertise in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Ilsan Coffee Factory’s head roaster and CEO Jung Kang-jin launched a showroom called Standard System in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong this past August. Until then, Ilsan Coffee Factory’s roasts were only available wholesale or online. “We received a lot of requests from our regulars to open a showroom for a very long time,” Standard System brand manager Lee Ji-hye, 33, explained in an email interview.
Read MoreInteresting people have a special magnetism. They tell incredible stories and lead unusual lives. But what exactly makes them so captivating?
They’re curious more than anything else. An interesting person is always excited to explore the world, and this energy radiates outward.
Some people are naturally interesting, but there are also ways to learn to be more engaging. Dr. Clair Nixon is known throughout Texas A&M as an incredibly interesting accounting professor (an oxymoron if there ever was one). Accounting is a difficult subject to make interesting and fun, which is what makes Dr. Nixon so special. He’s so good at making things interesting that he doesn’t just teach accounting, he also gives lectures on how to be more interesting.
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