My last post touched on competition in the market. I would like to further the discussion by proposing that collaboration can only take place in the meta-market. This is not to suggest that collaboration is exempt from supply-and-demand economics, but rather that it involves individuals adopting a gift-giving mentality which does not agree with the systematic competition built in to capitalist economies. When individuals replace the analysis of transactions on the level of driving toward increased individual net worth and transition to thinking on behalf of a group project (or other collaborative effort), suddenly it becomes worth certain self-sacrifice for group-success.
When many individuals with this attitude toward their own labor come together, large accomplishments tend to happen.
Open Source software is a great example of this. So is forming study groups in classes. But in all these cases, collaboration takes place within the bounds of the group. Groups of collaborators are often found in competition with one another. Competition might be an exaggeration, perhaps they are found in co-existence with one another. These can both occur.
But it gets a little more interesting when you think about the fact that private corporations are themselves groups of collaborators.
The practice of business is something that everyone living comfortably participates in. I am a consumer, but also a creator. I am an analyst, but I know very little about the formal study of economic business. I try to develop my perspective on this by reaching out and communicating within a diverse “intercommunity” of individuals I come across who tend to have different backgrounds, habits, environments, and standards. We all know the value of things that facilitate life, comfort, entertainment, death, recovery, health, war, prevention, production, happiness. This is why markets develop into competitive spheres of manipulation, influence, and growth. But that’s only how things have happened to happen in the current developed and developing worlds.
I believe that collaboration is the key to humanity’s sustainable success, which is a requirement if we are to have nice things. Introducing technology to growing markets in developing nations is a collaborative effort among developed nations to help all parties involved, and it can work (citation), but only when properly planned. The problem is, not everyone wants to cooperate (citation).
What I mean to say is, I find the task of predicting the future difficult. But it is obvious that by looking back at various histories allows us to observe trends, such as doing what most easily transfers to success. If collaboration leads to success, people will collaborate, for instance. But we live in a highly imperfect world. So, with the help of my peers, I am trying to develop my perspective by attempting to predict the future by analyzing the past and present, to understand how things work.
Thus I have just added this new “Business Practice” category, with which I will attempt to document this journey of thought, among others I will probably come across…
Well, it was an interesting (and rather quick) week. Some of the events (not in chronological order):
- I went to that UCSF Admissions Workshop (got one nice picture) and was reassured that there are real human beings making these medical school admissions decisions.
- I added a new recipe to my repertoire
- I bought new shoes, rolled my ankle within minutes of wearing them (probably a bad decision not breaking them in…), and then refunded said shoes.
- I read The Hunger Games and passed up an opportunity to watch it in theaters without having read the book.
- I bought a new bike (Big Gray including the first helmet I’ve owned since middle school =X), and recycled my old bike (Old Blue …you will be missed)
- And of course, various other things that people with lives do… caught up with some old friends. Not as many as I’d have liked, due largely to my injury.
And now it is time to begin the transition back into the third quarter of my 3rd year of college. I’ll be wearing a lab coat in my biochemistry lab this quarter… watch out. I’ll also be formally educated on the subjects of Operating Systems and Medicinal Chemistry (as a subset of my third quarter of Organic Chemistry). Stoked for that.
I will be working hard to meet these goals:
- Exercise (4+ times a week)
- Meet new and old people, foster healthy, sustainable relationships
- Meditate in the morning
- Stretch at night
- 4.0 baby
I’m also continuing to read The Walking Dead). And trying to wrap my head around the 2012 presidential elections. Ron Paul and Barack Obama seem to be the only sane candidates in the race that have crossed my path. And Ron Paul seems to be the only one consistently seeking to reshape America’s foreign policy to alter our role as a global police force to something more sustainable.
A lovely week filled with opportunities, ranging from possibly nothing to potentially anything. I welcome the unpredictability, but take responsibility for my role in causing things to happen. Thus, in reading from my trusty r/ZenHabits, I have come across an interesting list of 100 things to do when you have the time. Some common themes of this article include creating meaning, learning, grounding your past and present feelings, developing yourself as a person, trying new things, etc.
I have come up with a few goals for my break:
- Eat Healthy (Cook healthy!)
- Exercise
- Meet new and old people, foster healthy, sustainable relationships
- Meditate in the morning
- Stretch at night
- Bikram yoga. Gotta do some Bikram. Should alleviate my lower back pain from lugging around my fat back pack all quarter.
But it appears I am beginning with the creation of this new blog. Prepare for awesome, because I have a lot in store for my readers. I will document my personal development, in attempt to help others along their own path. I reserve the right to use this for many things, provided they are well worth reading.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be attending an admissions workshop for the UCSF School of Medicine. That would be a nice place to attend down the line. I’ll hopefully meet interesting, like-minded premedical students.
So cheers to a wonderful week. Adventure Time!
