Comments on: How To Make Mistakes http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/ Ruminations on software and other impossible things Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:58:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Vitaly Lisovsky http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Vitaly Lisovsky Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:23:30 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-124 Its an out-of-the-box read indeed. It will discover how much in the box the reader was never even suspecting about it. And guess what there will be no one who can claim to be "completely" out of the box after reading this book. It will also explain why people behave the way they do. You will be able to tell what was going on with that person who blew up all of a sudden for no apparent reason..guaranteed. There is also another one to read while on vacation: "Mindfulness" by Ellen Langer PhD. PS don't try to use the out-of-the-box concept with people not familiar with it - unexpected side-effects can occur :) Its an out-of-the-box read indeed. It will discover how much in the box the reader was never even suspecting about it. And guess what there will be no one who can claim to be “completely” out of the box after reading this book. It will also explain why people behave the way they do. You will be able to tell what was going on with that person who blew up all of a sudden for no apparent reason..guaranteed.
There is also another one to read while on vacation: “Mindfulness” by Ellen Langer PhD.
PS don’t try to use the out-of-the-box concept with people not familiar with it – unexpected side-effects can occur :)

]]> By: My Top Tip on Dealing With Failure (and Perfectionism!) | Mine Your Resources http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-101 My Top Tip on Dealing With Failure (and Perfectionism!) | Mine Your Resources Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:05:01 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-101 [...] really enjoyed this post by Dan Breslau, on “how to make mistakes.” I especially enjoyed his question, “What would you do if you had [...] [...] really enjoyed this post by Dan Breslau, on “how to make mistakes.” I especially enjoyed his question, “What would you do if you had [...]

]]> By: Dan Breslau http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Dan Breslau Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:37:44 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-100 Hi, Vitaly -- thanks for the comments. That does look like an interesting book, although it seems to use the term "out of the box" in a completely different way from what I'm familiar with. (I guess they're making an out-of-the-box usage of "out of the box" :-) As for the rest: I'm sending you an email. Hi, Vitaly — thanks for the comments. That does look like an interesting book, although it seems to use the term “out of the box” in a completely different way from what I’m familiar with. (I guess they’re making an out-of-the-box usage of “out of the box” :-)

As for the rest: I’m sending you an email.

]]> By: Vitaly Lisovsky http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Vitaly Lisovsky Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:26:55 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-99 Dan, 1st paragraph says it all. The reality is that every intelligent effort involves calculated risk, and only two possible results can be expected from every effort: success to varying degrees, and failure to varying degrees. MIT probably makes one a little less objective, which implies in fact being "in the box" as it goes in the theory of objectivity (a different kind of box here). The idea being that if you have not seen anything in the real life yet and you just finished your MIT studies you must have this sense of knowing it all and knowing it better. Now, by that I don't mean to say that the MIT is not great, it's just that the example clearly shows that the real life needs some unboxed MIT skills on top of out of the box thinking. Feel free to ignore what I said, I must still be under the influence of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out/dp/1576751740 -Vitaly PS How's things? Dan,

1st paragraph says it all.

The reality is that every intelligent effort involves calculated risk, and only two possible results can be expected from every effort: success to varying degrees, and failure to varying degrees.

MIT probably makes one a little less objective, which implies in fact being “in the box” as it goes in the theory of objectivity (a different kind of box here). The idea being that if you have not seen anything in the real life yet and you just finished your MIT studies you must have this sense of knowing it all and knowing it better. Now, by that I don’t mean to say that the MIT is not great, it’s just that the example clearly shows that the real life needs some unboxed MIT skills on top of out of the box thinking. Feel free to ignore what I said, I must still be under the influence of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out/dp/1576751740

-Vitaly

PS
How’s things?

]]> By: Susan Sirois Ellis http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Susan Sirois Ellis Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:22:24 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-89 I finally got around to reading this and it was well worth it. I'm OutofWhatBox on my Google Reader. I know you said your posts get more technical but I'm sure I'll find value. I've always appreciated your thoughtfulness. Susan I finally got around to reading this and it was well worth it. I’m OutofWhatBox on my Google Reader. I know you said your posts get more technical but I’m sure I’ll find value. I’ve always appreciated your thoughtfulness.

Susan

]]> By: Paul Geffen http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Paul Geffen Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:33:36 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-15 Dan, I like the blog! The pianist analogy is a good one. Some of my favorite recordings are live performances by Sviatoslav Richter and it is certainly possible to get past the occasional technical flaws to hear what the performer has in mind. The clarity of his artistic vision is stronger than the technique at times, and it allows the listener to fill in gaps. - Paul Dan,

I like the blog!

The pianist analogy is a good one. Some of my favorite recordings are live performances by Sviatoslav Richter and it is certainly possible to get past the occasional technical flaws to hear what the performer has in mind. The clarity of his artistic vision is stronger than the technique at times, and it allows the listener to fill in gaps.

- Paul

]]> By: Doug Muder http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Doug Muder Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:07:34 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-10 Two thoughts related to mistakes: (1) Editing is almost always easier than composing. So as a writer, I find I often have to make myself write something that I know is bad, just so I can start editing it. (2) I've developed an appreciation for something I call a good bad theory. It's bad because it's almost certainly wrong. But it pulls together all the ideas that you need to think about if you're going to understand the problem. Using the bad theory gets you thinking in the right terms and paying attention to the right phenomena. Two thoughts related to mistakes:

(1) Editing is almost always easier than composing. So as a writer, I find I often have to make myself write something that I know is bad, just so I can start editing it.

(2) I’ve developed an appreciation for something I call a good bad theory. It’s bad because it’s almost certainly wrong. But it pulls together all the ideas that you need to think about if you’re going to understand the problem. Using the bad theory gets you thinking in the right terms and paying attention to the right phenomena.

]]> By: Doug Muder http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Doug Muder Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:52:34 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-9 One of the best pieces of advice I got about blogging was that if you can't post constantly, at least post regularly. That's the idea behind the Weekly Sift -- there's something new every Monday afternoon. Readers get discouraged if they come back to your blog and don't find anything new. Posting regularly helps them get into a rhythm. They think, "Oh, it's probably time to look at Dan's blog again"; they look; and -- success! -- there's something new to read. One of the best pieces of advice I got about blogging was that if you can’t post constantly, at least post regularly. That’s the idea behind the Weekly Sift — there’s something new every Monday afternoon.

Readers get discouraged if they come back to your blog and don’t find anything new. Posting regularly helps them get into a rhythm. They think, “Oh, it’s probably time to look at Dan’s blog again”; they look; and — success! — there’s something new to read.

]]> By: Dan Breslau http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Dan Breslau Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:09:53 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-8 Thanks, Peter. I'm trying to get into a rhythm where I'm averaging close to a post a day, maybe more. I'm also going to be getting more into technical subjects as I go, but I felt that this was a good way to get started. I had a look at your blog, and nearly didn't return; you've got some very interesting stuff there. Thanks, Peter.

I’m trying to get into a rhythm where I’m averaging close to a post a day, maybe more. I’m also going to be getting more into technical subjects as I go, but I felt that this was a good way to get started.

I had a look at your blog, and nearly didn’t return; you’ve got some very interesting stuff there.

]]> By: Peter Ash http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/04/how_to_make_mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Peter Ash Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:12:36 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=169#comment-7 Hi Dan, Nice job, and good luck with your blog. I started a blog last year, http://peterashmathedblog.blogspot.com/. You are invited to look at it, maybe you can learn something. I know I learned a lot from your blog. You are an excellent writer, and a deep thinker. My blog centers on my career, which is about mathematics education. My posts tend to be shorter and more technical than this one of yours, but I try to be personal, humorous, or philosophical whenever I can slip it in. I find that I seem to average about one post every two weeks or so, though my posts tend to come in spurts with one a day for a few days, followed by a fallow period. How often do you plan to post? Peter Hi Dan,

Nice job, and good luck with your blog.

I started a blog last year, http://peterashmathedblog.blogspot.com/. You are invited to look at it, maybe you can learn something. I know I learned a lot from your blog. You are an excellent writer, and a deep thinker.

My blog centers on my career, which is about mathematics education. My posts tend to be shorter and more technical than this one of yours, but I try to be personal, humorous, or philosophical whenever I can slip it in.

I find that I seem to average about one post every two weeks or so, though my posts tend to come in spurts with one a day for a few days, followed by a fallow period. How often do you plan to post?

Peter

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