{"id":1026,"date":"2026-03-04T14:48:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/?p=1026"},"modified":"2026-03-04T14:48:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:48:50","slug":"joe-and-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/?p=1026","title":{"rendered":"Joe and Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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People’s skills and understanding within a system are “systems thinking.” Doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, plumbers, politicians… Thinking within systems provides structure and enrichment. While boundaries overlap, expertise is measured vertically within systems. Where applicable, “insider” exploits are weapons for those most informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weapons serve one interest opposed to another. Self-interest is embedded in each of us. Our weapons are thought and intrigue. The former attaches us to the object, the latter detaches us. We react to assaults on our self-centered views as existential threats. In a way, they are, as in the death of old ways of thinking. Better to shore up defenses (and offenses) than attempt cooperation, collaboration and compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politicians are systems thinkers. Expressed goodly, the pinnacle of this type of thinking effects positive change in a landscape of personalities, legal statutes, hope, fear, accountability, treachery… When there are things to be accountable for, who is accountable to whom? Political systems are complex. Knowledge and experience is culled from many voices and many opinions. Smart politicians understand self-interests, including their own. Smarter agendas serve a state of benevolence and have implicit support. Systemic ignorance and neglect change expectations and outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messy human expression is unavoidable. Our assessments of each other boil down to assessments of character. There are many moments that define character. Character is not fixed, but is determined by an accumulation of acts. What you feel or know about someone’s character can be attributed to these acts. Some records are kept for posterity. While others may scrutinize you, inward scrutiny should be the highest and harshest form. Sadly, self-reflection has waned with increasingly pathological forms of self-protection and ego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1984, I met former President Joe Biden, then a senator. I shook his hand at a Commencement ceremony after accepting my A.S. degree from Cayuga Community College. The photo shown is “proof” provided by an event photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I respect and thank Joe Biden for attending the ceremony. Our paths crossed, without media spectacle or vitriol. For a moment, his life journey coincided with mine. The intersection, public service and education, is one of the myriad ways we cross paths with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We participate and share with others under the influence of character. My appreciation is an endorsement of healthy principles supported by positive acts. Understanding and appreciating these duties and responsibilities in others helps us recognize and adapt them within ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are you nurturing your character?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

POWERED BY HUMAN THOUGHT
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People’s skills and understanding within a system are “systems thinking.” Doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, plumbers, politicians… Thinking within systems provides structure and enrichment. While boundaries overlap, expertise is measured vertically within systems. Where applicable, “insider” exploits are weapons for those … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1028,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions\/1028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.collab.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}