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An informal, stream-of-consciousness reflection on business ideas, events and issues in modern business, modern life and with some specifics to the web-software industry by Paul Tomori, Internet Entrepreneur

The Danger of Myopia... and Even Conan Can Have Grace By Paul Tomori Monday, January 25, 2010 at 14:18:25 (EST) The easiest thing in the world is to be myopic (that's near-sighted for all you kids!). Of course, I mean that in the figurative sense. When I look back at bad decisions I have made (there have been at least a few!), generally, there was some kind of myopia at work in my perspective. The right perspective involves more than just the cliches of "getting the big picture" or viewing the world at "40,000 feet" or "not seeing the forest for the trees". It really is a lifestyle approach. What happens when you get too myopic about things? Tiny disagreements become overblown. The right course of action is blurred by emotion and petty grievances. A prickly path engulfs you and you get trapped and further blinded by the effort needed to find your way out. A short while ago, I took my 2 year old son for a walk in the woods behind our house. It was snowy and a bit treacherous and he's not accustomed to looking too much further than beyond his nose yet. As I hovered behind him, he kept walking straight toward impasses and dense brush when there was a clear path just to the right or left of him. It made me smile as I thought that I probably do the same thing in a more abstract way in my own life. I showed him that by lifting his head a little and looking farther afield an "easy way" would reveal itself to him. We repeated this a few more times on our mini hike and I think he still needs some work to fully get it... but then again, so do I. And speaking of how to avoid myopia, did you hear this quote from the recently "fired" Conan? Surely, cynicism is the net result of a dangerously persistent myopia. Check this out: All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen. - Conan O’Brien on his final show. Cheers to that. Return To Blog Index