“Donald Trump is a rhetorical genius. People don’t like to hear that. Unfortunately, I’ve got bad news for you ’cause he is.” — Dr. Jennifer Mercieca, Communication Expert 2016 election night. Donald Trump faces Hillary Clinton in the fight for the presidency. The election was quite frankly a shitshow. Trump’s candidacy took everyone by surprise. People thought it was a joke. Maybe a cheap shot to gain some publicity for the Trump brand....
366BC a young man joined Plato’s famous academy to learn about philosophy and the sciences. His name was Aristotle and he became Plato’s most successful disciple and a subsequent teacher at the academy. Aristotle is known today as a polymath and especially as a philosopher. He wrote about and studied subjects from physics, biology, over metaphysics and ethics to poetry. During his lifetime he made a variety of groundbreaking contributions to the sciences, however, there was one that isn’t often recognized by people....
In November 2012 Barack Obama made history and won the presidential election. His more experienced rivals were stunned. How could a young upstart and senator become the first black president of the United States? Was it Obama’s charismatic personality that made it possible? Was the historic moment just right for the young senator? Both these factors had an impact for sure. But there is another one I think was incredibly impactful....
Humans are social animals. Through the course of our lives it’s inevitable that we have to communicate and collaborate with others. We are constantly influencing each other, manipulating consciously or unconsciously the thoughts and decisions of those around us. This is not good or bad, it’s just the way humans function. If we want to perform together as a team to solve difficult problems, we need to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts that may halt our progress....
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” This six-word story, often attributed to Hemingway, is an emotional tragedy. With just six words a writer can communicate a whole story. What do you think of when you hear the term story? Probably books and movies come to mind. Long narratives of heroes and foes acting in their worlds. But story is more prevalent than that. Because our brains are wired to think in stories....