Euclid writes that a point is that which has no part. Well if something has no parts, it cannot be divided into other parts… and if it cannot be divided into any other parts, because it doesn’t exist? Another definition suggests that a point is the point from which magnitude increases. In astronomy, magnitude means brightness. In mathematics, magnitude means size. In seismology — energy. Could it be said that a point is nothing unless the person receiving the point assigns an amount energy/value/size/importance to that point? What is the point of this post? To some it might be nothing… but to me, it’s that a point, like art, matters in the eye of the beholder.

Burt, Hal, Dionne — and later Babs — ask the important questions of the listener:What’s it all about? Is it just for the moment we live?What’s it all about when you sort it out?Are we meant to take more than we give? Or, are we meant to be kind?Are the kind foolish and the strong cruel? And if the strong be cruel, do you lend on a golden rule?The song asks the ultimate question — what’s life about? And is it about hoarding what’s yours or giving all you can to serve others? And if you hoard, what are you missing that causes you to keep? Perhaps it’s love — true love — the feeling of being loved. I love the last line:“When you walk, let your heart lead the way. And you’ll find love any day, Alfie.”Enjoy:

We needed to arrive at the location before 4pm. If we missed the time, it’s possible we might not complete a critical task on behalf of my dad. We left the first location at 2:30pm, and it became clear that we would arrive at our destination around 3:40pm. We would be rushing to complete our task. Only to have to rush back home in order to make another deadline.

At 3pm I decided to turn the car around and head back home. Why rush? Why stress about getting from one point to another? I, and my compatriots, are already stressed and tired — why put ourselves through more of it? My decision created some frustration that quickly abated — “we’re almost there, let’s just get this done… we’ll rest when we’re dead.”

To approach a thing stoically can mean to approach a thing without feeling or in a temperate manner. To approach a thing with a Stoic mindset can mean to deeply appreciate the experience of a thing and then move forward when it’s time to move forward.I struggle to go through life with a small case stoic nature. I feel my experiences deeply, and I desire to appreciate those feelings to maximum extent possible. Perhaps I never want that small case experience. Perhaps, one of the best lessons the death process teaches me is that maximizing the perception of the moment while being able to move forward — time doesn’t stop — is the best way for me to experience life. In fact, I wonder if I effectively move forward unless I allow myself to maximally experience the moment. When I use maximize, I don’t mean to n’th degree every second of every day. I mean to do all I can to be present and allow life to unfold in front of me. To widen my mind and my heart’s aperture as much as I can. To perceive what I can, not judge it, and take a step forward. Said another way — live each moment (responsibly) like it’s the last.

Insights from a conversation:What’s right isn’t necessarily a right.Keeping score never helped anyone stay in the long game.It’s better to give away to strangers and live for others than hold to what ultimately won’t serve you or others.Very little actually matters. You have miles to go before you sleep.

I know it’s been since March since you and I spoke. In March, I basically had a breakdown. My experience at work led me to decompose into a bit of a mess. Since then, I focused on building myself back up. Perhaps I embrace a form of exposure therapy — embracing the thing that stresses me most and learning to love and cope with it. I’m finally, starting to feel more myself.

A claim from my sister:Did you know that simply being 65+ and hospitalized puts you at risk for developing delirium?The risk is even higher for individuals with cognitive impairments. Unfortunately, delirium is often missed and misdiagnosed, especially in patients with dementia.During my hospital career, I witnessed firsthand how delirium was frequently mistaken for dementia. Proper training and education in delirium assessment and prevention can make a world of difference in patient outcomes.At first, I am skeptical. Really? Age and being in the hospital are two factors that increase the risk? I allowed that skepticism to drive me to research using Perplexity. Turns out, there’s some meat to that claim my sister made. Skeptic no longer. Read the results:“Research consistently demonstrates that elderly hospitalized patients face significantly elevated delirium risk, with prevalence rates ranging from 20% to over 50% depending on the setting and patient population. This report synthesizes evidence from multiple systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and observational studies to conclusively falsify the stated hypothesis, demonstrating that advanced age combined with hospitalization constitutes a significant and well-documented risk factor for the development of delirium. The evidence presents a clear picture: being 65 or older and hospitalized substantially increases a person’s vulnerability to this acute cognitive condition with its associated negative outcomes.” (Click here for the full report)Also admittedly, I witnessed hospital delirium first hand — it’s not pretty. I am beyond proud that my sister is engaging in work that matters.

I really wonder if we overthink negotiation. That said, I don’t intend to oversimplify it either. Instead, I see it as a simple framework of discovery, self-awareness, communication and compromise.First, I believe that “reading” people is not a thing. I believe some people may be more skilled at getting people to express themselves and using their intuition to make guesses about a person based on those expressions — that’s the upper bound of my belief. On the lower bound, I believe people leverage their biases to come to quick judgments about others. And because of all that, I don’t believe that negotiation is a result of a super human ability to “read” another person. Second, I believe that great negotiation is about discovery. Skilled negotiators are adept at discovering the interests, constraints, and incentives of their negotiation partners. If you can inhabit the world view of your negotiating partner, it’s much easier to develop a proposal of what they might tolerate. Call this discovery skill a function of empathy powered curiosity.Third, I believe that in order to negotiate you must know your self. As important as it is to learn the world view of your partner, you must know the world you inhabit. If you are negotiating, you likely have stakeholders with their own views, incentives, constraints, and interests. Lastly, I believe that negotiation is communication and compromise. Communicating intention and possibility openly and honestly, and then working together to find an equilibrium. The equilibrium being the result of tradeoffs made — compromises — in order to get to the best possible deal. I recognize the limitation of my beliefs. Some negotiations are done in the media, or through other behavioral signals, some negotiation is done through prayer, some negotiation is hostile and some is not. If you strip each type of negotiating down to its function components, my bet is you’ll see a common pattern and trend. Additionally, both partners in a negotiation may not be of equal status. Perhaps there’s a power asymmetry. In that case, the simple framework may still apply — the less powerful negotiator may need to deal with the effectual truth of their situation and make the best possible outcome for themselves given the stakes. What kid doesn’t do that with their parents?Most of life is a form of negotiation. And, mastering (even a little bit) of these skills will help us improve our relationships with people with different interests than our own.