Wednesday of this week, I had the dubious distinction of witnessing a deposition panel on a federal lawsuit. This lawsuit involves one of the biggest companies in the world versus another company that threatened it’s market share.
I’m not allowed to say who these companies are because I signed a confidentiality agreement. But I will describe the situation in terms of a metaphor in the form of an anecdote:
A boy and girl in high school were once dating each other. They were celebrated as the most famous couple in high school because the girl was the beautiful prom queen and the boy was the smartest and talented kid in school.
A problem started when the boy got tired of the girl; he didn’t approve of the way the relationship was going. She was closed minded, yet so demanding of him. He craved more freedom…
The boy decided to leave the girl. At first he claimed that they just needed “time apart.” The boy went searching for a new girlfriend. The prom queen’s circle of friends was the largest in the school, so it was difficult for the boy to find another beautiful girl who didn’t want him to “cheat” on the prom queen.
When the boy saw the task of getting a new girlfriend as too difficult, he decided to form an alliance with other smart boys including his own circle of friends; some of his friends were dating the prom queen’s circle of friends. He even got boys from different schools to join. The boys called their club “The He-Man Woman Hater’s Club.”
(For the sake of simplicity, let’s give the original boy and girl names: Let’s call the boy Alfalfa and the girl Darla.)
Alfalfa happened to know a few of Darla’s past boyfriends and wanted them to join his club. The old boyfriends told Alfalfa that they were going after Darla again; the only way they would join Alfalfa’s club is if he had girls there even more beautiful than Darla.
Alfalfa knew that there was noone more beautiful than Darla. The only way he could come up with a more beautiful girl was if he built her.
Alfalfa built a female cyborg; she was absolutely breathtaking. Every curve, every feature, every part of her was as perfect as could be. The thing is, this female cyborg was based on Darla; there were definitely features there that belonged to Darla. It seems that Alfalfa couldn’t get Darla out of his mind.
Alfalfa was so proud of his female cyborg, that he presented her to the world as “Carla.”
When Darla heard about this she became extremely vindictive. She sent emails to all her friends that she wanted to have her ex-boyfriend’s reputation ruined in every way, shape, and form because “he’s a thieving jerk for stealing my image.”
Alfalfa didn’t want to get caught red-handed with any evidence indicating that he knew what he was doing, so he told everyone in the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club to erase all the information from their blackbooks that indicated any personal information about Darla and her social circle.
With all of this, all hell broke loose. A few years later, I ended up on a deposition panel listening to long winded lawyers talk about the gripes and grievances of these vindictive kids.
To be clear, I read emails written by Chief Executive Officers and Chief Operating Officers that look like they were written by vindictive kids flaming each other. Among the questions I asked of the lawyers, I wanted to know if these sorts of “communications” were standard operating procedure for Fortune 100 companies according to their experience.
The answer was “yes.” They had seen similar “communications.”
Darla knows how to do a few things on her own, but she still needs him. And guess what? He needs her. The problem is, when the beautiful girl reached her teens, something happened to her moral compass; it was lost.
The same thing happened to Alfalfa; it is unknown if Alfalfa lost his moral compass when he was dating Darla.In fact, the only thing that’s keeping the beautiful girl and the smart boy apart are morals and ethics. Without them, they become vindictive.
Imagine these vindictive kids hating on each other. Not only are they spitting poison at each other, but they bring others into their dispute. They could just as easily have been happy together if they had morals and ethics.
You’re probably wondering how these vindictive kids affect you as a consumer. Here are the three main ways:
ECONOMIC
Darla doesn’t really know what she’s doing because she’s so closed minded. As a result, her friendship is only second at best to Alfalfa’s. The problem is that Alfalfa was attracting new friends with Darla’s likeness, Carla. Darla emailed and text messaged her old boyfriends about what Alfalfa was doing.
Not only this, Darla took every step to ruin Alfalfa’s reputation and take down the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club as a competitive social circle. Darla succeeded.
The problem for consumers is that “Darla” and “Alfalfa” hired lawyers and have been dragging their lawsuit through the courts for years. This type of activity costs millions of dollars a month. The production costs go up, then they are passed onto distributors, and finally to consumers.
That’s right. As a consumer, you’re helping to pay for “Darla’s and Alfalfa’s” multi-billion dollar piss fight frakus because they never grew up.
INFERIOR WORKMANSHIP
“Darla” eliminated “Alfafa” as competition. “Alfalfa” knows best about what he’s doing. “Carla” was the proof. “Carla” was far more advanced than “Darla.” Ideally, “Darla” and “Alfalfa” should have stayed together, then everyone would have “Carla” while “Darla and Alfalfa” have each other.
Instead, “Darla” ruined “Alfalfa’s” reputation within his social circle, so everyone now has to settle for “Farla,” “Marla,” and “Zarla” who don’t perform nearly as well as “Carla.”
Now, most people in the civilized world most settle for second at best workmanship that will probably cost more, yet break down earlier than anticipated. “Darla’s” inferior workmanship will have to be replaced in the future with superior technology, but “Darla” is so vindictive that she doesn’t care about anyone else.
Human civilization will be held back for a few decades because of “Darla’s” vindictiveness. The thing is “Alfalfa” started it; he is smart, but not as wise as he should be.
ETIQUETTE
You’re probably wondering how grown men running the largest companies in the world can conduct themselves like vindictive teenagers. How did they even get to their positions? Good question.
I wish I had an easy answer for you on how this juvenile behavior in Fortune 100 companies came to be the norm, but the way it affects consumers is devastating.
“Civilized” society is bombarded by commercialism and media hype every day. Marketing teams put their campaigns together according to what CEOs and COOs want, then they work with Tavistock psychologists and other “mass mind” experts to develop their marketing materials.
In turn, the “image” that consumers get about themselves from mass media is basically the opinion of vindictive people. For example, the drug companies want us to picture ourselves as “happy and contented” when we’re on their drugs.
In essence, drug company execs feel that we lack control of our own physical and mental faculties, therefore we should be sedated. There was a previous post wherein I quoted an old Romanian scrawling on a cave wall: “You see the world as you see yourself…”
Remember, every mass media commercial, movie, “reality” show, etcetera, that you see and hear reflects what the top executives in this world think of the average person; in fact, it is the way they perceive themselves. The problem is that mass media has a tremendous influence on public opinion; that is, most people end up thinking of themselves in the same way they are reflected in mass media.
Do you honestly want to think of yourself as a person with no control over your own faculties who must be sedated? Can you please be your own person rather than the one reflected in Mass Media? Yes? Thank you.
I have discussed the people of Psalms 73 in previous posts. I’m copying a few lines here again to help remind us of what kind of people are running the show:
[3] For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
[4] For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
[5] They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
[6] Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
[7] Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
[8] They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
[9] They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
[10] Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
[11] And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
[12] Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
OK, look at line 6. There is a time when pride can be a “Chain.” Pride can cause us to be closed minded because we feel that “No one can do better. I’m superior. It’s my way or the highway…”
“Darla” is the prom queen. Noone can do better than her. Right? Wrong. The thing is, “Darla” is at the top of her “social circle.” When “Alfalfa” left her, he started at the middle of his “social circle” and almost shot near the top of her “social circle” in a very short amount of time using “Darla’s” likeness.
“Darla” has many resources at her disposal and she used them to destroy “Alfalfa.”
Substitute “food chain” for “social circle” and you get a better understanding of how the top corporations in this world are working.
Have a look at line 11 of Psalms 73; this is how “Darla” and “Alfalfa” think. They don’t care about any of the commandments of God’s Word. OK, I’ll give that to them, but what about morals and ethics in general in the corporate world? What about Kaizen?
The term kaizen (改善, Japanese for “improvement”) is a Japanese word adopted into English referring to a philosophy or practices focusing on continuous improvement in manufacturing activities, business activities in general, and even life in general, depending on interpretation and usage. When used in the business sense and applied to the workplace, kaizen typically refers to activities that continually improve all functions of a business, from manufacturing to management and from the CEO to the assembly line workers. By improving standardized activities and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste…
Please double check at Wikipedia and let me know if I’m wrong. Kaizen is a system of morals and ethics wherein people learn by doing – not only in the work place, but the way they live. For example, if “Darla” had practiced the restraint of “Kaizen,” she would have sent a letter to “Alfalfa” asking him nicely to refrain from further activity with “Carla.”
Indeed, if “Darla” practiced Kaizen in the first place, she and “Alfalfa” would still be together instead of arguing. Together, “Darla” and “Alfalfa” would be more than extremely rich as well as helping to advance human civilization. (Darla and Alfalfa don’t do drugs as far as I know.)
Strangely enough, their lawyers who are costing them millions of dollars a month are suggesting that they get back together again (after I asked); this would be the most civilized resolution because “Alfalfa” has lost so much. Before that happens, “Darla and Alfalfa” seriously need to learn Kaizen, so they can go forward with their lives and not waste their money in courts on lawsuits.
For those of you further interested in God’s Word according to Psalms 75, this is what will happen to the “wicked” of Psalms 73:
[4] I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:
[5] Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
[6] For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
[7] But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
[8] For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them…
You know what a “cup of wine” is in God’s Hand? That’s basically the sanctification and holiness of life itself. That “cup of wine” is the basis of life itself. You know what the “dregs” are? The dregs of wine are usually grape skins, stems, maybe a seed here and there.
In terms of life itself, that’s the bottom of the food chain like carrion feeders. You know how crabs and vultures are carrion feeders? The wicked will be like that – if they’re not like that already. Basically, the wicked will mutate on the outside according to the type of person they are on the inside. Everyone else who loves and respects each other will drink “wine” from “God’s Cup” and go forward in life.
I hope that’s encouraging to you.
Healing thoughts, Happy New Year,
Randolph
P.S. Also along the lines of etiquette, “Darla” has one of the largest “social circles” in the world, so everyone has to deal with “Darla” one way or another. “Darla” also has one of the largest “friend” turnovers in the world; her “friends” come and go by the 1000’s every month.
Each of “Darla’s friends,” past and present, are of the opinion that “Darla’s Social Circle” is the biggest and the best, therefore, “Darla’s Ways” must be right in everyway. The problem is, very few of “Darla’s Friends” know what kind of person she really is and how she conducts herself.
“Darla” doesn’t like anyone to know what’s underneath her sweet, kind, beautiful fascade. Unfortunately, I know her now, and she knows me. I might end up teaching Kaizen to “Darla and Alfalfa.” We’ll see.