Knowing Everything – Self-Help #4

How old were you when you realized you were old enough to know you weren’t young enough to know everything?

 

knowingeverything-2015_sm

I did another ‘Guess the Quote’ on Periscope (@thenapkindad) yesterday. I started at the top with just

‘I am not _________’
To know _________’

then at the bottom it said only

‘I know _________’

I then had the #NapkinKin guess the rest as I drew.  Here are some of the guesses they made before it was figured out.

 

knowingeverything_list-2015_sm


 

Periscope

Here is the live video with comments and hearts. Watch as they guess and I draw!

 

 

You can go to YouTube to see the comments more clearly if you need to.


Drawing and video © 2015 Marty Coleman

Quote by Oscar Wilde


 

 

“________ is Better Than _______” – Self-Help #3

Guess the Quote

I have been doing a fun thing on Periscope lately (you can go to the ‘periscope’ tab above to read about what that is if you don’t know).  I am calling it ‘Guess the Quote’.  I start a drawing with just part of a quote. In this case I started it with what you see below.  ‘_____is better’ on top and ‘______than’ below.

Here is a recreation of the napkin as I started.

betterthan_blank-2015_sm

 

Then, as I draw, my viewers (the Napkin Kin) try to guess the rest of the quote. It’s a lot of fun, very interactive and engaging.

While I draw I also write down the guesses on a napkin.  Here are what they guessed.  Don’t scroll past the list if you want to guess since the finished drawing is below it.

 

betterthanlist-2015_sm

By the time I am done with the line drawing someone has usually guessed the quote.  We then have a great conversation about the quote and it’s meaning. I usually don’t want the scope to end, it’s that much fun.

Here is the final drawing and quote.

perfection1_2015_sm

 

So, what do you think of the quote? And don’t forget, if you are on Periscope (Android or iOS) make sure you follow me so you can enjoy the next ‘Guess the Quote’!

Also, if you enjoy this post (and any of my other work) I would love it it if you would be so kind as to share it with others via social media. The buttons on the left and below can be used to share on twitter, Facebook and more.  Thanks!


 

Drawing, commentary and video © 2015 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Quote by Sheryl Sandberg, 1969 – ____, American business woman and author


 

The Blind Spot & Changing Minds – Self-Help #2

Pros and Cons

There are good reasons to not change your mind and good reasons to change it.  Solid reliable evidence is a good reason to change your mind.  Faux news stories on the internet that claim someone said something about something and is written by someone to get you to click on a headline and is obviously biased is not.

 

changingminds1_sm

 

The Blind Spot

I came across a Facebook post yesterday from an old friend. He was promoting a conspiracy theory about 9/11.  I argued a bit about it with him and others.  Another friend then private messaged me gently giving me the advice that I should let it go.  The reason?  This was a blind spot the conspiratorial friend had. He was blind to something he was fully aware of in other areas of his life; namely logic, reason, critical thinking.  Me arguing using any of those tools wasn’t going to convince him because he had, for whatever reason, purposely blinded himself to them in this area. 

The Mystery Spot

There is a funny little tourist attraction in the Santa Cruz mountains of California, not far from where he lives.  It’s called ‘The Mystery Spot’ and it promotes the idea that the laws of space, time and gravity don’t apply in that locale.  It has funny shaped rooms that make you think someone is small when you know they aren’t. It has other spaces that make you feel like you are defying gravity in some way.

Now a little kid might think this Mystery Spot really does defy those laws, that is the fun of it for parents and adults, to see their kids wonder about these tricks without understanding them. It’s a way to teach them actually.  But it would be very disturbing if a full grown rational adult went to the Mystery Spot and actually believed those laws were suspended. We would think they had something go wrong in their brain because it would be obvious to all that it was just an amusing slight of hand trick and it would not be believable that a grown adult would fall for it. 

The Emotional Spot

But that is what happens in life all the time. We have blind spots where we don’t change our mind in the face of evidence. It might be emotional, a person just has to believe their dog is coming back after being lost 25 years ago. We all know the dog is dead by now, but that person emotionally needs to keep hope and so suspends rationality for their emotional need.  

The Mind Spot

But emotional, intellectual and physical health actually are better served in the long run by our ability to face truths, to face reality. That sometimes means changing our minds about something. If we can’t do that, we can’t change ourselves and we can’t change anything else.

What are some examples of this from your life and the life of the world around you?

 

 


Drawing and commentary © 2015 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Quote by George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright


 

Who Helps with Self-Help? – Self-Help #1

selfhelp1_2015_sm

Other-Help

Ever notice that self-help really is the exact opposite?  It’s never just you helping yourself. It is always you wanting to help yourself so you go looking for those who can help you do that.  I think true self-help is never heard about because the person helps themselves and that’s that. They didn’t ask anyone, they didn’t tell anyone, they didn’t depend on anyone. they just did what they did, on their own.  That is true self-help, right?

Don’t get me wrong. I think that the best world to live in is where we are all helping one another.  It is how our communities, cities, states and nations all come into existence. And it’s great.

Word Play

I just think the play of words is funny and somewhat telling about our society that we call what is obviously other-help, self-help instead.

What do you think?

 


Quote, drawing and commentary © 2015 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

 


“Why does self-help always involve someone else helping?”