Re: Living Below Your Means (was: Re: The Pause that Refreshes)

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sun Jun 18 2000 - 15:17:17 MDT


In a message dated 6/18/00 2:54:36 PM Central Daylight Time,
wingcat@pacbell.net writes:

> I think the trend to "business casual" reflects a deliberate
> de-inforcement of business values.

I guess by "business values" you mean hierarchical organizational structures
and formal behavior and not, say, creativity, hard work and rational
risk-taking ":-)

> If one is in a less structured
> environment, one will be more inclined to consider ideas that do not
> fit one's model of specific, pre-existing roles and duties...as they
> say, to "think outside of the box".

I know that's the argument for "business casual", but I wonder whether we
ought to consider the old adage that one ought not to be so open-minded that
one's brains fall out. In other words, it might be possible for such a trend
to go far enough that it is counterproductive. I don't consider this to be
one of the burning issues of the day, mind you, and there's one level at
which the adoption of "business casual" may just mark the coming of age of
"Generation X" in the business world. Go back and take a look at any
"corporate face-book" from the mid- to late-1970s and you'll see lots of
longish hair and big sideburns, marking the time when my own generation began
to make inroads into business culture, something that was no doubt bemoaned
by our elders as a sure sign of the coming deluge.

My original point was that it's fun sometimes to get "dressed up" and,
somethimes, it even makes sense.

      Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
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        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
        enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another
       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                          -- Desmond Morris



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