By Arthur Leggett
Since I’ve embraced the paradigm principles, I see the world with a new light and new vision. I notice fewer crazy people in the world. I know that people just have different paradigms.
Let me share an anecdotal story on Beethoven's 9th Symphony to bring home all the paradigm concepts.
In the early 1970s, Sony, a Japanese company developed the compact disc (CD) format. The prevailing music model at the time was the LP, which is generally 12 inches in diameter. Logically, Sony created a 12 inch CD prototype. The executives at Sony later concluded that a 12 inch CD contained too much music, so they shelved the prototype.
In the late 1970s, Philips, a Netherlands company heard that Sony had worked on CD technology in the early 70s. Philips asked Sony if they were open to collaborating on the development of the CD. Of course, Sony agreed to work together to bring the CD to market. As the story goes, Sony, being Sony, asked Philips to present what they had been working on first. Philips obliged and pulled out a CD that was 9 inches in diameter.
Now, I was not at this meeting, but I imagine that the Sony engineers gulped, “Oh ^$%*#," when Philips pulled out a 9 inches CD. See, Sony had never thought to ask. “What should be the proper length of a CD?”
Later that week, an engineer from Philips was dining with the renowned Berlin Philharmonic conductor, Herbert von Karajan. After the engineer shared this amusing story with Karajan, he quipped that “If it can’t hold Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony," which is 74 minutes, "it’s not worth a damn.”
The moral of the story: Beethoven, over 150 years after his death, cures a case of paradigm paralysis and determines the initial 74-minute maximum length of a CD :)
And, to the 'bedazzled' “man who could have been” that I met at the ALM office this week, my end game is to inspire more paradigm shifters like Ms. Olivache, Mrs. Barrett, Professor Scribner, Professor Palmer, Ayn Rand and, most beloved, my mother, Sharon Elaine Bernard, Esq, who inculcated many of life's dictums in me as I sat at the foot of her bed. Thank you so very much for shifting my mindset. As a result, I've detected that there's an inner artist, scientist and humanitarian in all of us, and I will always adorn them on my Valhallic Wall of Thanks.
So there, I do this because I can.
If anyone wants to learn more about paradigms, I highly recommend that you start with Stephen R. Covey's, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic.
Last, I'm always open to connecting with kindred spirits and to imbibing disparate ideas. If you are close by, let's meet up for coffee or tea, swap stories, and share common interests. If you're around the world, we can be pen pals. Feel free to drop me an email. I respond to all emails within 36 hours.
Or maybe you found something "wrong" or "misspelled" on my blog? Or perhaps you have a suggestion or question? Tell me I'm wrong. Or tell me I'm right.
Thank you for reading my thoughts.
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