November 30, 2015

A developing epiphany

So I was watching some michelin-starred chefs (which are vastly different from celebrity chefs) talking about their food and it suddenly occurred to me why I've been admiring people who cook, bake, write or entertain for a living. At least partially.

People who are successful in these fields often have their own philosophies, which arise from a lot of introspection. These people seem to me very much in touch with their inner feelings and thoughts, which makes them unique. It's probably unfair to say successful corporate-type people do not have such qualities, but at least it seems to be the case from my perspective. Save for maybe a few famous personalities, most senior managers seem to be just making one decision from another with much "free will".

I was listening to a philosophy podcast the other day regarding the definition free will. One could argue whether when given the circumstances that lead us to choose one decision over another, does it still mean we have free will? So one person gave an example of being offered 100 pounds to stroke a huge, hairy spider. As much as that arachnophobic person wants the additional money, he can't possibly bring himself to touch it.

Anyway, my point was that if a day-to-day responsibility of a senior manager is to make decisions based on a very limited set of options, there isn't much introspection required, there's no inner soul to channel.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but I need to stop writing and start studying for the exam I have in 5 days.

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