#intention — Public Fediverse posts

Window of opportunity (Climatology 🌍)

A window of opportunity, also called a margin of opportunity or critical window, is a period of time during which some action can be taken that will achieve a desired outcome. Once this period is over, or the "window is closed", the specified outcome is no longer possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_of_opportunity

#WindowOfOpportunity #Time #Causes #Planning #Intention #Climatology

A quotation from Propertius

And should I fail, my courage brings its commendation:
greatness aimed at is enough.
 
[Quod si deficiant vires, audacia certe
Laus erit: in magnis et voluisse sat est.]

Propertius (50-16 BC) Roman elegiac poet [Sextus Propertius]
Elegies, Book 2, Elegy 10, l. 5ff (2.10.5-6) [tr. Holcombe (2009)]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/propertius/3221/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #propertius #writing #aspiration #attempt #audacity #boldness #courage #daring #determination #endeavor #enterprise #failure #fallingshort #goal #honor #intention #praise #praiseworthiness #striving #will

A quotation from Propertius

And should I fail, my courage brings its commendation:
greatness aimed at is enough.
 
[Quod si deficiant vires, audacia certe
Laus erit: in magnis et voluisse sat est.]

Propertius (50-16 BC) Roman elegiac poet [Sextus Propertius]
Elegies, Book 2, Elegy 10, l. 5ff (2.10.5-6) [tr. Holcombe (2009)]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/propertius/3221/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #propertius #writing #aspiration #attempt #audacity #boldness #courage #daring #determination #endeavor #enterprise #failure #fallingshort #goal #honor #intention #praise #praiseworthiness #striving #will

"IA : « La véritable rupture, c’est l’apparition d’une puissance capable d’agir sans être un sujet de droit »"

#OpenAI #IA #IntelligenceArtificielle #Droit #Intention ...

https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/07/27/ia-la-veritable-rupture-c-est-l-apparition-d-une-puissance-capable-d-agir-sans-etre-un-sujet-de-droit_6734211_3232.html

What’s on your mind?

https://mindsetofanathlete.com/2026/07/24/whats-on-your-mind/

What’s on your mind?

https://mindsetofanathlete.com/2026/07/24/whats-on-your-mind/

Window of opportunity (Climatology 🌍)

A window of opportunity, also called a margin of opportunity or critical window, is a period of time during which some action can be taken that will achieve a desired outcome. Once this period is over, or the "window is closed", the specified outcome is no longer possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_of_opportunity

#WindowOfOpportunity #Time #Causes #Planning #Intention #Climatology

https://www.fogolf.com/1322143/golf-news-and-results-from-around-gisborne-and-east-coast/ Golf: News and results from around Gisborne and East Coast #2026 #and #around #barnsgraham #bays #Boys #burning #Champions #Coast #course #Didnt #EAST #exactly #from #Gisborne #Golf #GolfNews #INTENTION #mens #news #ngaruawahia #PAIRS #Plan #poverty #results #trip #Waikato #with

If kamma is volitional/intentional action (cetanā), that means it's extremely minute. Every small intentional movement of the body/brain or mind plants a seed (bīja) for the future fruition (phala) of perceiving that one has a body or mind to move.

#buddhism #causality #psychology #karma #kamma #volition #intention #action #perception #body #mind #namarupa

If kamma is volitional/intentional action (cetanā), that means it's extremely minute. Every small intentional movement of the body/brain or mind plants a seed (bīja) for the future fruition (phala) of perceiving that one has a body or mind to move.

#buddhism #causality #psychology #karma #kamma #volition #intention #action #perception #body #mind #namarupa

Intentional Fan

As I stood up on the bench and pulled the rusty chain of the ceiling fan above the sweltering café patio, I told my friend, who was complaining of the still-air heat, “I am an engineer. I fuck with my environment to make it better.” After a few tugs, the dead fan sprung to life and kicked up a steady breeze below.

This line of action is the finest way I’ve found of nullifying the learned helplessness I’ve been taught along the way. I have agency; I don’t have to suffer. Nobody has to suffer. I can do a small public act and offer a bigger public gift: comfort. And what taught me this? That scene in “Men In Black” where Will Smith’s character loudly dragged the heavy table over to his egg chair so he could write. That intentionality is what saves the world.

Get up and improve something.

Intentional Fan

As I stood up on the bench and pulled the rusty chain of the ceiling fan above the sweltering café patio, I told my friend, who was complaining of the still-air heat, “I am an engineer. I fuck with my environment to make it better.” After a few tugs, the dead fan sprung to life and kicked up a steady breeze below.

This line of action is the finest way I’ve found of nullifying the learned helplessness I’ve been taught along the way. I have agency; I don’t have to suffer. Nobody has to suffer. I can do a small public act and offer a bigger public gift: comfort. And what taught me this? That scene in “Men In Black” where Will Smith’s character loudly dragged the heavy table over to his egg chair so he could write. That intentionality is what saves the world.

Get up and improve something.

#intention : a thing intended

- French: intention

- Italian: intenzione

- Portuguese: intenção

- Spanish: intención

------------

Thank you so much for being a member of our community!

Happy Tuesday! Another post from the Align With Love blog I write. Check it out--what are your intentions for your life? Don't have any? Got derailed? Let me help you get back on track. (This post got “lost” due to the server migration-but we are back up!

https://align-with-love.com/

#AlignWithLove #Love #Philosophy #SocialMedia #Intention #MentalHealth #Wellness #Spirituality

Happy Tuesday! Another post from the Align With Love blog I write. Check it out--what are your intentions for your life? Don't have any? Got derailed? Let me help you get back on track. (This post got “lost” due to the server migration-but we are back up!

https://align-with-love.com/

#AlignWithLove #Love #Philosophy #SocialMedia #Intention #MentalHealth #Wellness #Spirituality

忌わしき戦争に終止符を・・・
汝、考えよう。
逃げる事なかれ・・・

https://www.deviantart.com/poison-raika/art/Imawashiki-Sensou-ni-Shuushifu-wo-jp-1227458199

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Put an end to this horrible war...
Think, you.
Don't run away...

https://www.deviantart.com/poison-raika/art/Imawashiki-Sensou-ni-Shuushifu-wo-en-1227458752

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Покладіть край цій жахливій війні...
Подумай, ти.
Не тікай...

https://www.deviantart.com/poison-raika/art/Imawashiki-Sensou-ni-Shuushifu-wo-ua-1227459257

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

忌わしき戦争に終止符を・・・
汝、考えよう。
逃げる事なかれ・・・

https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=25528713

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Put an end to this horrible war...
Think, you.
Don't run away...

https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=25528732

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Покладіть край цій жахливій війні...
Подумай, ти.
Не тікай...

https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=25528746

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

忌わしき戦争に終止符を・・・
汝、考えよう。
逃げる事なかれ・・・

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n2ff19a6cb83a

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Put an end to this horrible war...
Think, you.
Don't run away...

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n1ff0ec0db7a4

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Покладіть край цій жахливій війні...
Подумай, ти.
Не тікай...

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n23b9eb6d8d2f

<>

#Ukraine #war #would #share #truly #completely #tragedy #voice #negotiate #mediate #really #problem #reliable #plan #extreme #calm #look #situation #absolutely #intention #himself #conquer #ambition #true #countries #victory

Many of us identify as #SpiritualButNotReligious.” It is possible for some people to be both #spiritual & #religious, *&* effort is needed thru #presence, #intention, & #directaction. Why action? #Contemplation needs to feed action in times like ours when democracide & #ecocide reign.
#OrderOfTheSacredEarth
bit.ly/3Ql5rsN

Sometimes intention begins with focus. Visit https://spells4me.com/ #sigil #intention #witchcraft #calm #focus

With an #acting #coaching client, we tried what we thought was the opposite intent of the scene. Remarkably, we found the writing not only tolerated it, but allowed a wider scope of feelings and goals than we'd first assumed. Cool discovery.

#ActingCoach #ActingCoaching #actors #intention #act

With an #acting #coaching client, we tried what we thought was the opposite intent of the scene. Remarkably, we found the writing not only tolerated it, but allowed a wider scope of feelings and goals than we'd first assumed. Cool discovery.

#ActingCoach #ActingCoaching #actors #intention #act

With an #acting #coaching client, we tried what we thought was the opposite intent of the scene. Remarkably, we found the writing not only tolerated it, but allowed a wider scope of feelings and goals than we'd first assumed. Cool discovery. #ActingCoach #ActingCoaching #actors #intention #act

With an #acting #coaching client, we tried what we thought was the opposite intent of the scene. Remarkably, we found the writing not only tolerated it, but allowed a wider scope of feelings and goals than we'd first assumed. Cool discovery. #ActingCoach #ActingCoaching #actors #intention #act

理解の意思　Намір порозуміння
汝（相手）に理解する意思が無ければ、
Якщо Ви (інша сторона) не маєте наміру розуміти,

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/nd3ae336fa88e

<>

#you #other #person #intention #understand #matter #hard #try #only #waste #time #effort #human #nature #help

理解の意思　Намір порозуміння
汝（相手）に理解する意思が無ければ、
Якщо Ви (інша сторона) не маєте наміру розуміти,

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/nd3ae336fa88e

<>

#you #other #person #intention #understand #matter #hard #try #only #waste #time #effort #human #nature #help

如何にしてウクライナ戦争を終わらせる？
妾の答えはこうやん！

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n009df66eaf4c

<>

#Ukrainian_war #provide #necessary #weapon #troops #Russia #reason #time #nuclear #military #industry #aviation #dismantle #KGB #politic #structure #continue #occupation #clear #possible #intention #pretty #territory #people #accept #NATO #game #war #Zelensky #Self_Defense #shield #blade #counterattack #enemy

How do we end the Ukrainian war?
Here's my answer!

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/nf49b49701666

<>

#Ukrainian_war #provide #necessary #weapon #troops #Russia #reason #time #nuclear #military #industry #aviation #dismantle #KGB #politic #structure #continue #occupation #clear #possible #intention #pretty #territory #people #accept #NATO #game #war #Zelensky #Self_Defense #shield #blade #counterattack #enemy

Як закінчити війну в Україні?
Це відповідь наложниці!

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n49dc351cfa9a

<>

#Ukrainian_war #provide #necessary #weapon #troops #Russia #reason #time #nuclear #military #industry #aviation #dismantle #KGB #politic #structure #continue #occupation #clear #possible #intention #pretty #territory #people #accept #NATO #game #war #Zelensky #Self_Defense #shield #blade #counterattack #enemy

Steps to Cultivate a Mindful, Intentional Life

The benefits of intentional living are numerous and can significantly improve one’s overall well-being. By slowing down and appreciating the present moment, we reduce stress, increase mindfulness, and improve our relationships with others. Additionally, slow living can lead to greater purpose and fulfillment as we learn to prioritize what truly matters and let go of society’s unnecessary distractions and pressures. Embracing slow living can lead to a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.

Slowing Down My Mornings

I’ve been starting some of my mornings sitting in my backyard, gazing off into the woods

Listening to the birds, crickets, and other insects is a symphony of nature’s silence in its splendor

The gentle breeze stirs the leaves on the tree, as sunlight infuses them with a golden light, slowly shifting towards verdant green hues

I feel the soft breeze on my skin; a hint of coolness, subtleties of spring

My awareness rests upon delicate spiderwebs that shimmer as the sun catches and reflects minuscule worlds in each droplet of dew

I hear a hawk, more near now, searching for prey, as it glides silently above

There is so much promise in the morning light

Intentional Living

Living intentionally is a lifestyle that requires purposeful actions, thoughts, and feelings. It is a conscious effort to make choices that align with your values and goals. When you practice intentional or mindful living, you can significantly reduce stress, increase happiness, and improve relationships. To achieve this balance, you must set clear intentions, develop a holistic daily routine, practice mindfulness, and reflect on your actions and decisions. By doing so, you can create a more meaningful and satisfying life. Intentional living is a powerful tool that can help you attain balance and fulfillment in all aspects of your life.

Steps to Begin Living an Intentional Life

1. Define Your Values
   Identify what truly matters to you in life. Consider areas such as family, health, career, and personal growth.
2. Set Clear Intentions
   Establish specific, meaningful goals that align with your core values. Write them down to solidify your commitment.
3. Prioritize Your Time
   Focus on activities that support your intentions. Create a schedule that dedicates time to these priority tasks while eliminating distractions.
4. Practice Mindfulness
   Incorporate mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or journaling into your daily routine to enhance self-awareness.
5. Reflect Regularly
   Take time each week to reflect on your actions and decisions. Assess whether they align with your intentions and values, and make necessary adjustments.
6. Cultivate Gratitude
   Maintain a gratitude journal where you acknowledge positive aspects of your life. This practice helps you stay motivated and engaged.
7. Embrace Flexibility
   Understand that living intentionally is a journey. Be open to adapting your goals and routines as needed to stay aligned with your evolving self.
8. Seek Support
   Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who inspire and encourage your intentional living journey. Engage in communities that share your values.

By following these steps, you can start to live a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

Personal Experience

I have been practicing intentional living on and off for decades; however, it is in the last 4.5 years that this practice has truly become an integral part of my daily life. The major shift that prompted this transformation occurred when I made the life-changing decision to stop drinking. Since then, I have embraced a way of being that is both deliberate yet yielding, allowing me to navigate life with a newfound sense of flexibility. There has been a softening in my approach to life that I’ve come to cherish deeply. I am more centered in my values, having gained a clearer understanding of the importance of setting healthy boundaries while also being open to new experiences. This has fostered a more lighthearted attitude, enabling me to fully live in the moment without the weight of past habits. I find renewed joy in the little things and an appreciation for the journey rather than just the destination.

Embracing Intentionality

I tend to reevaluate my values and intentions seasonally. The natural shift blends seamlessly with how I need to view life as an ever-changing flow of experiences and lessons. This past season, I carefully examined the time I spent on various tasks and habits throughout the day. How much time I was spending on my phone was disquieting, as it became a barrier to deeper interactions and meaningful activities.

A shift towards intentionality was required to regain focus on what truly matters. I decided to read more instead of scrolling or playing mindless games on the phone. To accomplish this, I installed the app Opal on my phone, which allows me to limit the time I spend on the phone or certain apps, transforming my relationship with technology. I went from an average of 7 hours a day on the phone down to 3.3 hours a day on average, gaining back years of my life. Now I have reclaimed time for hobbies, self-improvement, and spending quality moments with loved ones.

Naturalness

These small shifts can have a significant impact over time. When we practice intentional living, we align with our true nature. We begin to remember that we are a part of the Earth and her cycles, and we learn to flow with the pace of nature: patience.

What small steps can you take to move towards a more deliberate life, one open to experience, yet focused by healthy boundaries?

Meditation for Slowing Down

Try a delightful Morning Meditation. It cultivates a sense of calm and tranquility, helping you to gently ease into your day.

Additionally, if you wish to delve deeper into your meditation journey, you might find the Body Scan Meditation incredibly helpful for harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit. I hope this guides you toward peace and mindfulness throughout your day!

Steps to Cultivate a Mindful, Intentional Life

The benefits of intentional living are numerous and can significantly improve one’s overall well-being. By slowing down and appreciating the present moment, we reduce stress, increase mindfulness, and improve our relationships with others. Additionally, slow living can lead to greater purpose and fulfillment as we learn to prioritize what truly matters and let go of society’s unnecessary distractions and pressures. Embracing slow living can lead to a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.

Slowing Down My Mornings

I’ve been starting some of my mornings sitting in my backyard, gazing off into the woods

Listening to the birds, crickets, and other insects is a symphony of nature’s silence in its splendor

The gentle breeze stirs the leaves on the tree, as sunlight infuses them with a golden light, slowly shifting towards verdant green hues

I feel the soft breeze on my skin; a hint of coolness, subtleties of spring

My awareness rests upon delicate spiderwebs that shimmer as the sun catches and reflects minuscule worlds in each droplet of dew

I hear a hawk, more near now, searching for prey, as it glides silently above

There is so much promise in the morning light

Intentional Living

Living intentionally is a lifestyle that requires purposeful actions, thoughts, and feelings. It is a conscious effort to make choices that align with your values and goals. When you practice intentional or mindful living, you can significantly reduce stress, increase happiness, and improve relationships. To achieve this balance, you must set clear intentions, develop a holistic daily routine, practice mindfulness, and reflect on your actions and decisions. By doing so, you can create a more meaningful and satisfying life. Intentional living is a powerful tool that can help you attain balance and fulfillment in all aspects of your life.

Steps to Begin Living an Intentional Life

1. Define Your Values
   Identify what truly matters to you in life. Consider areas such as family, health, career, and personal growth.
2. Set Clear Intentions
   Establish specific, meaningful goals that align with your core values. Write them down to solidify your commitment.
3. Prioritize Your Time
   Focus on activities that support your intentions. Create a schedule that dedicates time to these priority tasks while eliminating distractions.
4. Practice Mindfulness
   Incorporate mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or journaling into your daily routine to enhance self-awareness.
5. Reflect Regularly
   Take time each week to reflect on your actions and decisions. Assess whether they align with your intentions and values, and make necessary adjustments.
6. Cultivate Gratitude
   Maintain a gratitude journal where you acknowledge positive aspects of your life. This practice helps you stay motivated and engaged.
7. Embrace Flexibility
   Understand that living intentionally is a journey. Be open to adapting your goals and routines as needed to stay aligned with your evolving self.
8. Seek Support
   Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who inspire and encourage your intentional living journey. Engage in communities that share your values.

By following these steps, you can start to live a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

Personal Experience

I have been practicing intentional living on and off for decades; however, it is in the last 4.5 years that this practice has truly become an integral part of my daily life. The major shift that prompted this transformation occurred when I made the life-changing decision to stop drinking. Since then, I have embraced a way of being that is both deliberate yet yielding, allowing me to navigate life with a newfound sense of flexibility. There has been a softening in my approach to life that I’ve come to cherish deeply. I am more centered in my values, having gained a clearer understanding of the importance of setting healthy boundaries while also being open to new experiences. This has fostered a more lighthearted attitude, enabling me to fully live in the moment without the weight of past habits. I find renewed joy in the little things and an appreciation for the journey rather than just the destination.

Embracing Intentionality

I tend to reevaluate my values and intentions seasonally. The natural shift blends seamlessly with how I need to view life as an ever-changing flow of experiences and lessons. This past season, I carefully examined the time I spent on various tasks and habits throughout the day. How much time I was spending on my phone was disquieting, as it became a barrier to deeper interactions and meaningful activities.

A shift towards intentionality was required to regain focus on what truly matters. I decided to read more instead of scrolling or playing mindless games on the phone. To accomplish this, I installed the app Opal on my phone, which allows me to limit the time I spend on the phone or certain apps, transforming my relationship with technology. I went from an average of 7 hours a day on the phone down to 3.3 hours a day on average, gaining back years of my life. Now I have reclaimed time for hobbies, self-improvement, and spending quality moments with loved ones.

Naturalness

These small shifts can have a significant impact over time. When we practice intentional living, we align with our true nature. We begin to remember that we are a part of the Earth and her cycles, and we learn to flow with the pace of nature: patience.

What small steps can you take to move towards a more deliberate life, one open to experience, yet focused by healthy boundaries?

Meditation for Slowing Down

Try a delightful Morning Meditation. It cultivates a sense of calm and tranquility, helping you to gently ease into your day.

Additionally, if you wish to delve deeper into your meditation journey, you might find the Body Scan Meditation incredibly helpful for harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit. I hope this guides you toward peace and mindfulness throughout your day!

The eudaimonia machine

Perhaps further outside the clear connections, it also reminded me of the Eudaimonia machine, which I’ve previously written about here and here. It’s “a multipart floor plan that effectively funnels employees[, workers, creators, thinkers] through various spaces with the intention of triggering different mental states. The layout consists of an entry gallery, a social salon, a multi-person office, an archival library, and the chamber—a site for deep work.” One can easily think of the cloister as one more space in such a setup.

~ Patrick Tanguay, from The Cloister & The Starship

I’ve long been an admirer of subtly curated spaces. Sentiers itself is one such space. There, I keep staring at the juxtaposition of a starship and a cloister. There’s just something special about a wide range of experiences. For example, listening to meditative music streamed across the Internet—an incredible tech stack just to make some quiet sounds—while sitting in an ancient meditation posture listening to water gurgle in a downspout. We each contain multitudes, as it were.

ɕ

#Design #Introductions
Reimagining the pointer for the AI era · When the cursor turns into an AI companion https://ilo.im/16d0z4

_____
#Intention #User #AI #Pointer #Gestures #Voice #Prototypes #UxDesign #UiDesign #WebDesign

#Design #Introductions
Reimagining the pointer for the AI era · When the cursor turns into an AI companion https://ilo.im/16d0z4

_____
#Intention #User #AI #Pointer #Gestures #Voice #Prototypes #UxDesign #UiDesign #WebDesign

Words of wisdom from maestro Robert Fripp:
https://youtu.be/8RY0MAfyl4k?si=JPTxdV71puxD8lCQ
#liminality #burningquestion #purpose #intention #philosophy #robertfripp #kingcrimson

The Placebo Button

The elevator in my building has a door-close button that does nothing. I learned this the way everyone learns it, which is to say I pressed it for years under the impression that it was speeding up my departure. The button lights up. It makes a small click when pressed. It provides every sensory signal of function. What it does not do is close the door any faster than the door was going to close on its own. The elevators in most American buildings installed since 1990 have door-close buttons wired to nothing, because the Americans with Disabilities Act requires the door to stay open long enough for a person using a wheelchair or walker to enter, and the button that overrides that requirement is accessible only to the fire department with a key.

The elevator industry has not hidden this. A 2016 New York Times piece by Christopher Mele quoted Karen Penafiel of the National Elevator Industry confirming that the buttons in non-emergency elevators do not function for ordinary passengers. The buttons remain on the panels because removing them would require rewiring, because passengers expect them, and because a button that does nothing costs less to leave in place than a button that does something. The fire department button works; the button passengers press does not. Both are labeled the same way.

The phenomenon extends well beyond elevators. A February 2004 New York Times piece by Michael Luo, titled “For Exercise in New York Futility, Push Button,” reported that of the 3,250 crosswalk buttons in New York City at the time, more than 2,500 functioned as mechanical placebos and only about 750 still worked. The rest were deactivated when the city moved to computerized signal timing in the decades after 1980, and the buttons were kept in place rather than removed because removing them costs more than leaving them attached to nothing. A pedestrian pressing a crosswalk button on Sixth Avenue at Thirty-Fourth Street is performing a gesture. The gesture has no effect on when the light changes. The light changes on a fixed timer that does not know the pedestrian pressed anything.

Office thermostats are the third common case. HVAC contractors working in large commercial buildings have for decades installed decoy thermostats in zones where the actual temperature is controlled from a central building management system. A Wall Street Journal column by Jared Sandberg, who wrote the Journal’s Cubicle Culture column on office life, reported that a significant share of office thermostats were non-functional decoys, installed because building operators had discovered that employees who had a thermostat to adjust reported feeling more comfortable than employees who did not, regardless of whether the thermostat was connected to anything. The decoy thermostat was cheaper than the actual climate complaint.

What unites these three cases is that the placebo button is engineered to produce the sensation of causation without the mechanism of causation. The Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer spent much of her career documenting what she called the illusion of control, the human tendency to overestimate personal influence over outcomes that are actually random or automatic. Her 1975 paper on the subject in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology remains the source text, and the elevator button has become an unintended memorial to her findings. The button is a compliance device. It gets the passenger through fifteen seconds of waiting without becoming the kind of passenger who kicks the door. The crosswalk button operates the same way. The thermostat operates the same way.

The object lesson is small. A button that does nothing is a minor embarrassment in the built environment. The interesting question is where else this logic operates, and the answer is most of civic life.

Public comment periods on federal rulemaking accept submissions from citizens by the hundreds of thousands. Agencies are required to read those submissions and consider them. In the vast majority of cases, the final rule reflects the draft rule. The comment did not change the outcome. Its filing was registered. Citizens who submit receive an acknowledgment. That acknowledgment was the point.

City council meetings in most American municipalities include a public comment segment during which residents address the council for two or three minutes each on matters of local governance. Council members are not required to respond. A council member is also not required to incorporate the comment into deliberation. Votes that follow get decided in committee or caucus before the comment begins. The resident goes home having pressed the button. Its light comes on. That door closes on the timer it was going to close on anyway.

Surveys distributed by employers after reorganizations, by airlines after delays, by hospitals after treatment, by universities after lectures, arrive with the implicit promise that the responses will influence future decisions. Response data gets aggregated and presented in quarterly reports to executives who have already made the next round of decisions. The survey is a button that lights up. No door closes any faster.

Electoral systems with gerrymandered district lines produce outcomes pre-determined by the shape of the district rather than the preferences of the voters. A voter in a district drawn to favor a party by twenty points is pressing a button connected to a timer set six years before the election. Ballots get counted. The vote does not change the outcome. An illusion of control persists, and the citizen who pressed the button walks out of the polling place with the civic sensation of participation.

The placebo button is not a conspiracy. No central authority installed these systems to deceive. An elevator button represents a cost-benefit decision by building owners. A crosswalk button persists as legacy infrastructure nobody retired. Public comment periods exist as procedural requirements written into administrative law in 1946. Gerrymandered districts result from partisan legislatures drawing maps within a legal framework the Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to revise. Each placebo button got there through a defensible local decision. The pattern they form together is a democracy where the buttons light up reliably and the doors close on the schedule they were always going to close on.

The dangerous version of this pattern is the one where citizens learn the buttons do nothing and continue pressing them. Compliance does not require belief. The door-close button still gets pressed by passengers who know it does nothing, because pressing it is what one does in an elevator, and because the alternative is standing silent in a small box with a stranger for fifteen seconds. Voting in a gerrymandered district still gets done by voters who know the district will produce the predetermined outcome, because voting is what one does as a citizen, and because the alternative is admitting the system is closed.

The recognition that matters is the one that separates the buttons that work from the buttons that do not, and the organizing that follows is the organizing that rewires the boxes rather than the gesture of pressing. Ballot initiatives that establish independent redistricting commissions are rewiring. Lawsuits that force agencies to respond substantively to public comments are rewiring. Municipal charters that require council members to respond to comment on the record are rewiring. The door-close button in the elevator is a lost cause and not worth the fight. A crosswalk button at Thirty-Fourth Street is not worth the fight either. Ballots and comment periods and council meetings are worth every fight we can bring, because the apparatus behind those buttons is still capable of connection, and the difference between a democracy and an elevator panel is whether the wires on the other side of the panel still reach the doors.

Ready to open things up? This 30-minute hatha practice is for you.

Move with intention. Open through the chest, shoulders, and torso. Stretch through the legs.

Support your practice with knee padding (practicing on a carpeted surface, an extra yoga mat, or a towel), two blocks (or folded towels), and a handkerchief (towel, or scarf).

https://thunderhoneysnowstudio.ca/video/shoulders-and-chest-intentional-hatha/

#Shoulders #Chest #Hatha #Intention #Stretch #Yoga

Some S’s

Sometimes, simple summaries suffice.

ɕ

Enabling possibility

I feel my title’s use of “enabling” rather than the more common [that I’ve seen] “creating” is important. (Of course, I don’t craft the titles with reckless abandon; There’d be far more, “Wordy werds” and “Completely different” type titles.) But in the past couple weeks I’ve been focused on the distinction between “to create” and “to enable.”

I’ve been sprinkling a Lonely Hearts-inspired call in a few different places as I think it’s time to bring a writer onto the Movers Mindset team. Each time I post it somewhere, it kicks off one or two conversations with someone. Each of those little conversations gives me a chance to refine how I convey my vision for this new role. (As a certain reader would say, how I convey my intention—hi Angie!)

The first thing I realized is that what I am bringing to this potential new relationship is the resources—the raw material that the team has amassed. I don’t in fact know exactly what the new person would be creating. My intention is to enable someone to create something (some things?) from that raw material. I’m not creating the possibility—it’s there already. My hope is to enable that possibility to come to fruition.

ɕ

Fish

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.

Age-old aphorism, right?

The first point I want to make is that both options—giving and teaching—are not necessarily viable. If we’re in a desert, my giving you a[n edible] fish is helpful, while teaching you to fish is not; there’s an overriding resource constraint. This is a minor point which we’re all comfortable sweeping under the rug because that aphorism is screaming out that it’s far better to be teaching people to proverbially fish.

The second point is more serious: Things do not go well if you disagree on which is supposed to be happening. If I think we’re doing fishing lessons and you just want me to shut up and hand you a fish—that’s a recipe for, not broiled trout, but rather steamed people.

Anyway, no fish today—gone fishing.

ɕ

Do you have an “ask”?

I don’t always have an “ask.” But when I do, I make it clear and I usually lead with it. This plays out in countless ways, and I’m hoping it’s so obvious that I don’t need to give any examples. Rather, I’ll just go meta:

When you have an ask, is it clear—really clear—in your communication?

ɕ

What’s in a title?

Should I write the title first, or last?

Should the title be a clear signpost of what is to come?

…or should the title prepare the reader?

…prime their mental state, jar them out of common trains of thought, give them the first bit of context, …

Should the title be short, or loquacious?

An interrogative or a statement.

Should the tense (present, past, passive, active, …) match, or provide counter-point?

If I practiced by writing 2,509 titles would I be able to write a title for a post on titles?

Could I remove the titles entirely?

Should I remove the titles entirely?

What is my intention for having titles? (Hi Angie!)

Should I have the same intention each time I’m composing a title?

Could the title be revealed last—only after the piece is read?

Email has a subject line; not a title line.

Does a title convey the subject?

…always? …sometimes? …maybe it never should?

Can a subject be a title?

Could a title contain the subject but also serve some as-yet-undiscovered-by-me purpose?

Should a title set the tone?

…create tension? …allude to the subject?

…and be short?

Do people judge what I write by the title?

Do people who read a lot of my posts, versus those who are having their first experience, use the titles differently?

Or maybe the title’s primary purpose is to serve as a mental bookmark for the piece after it’s been read?

Wait. What was I going to write about today?

ɕ