Innovation and Human Nature
What can a lowly Innovation blogger say about what is going on in the World...not much, really.
Our "leaders" are so embattled trying to prevent the next depression, that all voices have been drowned out now in favor of operational execution of a rescue plan that while innovative is seriously complex, complicated and time consuming to execute well.
The crisis, unfortunately, needs action real-time, as in now, and not 6 months from now when the "reverse auctions" might finally be put in place.
In my view this crisis elevates an issue that has been in my mind for a long time and it is the issue of Human nature and the lack of relevance we attribute to it.
In very simple terms: As a nation rooted in puritanical principles, we seem to willfully dismiss and discount human nature as a factor in human actions.
In this latest episode, we have ignored greed as a supremely relevant human instinct.
Did we really think that the mortgage broker would NOT sell the wrong mortgage to a new Latino immigrant when he could make $1M + / year in commissions by doing so?
Did we really think that the Wall Street MBA just out of Wharton business school would not create the latest financial instrument so that he/she cold make their $1M+ yearly bonus?
Another example...in our discussion of teenage pregnancy do we really think that kids will stop having sex because we tell them not to? Instead of accepting the fact that sex is an instinct and part of human nature, we dismiss it and teach our kids abstinence and do not teach about sexuality and how to avoid pregnancy.
Let's all grow up and accept that we humans are imperfect and part animal (oh, the horror) and that we need to address these imperfections in ourselves via ALL our social systems.
Our "leaders" are so embattled trying to prevent the next depression, that all voices have been drowned out now in favor of operational execution of a rescue plan that while innovative is seriously complex, complicated and time consuming to execute well.
The crisis, unfortunately, needs action real-time, as in now, and not 6 months from now when the "reverse auctions" might finally be put in place.
In my view this crisis elevates an issue that has been in my mind for a long time and it is the issue of Human nature and the lack of relevance we attribute to it.
In very simple terms: As a nation rooted in puritanical principles, we seem to willfully dismiss and discount human nature as a factor in human actions.
In this latest episode, we have ignored greed as a supremely relevant human instinct.
Did we really think that the mortgage broker would NOT sell the wrong mortgage to a new Latino immigrant when he could make $1M + / year in commissions by doing so?
Did we really think that the Wall Street MBA just out of Wharton business school would not create the latest financial instrument so that he/she cold make their $1M+ yearly bonus?
Another example...in our discussion of teenage pregnancy do we really think that kids will stop having sex because we tell them not to? Instead of accepting the fact that sex is an instinct and part of human nature, we dismiss it and teach our kids abstinence and do not teach about sexuality and how to avoid pregnancy.
Let's all grow up and accept that we humans are imperfect and part animal (oh, the horror) and that we need to address these imperfections in ourselves via ALL our social systems.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path