Success or insanity?

There are so many elements that make up a business’ success. Academics and other authors have tried to isolate the characteristics that make up this success. Personally, I believe that success is a relative term. One person’s success may be another’s run of the mill. Each person defines success by their own standards and measures. Many years ago I read the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. One quote that stuck with me was in discussing our perceptions. The author is talking about an insane man and says “when you look directly at an insane man all you see is a reflection of your own knowledge that he’s insane”. I have reflected many times on this quote and its meaning in the broader context of life.How often do we look at someone’s actions and flippantly say “they are mad” when their actions don’t reflect our standards or societal norms?The rest of the quote reads : “which is not to see him at all. To see him you must see what he saw, and when you are trying to see the vision of an insane man, an oblique route is the only way to come at it. Otherwise your own opinions block the way.”How many times have you heard parents lament that their child is “clever” but does not do well at exams. A famous academic in education once said that “exams are the worst system we know – but the best system we have”. The exams are a one dimensional view of the measure of success. Not every child does well by that measure.Expanding on this idea, we understand that not everybody can be measured on a one-dimensional scale. People who move to the beat of their own drum are often viewed as insane, as they are outside the norm. However from their perspective, the normal position is shifted to a different norm.The idea for this week is to remember that we are always being judged on other peoples measures, and yet our true success is measured on our own scale.Till next timeRael – Give your business the EDGE.