Sunday, April 26, 2009

Suggestions for Becoming a Positive Deviant

1. Ask an unscripted question.
e.g., "Where did you grow up?" or "Did you watch the game last night?"
It's not that making this connection necessarily helps anyone. But you start to remember the people you see, instead of letting them all blur together. If you ask a question, the machine begins to feel less like a machine.

2. Don't complain.
Resist it. It's boring, it doesn't solve anything, and it will get you down. Just be prepared with something else to discuss: an idea you read about, an interesting problem you came across. See if you can keep the conversation going.

3. Count something.
One should be a scientist in this world. In the simplest terms, this means one should count something. If you count something interesting, you will learn something interesting.

4. Write something.
Writing lets you step back and think through a problem. By offering your reflections to an audience, even a small one, you make yourself part of a larger world. The published word is a declaration of membership in that community and also of a willingness to contribute something meaningful to it.

5. Change.
Be willing to recognize the inadequacies in what you do and to seek out solutions.

from Better by Atul Gawande

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