Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Genocide in Darfur

In the beginning of the Darfur, Sudan conflict no one directly called it genocide. Darfur was treated as a conflicted region with conflicted people who were essentially killing each other, however, this part of the story was down played by the media and political officials. Darfur received little to no attention until some human rights activists caught on to the indirect language coming out of that region. Then Darfur became a celebrity cause with George Clooney holding the torch.
The Darfur Genocide became all of a sudden media-relevant and politicians were speaking out. A question still remains unanswered, why did the media and politicians downplay this international massacre? The Darfur Genocide is a prime example of an unethical use of the indirect method. Sometimes negative events need direct attention and need immediate action. The initial indirect response to the Darfur Genocide showed that media and politics are both profit businesses. The media circumvented the story while politicians danced around the topic meanwhile thousands were being slaughtered.

Founders of http://notonourwatchproject.org
Don Cheadle
George Clooney
Matt Damon
Brad Pitt
David Pressman
Jerry Weintraub

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Looking out into the Audience


A writer should always "look out into the audience" figuratively speaking. Eliminating this crucial step could make the difference between an angry or confused audience. Using writing pattern techniques like direct and indirect patterns can make a message more clear, and make the audience more receptive. Employing an direct pattern in a message throws main point out first and elaborates later. The opposite is true for an indirect patten, which elaborates first and throws out the main point last. Direct and indirect patterns can be used appropriately and inappropriately. The proper use of these patterns can be audience-aware while improper use can be audience-negligent.

A prime example of the improper use of the direct pattern is the former US President George W. Bush and friends verbal and textual language about Hurricane Katrina.
"We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, AL., Sept. 2, 2005 (Source)
"Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively  well." –FEMA Director Michael Brown,Sept. 1, 2005 (Source) 
In aftermath of Katrina, many victims look up to the current  governmental leaders for guidance and direction. They needed thoughtful discourses that acknowledged their pain and suffering. What they got were a steady stream of gruesome direct pattern quotes that were received as a slap in the face. Had these governmental officials used indirect patterns to create their sentences history would have treated them differently. Their sentences came out as rude and unconscious doublespeak; sentences and quotes that will forever put them down in history as the incompetent leaders.

When used correctly direct patterns can cause happiness and excitement. For example, Mac earnings since the ipod was rolled out. Stockholders would welcome news like "We have tripled our earnings, and look forward to furthering innovation boundaries."

Real life quote from Mac's 2011 Quarter 1 Earnings:
“We established a new quarterly record with sales of 4.13 million Macs, representing 23 percent growth over the year ago quarter. That is almost eight times IDC’s most recently published estimate of 3 percent growth for the PC market….The growth was fueled primarily by strong demand for the new MacBook Air.”
 Wouldn't this quote sound like music if you were a Mac stockholder?!?

Remember to always look into the audience....

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

2b? Nt2b, WHAT!!!

Making an effort to write clearly and concisely is more difficult than it may seem. In the Business community it is important to limit the descriptive narrative high school and college papers once asked for, and trade it in for clear cut English. Business culture asks for "get to the point" attitude. There is no room for eloquent Shakespearean iambic pentameter verses which dwell in deep thoughts and that require hours to interpret. Efficiency and effectiveness is the name of the game in Business. All business is about results and how to increase productivity and profitability. It would be impossible to have any size business function well with sentences like:
"To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;........"
 People would never go home trying to decipher poetic prose or ever sleep, trying to write and read such complex language. Within the business atmosphere a simple "I feel terribly sad" would have saved Hamlet time and his employer money.

While oversimplifying Shakespeare's romantic prose would seem a vulgar attack on the classics it represents how high school and college students are taught to think about their prose- as if it were art. Shakespeare would not be the greatest business impresario of our time because of his language style.  Perhaps relevant during his era, floral emotive language has no place in the Business world and would hinder communication or maybe even bankrupt the company. We live in a world were people communicate and function in a fast-paced environment. This fast-paced world has transformed the English language into a plethora of acronyms. LOL, WTG, and JK would revolt Shakespeare, the same can be said for a business setting. Being too descriptive maybe cumbersome, but oversimplifying words into letters reaches the opposite extreme of inadequate business language.


High School and College Students live a "Tale of Two Cities." They are taught Shakespeare and Homer in classroom, and walk out of classroom into the modern viral world of texting. As soon as a teenager receives there own personal cell phone they are corrupted by the ease of butchering words into acronyms. OMG-ing and LOL-ing seep into students everyday routine, and become difficult to avoid when entering the business workforce environment. Students should practice filtering their language always trying to maintain a fine line between too descriptive and too alphabetical. 

"Romeo, Romeo _ wher4 Rt thou Romeo?"
Shakespearean Text Quote Article

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Decoding Body Language

Body language is a conjunction of voluntary and involuntary body movements interpreted by a viewer as non-verbal communication. Humans evolved through communication, initially relying on body gestures and facial expressions, and later developing complex spoken and written languages (i.e. sumerian language). Despite the creation of spoken and written languages humans still rely on primitive non-verbal forms of communication like body language, pictorial drawings, and facial emotions. Our early european ancestors (homo sapiens) used those three non-verbal forms of communicating, the most lasting form are the illustrations that can be still found in obscure caves in Europe.

We are still products of the past programmed with body language sensibilities. Our species is able to discriminate between sincerity and insincerity just by innately noting muscular tendencies or gestures. A prime example of this is the Duchenne smile, side graphic depicting this study. Look at Side A vs. Side B, which of the two do you think is a sincere smile? Think to yourself why this is so? Our brain is wired to pick up on subtle details like what muscular areas are being used and how many muscles are being employed to form the facial expression or body expression. The study concluded that Side A was viewed as an insincere smile because only one muscular region (mouth area) was employed in the facial expression. Side B was viewed as sincere because two muscular regions (eyes and mouth areas) were employed in the facial expression. It is truly mind blowing that amount of detail we are receptive to, but more mind boggling the amount of daily discriminating our brains do for us.

Behavioral Scientists work to deconstruct the labyrinth physical and emotional components of body language. Behavioral Scientists rely on experiments, for example, displaying different scenarios to lab subjects and recording their reactions. By identifying and quantifying behavioral tendencies scientists are able to establish principles. As technologies improve behavioral scientists will have more equipment to accurately measure brain activity, the nervous system, and much more. Behavioral science is a fluid and changing science supported by years of research and experimentation.

Be your own experiment, click below:
http://www.youramazingbrain.org/testyourself/default.htm