S:1054 Distinction: Make Better vs. Improve

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   Have you ever bought a product you’ve used for a long time, and really like, and then discovered it’s now ‘New!’ and ‘Improved!’? Most of us have. Did you agree with the vendor that the product […]

S:1051 Distinction: Express vs. Illustrate

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   In an exhibition of some of the works of the late Jackson Pollock the artist was quoted as having said that when he created he was “expressing his feelings rather than illustrating them.” The distinction is […]

S:1050 Distinction: Create vs. Please

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   An artist friend was talking about her frustration from taking a commission to create a new piece. The client had seen a work of hers and wanted one similar, but with changes. As she created the […]

S:1048 Distinction: Ending An Experiment vs. Giving Up

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   Nobody enjoys giving up. But that’s exactly what happens when you don’t have a plan going in. How many times have you seen someone hang in there and ride a losing proposition all the way to […]

S:1047 Distinction: Innovator vs. Imitator

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   This is not an either/or Distinction. Both sides are useful. What’s important is to notice when you are in which mode. Culturally we revere and encourage innovation. It’s what drives most progress. Statues have been erected […]

S:1046 Distinction: Observe vs. See

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   To see is a function of physics – eyes, optic nerves, and signal processing. “That’s a boat. There’s a person. Those are puffy white clouds.” Seeing is an action. To observe transcends seeing by the addition […]

S:1043 Distinction: Excitement vs. Fear

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   We do what we do because of different motivations. There are feelings behind our actions. The feelings are what provide the different motivations. A feeling of excitement is an eager, anticipating one which draws us. When […]

S:1042 Distinction: Paradox vs. Contradiction

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   Many of these S3MCs are in the form of Distinctions, a device in which the comparison of two different (distinct) thoughts can be illuminating. Sometimes the two are contradictions, an either/or. The interesting thing about this […]

S:1040 Distinction: Passion vs. Pretend

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   Passion radiates. It defies containment, expressing itself. Some of the demonstrable attributes of passion are: exhibiting a sense of accomplishment; enjoying contributing; seeing the result of efforts as worthwhile and meaningful; interesting; feeling valuable; sensing that […]

S:1035 Distinction: Educate vs. Train

(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)   Often we are taught how to do something and we repeat the process by rote to get the outcome we want. That works fine until something goes wonky. Then we’re stuck. Examples abound with apps or […]