http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:01:47 +0000 http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen en http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7585/Chinas-Harmonious-Society http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7585/Chinas-Harmonious-Society Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:01:47 +0000 Shane Mahen 7585 <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735388/niall.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" class="padTopBot"><br /> Niall Ferguson’s new documentary series charting the rise of China welcomes viewers to the nuances of a system which has delivered unprecedented growth over three decades, pulled millions from abject poverty and poses as a counterpoint to the West’s liberal capitalism. In the first instalment, Ferguson casts his gaze upon China’s social philosophy and sets about trying to answer some interesting questions: How has China managed to prevent the intricate patchwork of society fraying? Why does the authoritarian vein runs so deep in the nation’s cultural cosmos? How will China’s leaders continue to rein in dissent in the future?<br /> <br /> For the first question, the narrator turns to the great Chinese thinker, Confucius, who concerned himself with the development of people and society. Confucius argued for a “harmonious society” which would cultivate altruism, righteousness and humanism – qualities he deemed crucial to self-improvement. This vision has been the cornerstone of China’s modern pursuit of economic development.<img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735436/confucius_5.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" align="right" class="padLeft"><br /> <br /> But why is social stability so important? When trust trumps suspicion, people of different factions are more likely to engage in cooperation, forge trade links, share knowledge and work towards mutual benefit, not mutual destruction. Stability suggests a unity around common goals. Resultantly, politicians can corral society into forgoing immediate consumption for investment and the prospect of higher living standards later. Finally, in a modern state, a calm and reliable environment encourages foreign firms to set up shop in China. This opens the door for China to enter new industries.<br /> <br /> When Rio Tinto invests in a new mine in Eastern China, Chinese workers are taught the most efficient mining processes, are exposed to the best management practices, and develop links with financial colossals such as Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan. Local mining firms gain these insights when Chinese workers leave the foreign venture. Foreign investment induces this transfer of knowledge, raising the standards of home-grown businesses.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735456/confucius 2.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" align="left" class="padRight">So, how do the Chinese pursue stability? Ferguson suggests that the authoritarian flavour to China’s politics has long been a pillar of social stability. The narrator looks back to over two millennia ago, during the Warring States Period, when China was carved up between many kings and warlords. Qin Shi Huang, who succeeded in unifying China in 221 BC, consolidated power by centralising decision-making and maintaining an iron grip on the activities of the underlying states. The Qin Dynasty, and those which followed, then oversaw a period of sustained economic prosperity. But the power scuffles continued, punctuating China’s history with spats of bloodied violence.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735474/tiananmen.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" class="padTopBot"><br /> In a country periodically blighted by social unrest – the White Lotus Rebellion, the Taiping Rebellion and the Tiananmen Square Protests – leaders are well aware of the restlessness swelling beneath the surface. To that end, officials have enshrined social stability above individual freedom. China now boasts a population of over 1.3 billion people and 56 officially-recognised ethnic groups with innumerable subdivisions as well as countless unrecognised groups. More so than ever, China’s leaders pine for social harmony as they manage the precarious balancing act of economic growth and social development.<br /> <br /> The supply of social housing has underpinned a host of policies aimed at reducing urban poverty and tempering activism. China has tapped into its massive supply of labour by increasing migration from the agriculture heartlands to the booming manufacture sites on the coast. Importantly, this migration is temporary; itinerant workers are expected to return home regularly. This halts the accumulation of shanty towns which may otherwise fan the flames of unrest. And where homelessness has concentrated, authorities have financed huge renovation schemes.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735495/railway kid.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" class="padTopBot"><br /> However, rougher seas lay ahead. In a recent article, The Economist highlighted that the number of protests in China, and their scale, has been growing. Moreover, China’s leaders are less adept at tackling the burgeoning technology-savvy population, who are increasingly turning to the internet to voice their concerns. The number of users at Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, has exploded to 250 million. In the absence of a free press, the internet has become the prime source of news. Whereas the state could successfully keep a lid on social unrest in the past, word now spreads like wildfire on social networks; “local protests or scandals to which few would once have paid attention are now avidly discussed by weibo users”. As news of protests becomes more widespread, more people are likely to down tools and raise their placards, knowing that thousands of others share their worries.<br /> <br /> Some voices are tentatively calling for greater individual freedoms. In a new book, Zhang Musheng - a retired official - has pushed the idea of slivers of political reform to “defuse mounting economic, social and political strains.”<br /> <br /> <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1338735515/xi jinping.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" align="left" class="padRight">Beijing is at a difficult junction: a large reshuffling of the party elite is pencilled in for later this year. China’s new leaders will be keen to address the resentment towards widening income inequality. However, anonymity makes supervising the internet an entirely different beast to the press. Netizens are largely free to bellow without fear of reprisals. Though, new legislation may force users signing up to online services to use their real name. But these measures won’t hinder the internet as the major vehicle for news.<br /> <br /> The Party cannot fall on its old vices of manipulating the media. In fact, the changing circumstances may force officials to focus on real development - tackling the cause of unrest and not the news of unrest. Part-and-parcel of this will be greater political freedoms. China’s new leaders will face a fresh canvas. It will take great vision and courage to land that first radical stroke. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7585/Chinas-Harmonious-Society http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7061/POVERTY-IN-THE-USA http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7061/POVERTY-IN-THE-USA Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:05:46 +0000 Shane Mahen 7061 The shocking data published by the US Census Bureau on 13th September 2011 revealed that 15.1% of the population were under the poverty threshold in 2010. This has only added to the angst felt by President Obama as he struggles on several fronts to steady his ailing campaign for re-election. However, when the Eurozone is teetering on collapse, the Republicans remain recklessly obdurate on the deficit, and economic growth falters, we all expect the figure to force some hard rhetoric before being swiftly swept under the carpet.<br /> <br /> Perhaps it isn’t an immediate concern, but such a high level of poverty is unacceptable - especially in a “developed” nation such as the USA. Setting aside the moral arguments to act against poverty, it is in all Americans’ best interests economically to reduce the figure. A greater poverty rate suggests more Ameirans are claiming benefits. And as we all know after weeks of furious debates between the Republicans and Democrats, Washington is spending well beyond its means. Therefore spending cuts or tax hikes are likely to ensue in order to correct the balance, leading to a lowering of all individuals’ living standards.<br /> <br /> Beyond the government, poverty is damaging to the long-term productivity of the economy. Poor health and sub-standard education are usually part and parcel of poverty because households are unable to afford healthy foodstuffs, or move to areas with better quality schooling. Consequently, the quality of labour falls as individuals have less “human capital” and suffer from illness more often. And since the poverty rate is so high, this loss of productivity represents a large proportion of the future workforce.<br /> <br /> The simplest solution to many of President Obama’s problems is sustainable job creation. This involves attracting investment based on the USA’s long-term advantages rather than temporary or near-sighted factors such as low interest rates or subsidies. Acting on poverty now will help towards making the USA’s labour force more desirable to businesses and investors. Besides, reducing poverty is a must if the government are to make spending more sustainable in the future as this would reduce stress on Medicaid and incease revenues.<br /> <br /> Although Obama has recently unveiled his new plan to stimulate job-creation, it suffers from being overtly short-sighted. Just like Obama’s previous stimulus package, I don’t believe that the new plan will produce enough jobs to justify it’s massive bill. Instead, if Obama was to channel spending towards reducing the poverty level by improving the quality of schooling in deprived areas, funding training for the long-term unemployed, encouraging healthy living and providing some childcare support so that households can increase their earning potential.<br /> <br /> Moreover, the total benefit of improving the supply-side of the economy will far exceed the initial government investment as there is no lack of possiblie funding. Internationally, venture capital firms have raised enormous sums and are looking to invest in countries with a positive long-term outlook. My proposed plan would reduce some uncertainty surrounding taxes as a large factor of increasing spending currently, Medicaid, would be restrained and revenues would rise due to greater earnings. Moreover, the USA’s workforce remains more highly skilled than in emerging economies. In addition to its (comparative) political stability, the new American model would prove particularly potent. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/7061/POVERTY-IN-THE-USA http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6839/Japan-spiraling-down-and-out http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6839/Japan-spiraling-down-and-out Sun, 01 May 2011 11:28:44 +0000 Shane Mahen 6839 <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1304274506/Japanese-disaster-aftermath.jpg" border="0" width="" height="" class="padTopBot">With the 1 month anniversary of the 9.0 earthquake, and the tsunami that followed, that hit Japan on 11th March passing, people are going to have start thinking about the huge impact that has had on Japan, and indeed the rest of the world.<br /> <br /> Unsurprisingly, so far, most of the focus has been on the Fukushima nuclear plant, which has experienced a series of explosions, leaks and fires. This in itself has a whole multitude of problems, and the radiation has made its mark on the world, with traces of radioactive iodine being found as far as the UK. This has caused huge concern, even if the levels were far from harmful, and people had initially been fearing that the world could face another Chernobyl - like disaster. <br /> <br /> Fortunately, the possibility of that occurring has passed, but people must look to the consequences for Japanese Economy and the world. Before the disaster, Japan was the 3rd largest economy in the world, despite its small size, competing with China for 2nd spot behind the US. Now, it is set to plummet, with the power outages resulting from the earthquake being a major factor in this slowdown. In the last quarter, GDP in Japan has already dropped by 1.3%, and more worryingly, exports in Japan fell by 2.2% for the first time in more than 18 months, with the car industry hit the hardest, dropping by 28%. This is a concerning figure, and major car companies such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan are sure to experience major losses over this quarter and the next as the country tries to pick up the pieces from the disaster.<br /> <br /> Of course, the largest impact has not been on nations and companies, but on people. Since the tsunami, more than 14,000 have been confirmed dead with over 13,000 still missing and unaccounted for. It has been grim at best for residents in Japan, especially in Tokyo and northern Japan, where a combination of severe aftershocks and extreme weather has prolonged the suffering during March and in the first weeks of April.<br /> <br /> All of this has set the stage for the Japanese economy to stumble through what should have been the year of a smooth global recovery. Nevertheless, the Japanese spirit has earned much praise over the last few weeks, and rightly so. Stoicism will be vital since returning to normalcy will be no overnight fix. As Hurricane Katrina proved - even the richest countries take time. Moreover, when the cost of repairs has been estimated at $300 billion, the government are likely to struggle arranging such funds already being under their massive debt burden. Worse still, the opposition party has put its foot in the door at every opportunity, attempting to capitalise upon the disaster to return to power. Japan will need to address both its economics and politics in the wake of this disaster. And in that case, it may be decades before Japan will be truly on the road to recovery. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6839/Japan-spiraling-down-and-out http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6838/To-glean-but-not-harvest http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6838/To-glean-but-not-harvest Sun, 01 May 2011 11:24:34 +0000 Shane Mahen 6838 <img src="http://spacecollective.org/userdata/3rZYX5FI/1304274238/biofuels-cartoon.gif" border="0" width="" height="" class="padTopBot">What’s becoming increasingly apparent is the delicacy of our energy situation. Currently, the majority of energy production involves combustion, which is the burning of a fuel. The real crux of the issue is that we are using more and more fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), a finite resources which will undoubtedly run out. Even if you don’t consider the the possibilities of global warming, there is something seriously misguided about sustained economics growth when its foundations are far from sustainable.<br /> <br /> Further still, it can barely sustain us now. A global food shortage hits billions as they suffer from malnutrition, mainly in the developing world. Although the reasons which amount to it are not all grounded in sustainability (most of it has to do with the lack of progress in yield over the last few decades), a large proportion of land is set aside to produce biofuels.<br /> <br /> At first, this does seem like a step in the right direction - “greener” fuels do release less pollutants than fossil fuels. This has a multitude of benefits: slows global warming, cleans air, reduces acid rain, etc… But the process is not so efficient, and a large area of land does not necessarily produce a large volume of biofuel. So greener energy for the developed world has the opportunity cost of malnutrition in the third world - hardly a fair trade.<br /> <br /> My solution - to glean, rather than harvest, what we can from plants. <br /> <br /> Photosynthesis is the process with which plants can produce food. First, the plant gains the basic material, carbon dioxide and water, then uses sunlight to lock all the energy up into a simple molecule, glucose. Now, the plant can use the glucose, just as we burn fossil fuels, to release energy.<br /> <br /> There is a lot more going on in the process than a standard textbook would suggest - it is complex, involving several steps. An intermittent stage of photosynthesis produces hydrogen ions.<br /> <br /> Hydrogen has been making the rounds over the past few years with massive headlines, proving to be both energy-rich and clean (the only emission is water vapour).<br /> <br /> The hydrogen ions of photosynthesis are not immediately useful; first they must be discharged (basically receive an electron) before they can be used. Although, after having achieved that, there is basically a long-term, sustainable energy source.<br /> <br /> Harnessing the hydrogen-producing qualities of plants will not be easy. Chlorophyll, where all the magic happens, is extremely small. To adopt the chemistry of photosynthesis would involve mirroring this natural technology on a similarly minute scale. Making it even more difficult is the complexity of the molecules involved.<br /> <br /> The future of such an idea lies, undoubtedly, in nanotechnology and greater understanding of plant microbiology. The basics may even takes years to develop. But when millions suffer from pollution, billions are starving and all species face the threat of global warming, I don’t think 20 years matter much. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6838/To-glean-but-not-harvest http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6681/The-Utility-of-Income http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6681/The-Utility-of-Income Sun, 20 Feb 2011 04:04:21 +0000 Shane Mahen 6681 Economics is based on two concepts; the first is the idea of the incentive, and the second (which is of greater relevance to the post) is utility. Demand for commodities, services, capital etc are all essentially derived from the desire for satisfaction and this fact justifies the placing of ‘utility’ in the centre of the structure of economics.<br /> <br /> Traditional belief indicates that utility is directly proportional to quantity resulting in the law that a specified value of products will yield the same level of happiness regardless of who it is given to. Yet to determine the exact utility of a given amount of money, a second agent (namely income) must be introduced.<br /> <br /> Take persons A and B; ‘A’ has a profession granting him access to an extremely high level of income and wealth. His salary is £700,000 and the aggregate value of all assets in his ownership amount to £2,000,000. Furthermore, the scale of A’s spending/saving/investing has been large for twenty years. Person ‘B’, on the other hand, has been living in relative poverty for a similar time period and has an income/wealth level of £12,000/£60,000. Now imagine both part with all their assets and are each granted £500,000 to use in any way which suits their longings. <br /> <br /> Would it be sensible to state that the amount of pleasure gained from the money will be equal for both people? This question is not of an equivocal nature - it is indubitable that B would enjoy the given wealth to a greater extent than A due to the fact that they constitute a rise in living quality for him (whereas the opposite is true for A). This provokes the following conclusions stated below.<br /> <br /> <b>“The utility of a certain level of income is dependant on its standard relative to what was previously experienced”</b><br /> <br /> <b>“The lower the living standards of a person, the greater the amount of satisfaction gained from each $ of income”</b><br /> <br /> More at <a href="http://thoughtoffice.tumblr.com" target="_blank">The Thought Office</a><br /> http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6681/The-Utility-of-Income http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6599/The-News-Reader-and-the-Blank-Pages http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6599/The-News-Reader-and-the-Blank-Pages Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:14:36 +0000 Shane Mahen 6599 We've all seen the lights fade and the news reader collate the shuffled pages on the desk in front of them as the news finishes. It adds a realistic flavour to the show, a physical dimensions which is otherwise completely forgotten in the television experience. Moreover it adds a strong professionalism, portraying the clean, efficient and even ruthless facet to the news and its presentation.<br /> <br /> However, we also all know that news readers actually read the information off a screen in front of them and those seemingly important pages are in fact blank. Yet we don't care because it looks good and realistic.<br /> <br /> This demonstrates a point which I've recently found increasingly important - the little details. The pages randomly distributed in front of the news reader aren't necessary but accentuates the experience for the reader. We see this in film all the time - the better directors bring all the little details however big a scene is. They make sure the accent of the extra for that single shout is perfect, there aren't any objects which don't fit with the time of the piece, the text on that discarded board is in the correct language and so on. The results are definitely noteworthy, whilst films may boast massive spectacles, if they are lacking in the tiny details, the piece really loses its force for both the general audience and critics.<br /> <br /> So what can we designers learn from such a well-worked practice? We should consider those mini bugs which appear to scuttle across the framework of our minds, like where you place those links, how the colours fit in with the rest of the site, etc... You might have the general shape, but if the final mass of your work forms a cube rather than a smoothly finished sphere, how are you ever going to get the ball rolling? http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6599/The-News-Reader-and-the-Blank-Pages http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6568/The-Paradox-of-Life http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6568/The-Paradox-of-Life Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:46:37 +0000 Shane Mahen 6568 Studying biology, or any science, seems to present itself in a more shallow (though, no less intelligent) way than it should be in its universal sense. Schools teach us the consequences of the universe, but I'm sure many think what was the cause:<br /> why does this happen, why doesn't that happen, how does it do that, etc...<br /> <br /> My thought came about when looking at biology through the flip side, moreover it is a point rather than a question.<br /> <br /> <b>The more complex you are,the less reasoning there is to you. The simpler you are, the less reasoning there is for you.</b><br /> <br /> Contemplate primitive life: why would it need to or want to become such a complex being as a human - why not remain a highly efficient single-cell organism? But think again for the reasoning for living if you are a primitive life form - there is no feel, no emotion - just survival which caries nothing for you. Complex beings such as animals are able to feel and this provides a point (false or real) to living.<br /> <br /> Food for thought. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6568/The-Paradox-of-Life http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6347/Of-Social-Disconnect http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6347/Of-Social-Disconnect Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:29:19 +0000 Shane Mahen 6347 <b>Circles exist within circles, the widest being the human species</b><br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.mahen.net/images/thegoods/0020/0001small.jpg" alt="Of Social Disconnect" /><br /> The diffusion of wisdom demonstrates a parallel between physics and society, permitting me to draw a model of society through physics rather than psychology, sociology or any other humanity. Our advancement as the human community has been governed by physics all along and in this post I wish convey my so far brief analysis of society with some simple laws of Physics.<br /> <br /> I find that communication of concepts, ideas and knowledge can be regarded as diffusion, similarly to how particles of a perfume will spread across the room. Hence the representation of my concept and its transference from my mind to yours is an example of this &quot;diffusion&quot; - the first law of physics governing society. An area which has accumulated different qualities to the norm will always diffuse across the wider region.<br /> <br /> Pressure is introduced into the equation at this point as particles within an area of higher temperature, representing groups which have achieved a new level of enlightenment, will be under a higher pressure than particles outside of the group. Evidencing this claim in reality is the greater stress and pressure exerted on groups of people that are elite or elevated from the wider human circles, such as governments and councils. When these groups intend to uphold their status, energy is required to keep all these higher energy particles in a proximity rather than diffuse.To satisfy this demand, energy is drawn from the surrounding particles, economically this could be regarded as the cost of resources necessary to stop the diffusion of certain information. Moreover groups exist that work on projects in secret and never wish to &quot;diffuse&quot; their new knowledge to the wider world i.e. the masses.<br /> <br /> Although the masses may fall, the few will achieve a level of critical thought and knowledge - having averted the spread of their information. Consequently it can be regarded that such an approach to the advancement of the species is efficient in our evolution as the few which succeed and remain will be of a &quot;higher quality&quot;. However the natural laws of nature, that is Physics, dictates that such an activity can be prolonged to such an extent, instead the holding &quot;gravity&quot; will fail and the information will explode and invade the minds of the masses at such an alarming rate that instead of an exponential growth of knowledge, the knowledge will not be accepted. Such examples of rapid developments in science, understanding and belief is the confrontation of Darwinism and the Church which would not accept such an unexpected development.<br /> <br /> The overall consequence of holding information is that <b>a social disconnect</b> has emerged, in that society at large is unwilling to accept the rapid release of new information which would form an entirely new bible to follow. Instead the conservative nature of human society at large deserves an incremental and steady growth in the intellectual bank of society rather than sudden steps in our enhancement.<br /> <br /> As a human species, a social disconnect would be the final activity before our failure as groups will exist which loathe each other and do not accept and understand each other. It is already apparent, especially in terms of racism and small groups of ignorant people do not accept new ideas. However rather than ideological contention, the information under intense scrutiny may be wisdom fundamental to our success. So I conclude that completely free distribution of information is necessary to avert the social disconnect, governments and elite groups should not hold back information but instead release it continuously and steadily so that new facts can be accepted.<br /> <br /> I'm sorry if this has become difficult reading, but I have written in a flow of consciousness rather than having a set agenda for the post. However I do hope to revise, improve and re-publish it in order to further &quot;diffuse&quot; my understanding of the topic and possibly follow this with a series of posts about the laws of physics on society. http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6347/Of-Social-Disconnect http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6144/Time-is-a-copout http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6144/Time-is-a-copout Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:29:12 +0000 Shane Mahen 6144 <img alt="using time is the wrong thought process" src="http://www.americalsenior.com/images/clock face.jpg" /><br /> A human's ability to tackle issues and problems is fundamentally driven by thought patterns. Often we manipulate objects mentally before applying the physical actions thus different approaches to thinking through a problem herald varying physical actions. Moreover when we fail to provide a solution, rethinking our plan is often the remedy. This post aims to prove that as humans, we often go through several <b>wrong</b> thought patterns before finding a successful one. Primarily this post <b>will</b> justify why saying: &quot;It takes time&quot; is an inadvertently false sentiment by those who chant it ritualistically. So let's begin...<br /> <br /> Dynamism and vigour drives most of our attempts at new things, be it a sport, school, socialising and more, but when we hit <i>that </i>wall the energy seeps out as we struggle to come to grips with the problem. Yet the figure which we all share in common is the caring friend, family member or teacher softly saying: &quot;it takes time&quot;. For many, such advice is accepted graciously. However my argument involved proving the first few thought processes as unnecessary and hindering the solving process.<br /> <br /> When explaining this issue, I use my own problem of batting (one of the arts of cricket). My inability to bat well during my junior years as a player sums up much of the issue. Initially we believe we can tackle issues head on, similarly I had regarded batting as simple and was annoyed greatly when I couldn't get a grip of it. This first action can cloud our vision or even colour future choices - and most people have encountered this first though process, so that is how I'll refer to it: <b>the first thought process</b>. Refining the solving process involves removing this first thought process as it often wastes resources e.g. money, time and effort. Experience often solidifies this truth in people, that is why companies hire statisticians and decision makers because their input is valuable in streamlining the process.<br /> <br /> The second thought process is triggered by the &quot;it takes time&quot; concept, leading to an attitude whereby aimlessly carrying out tasks over a period of time will permit you to achieve your goal. It should be apparent that this process too is flawed since the lack of defined steps hinders your process. Personally I find this thought pattern most difficult to escape from as I often find myself alluding to it after failing to achieve an objective first time round. Allowing time to control your process reduces its efficiency profoundly as there is a lack of planning in order to achieve the goal. That said, the real advice to one who is struggling should be with substance rather than saying. Hard work, passion and commitment are the tools which must all be exercised - not our ability to take time.<br /> <br /> Skipping these first two steps of thought process renders a quicker successfully response. The lack of the first thought process saves resources whilst skipping the nonsensical vague use of time improves the precision and efficiency of your process. Instead a step-based system should be employed, breaking down tasks into smaller manageable targets with exact timings. The compounding of acting upon these smaller goals allows progress at a better rate than going through the normal human solving process.<br /> <br /> <img alt="human thought process" src="http://channelmec.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/idea-bulb.jpg" /> http://spacecollective.org/ShaneMahen/6144/Time-is-a-copout