Why Do We Need "Paradigms"

LOL..seriuosly

No, it's about 2 bob.

catch phases, like key words come and go.

it seems to make one look or feel important or smart. but frankly its nonsensical. ;)

I was in a monthly update meeting, there was a process problem and one of the controls engineers mentioned that certain things have to happen 'to mitigate' the issues.

The Owner of the company asked the meaning of 'mitigate', and then the controls engineer response was basically 'to solve', the owner said, why didn't you use that word in the first place.

The owner is quite intelligent, and I liked that response...... needless to say, I used the term 'mitigate' quite often prior to that.

i would have given the controls engineer a dictionary instead of a salary that month. It would have mitigated the company's expenses.

I never really had a problem with "Paradigm" and it has been around for a while, "Wellness" on the other hand.

Soon, it will be "Mandatory Wellness". and group calisthenics in the plaza.

So, you're looking forward to a paradigm shift?

^{Oh, come on... someone was going to say it sooner or later.}

At one time that may have worked... And could still. Unless it's brought up in the company of others where they got burnt from posers talking stupid like this.

Wow, that is astounding.

You just condensed the entire MBA program into a single paragraph.

At base level, this just comes down to facilitating logistical paradigm shifts.

Translation: "Everything has changed, call a meeting !"

Great. I can use this to leverage my doohickey at my next thingamajig.

"You really can't fail with compatible reciprocal matrix approaches."

.

Very impressive, you're going to go far, I have my eye on you....

Why are you looking at that trebuchet?

The problem is, when someone uses the term "paradigm shift", it is usually without a clutch (or a clue).

My "paradigm" shifts automatically!

I drive Fords so mine tend to occasionally shift at random.

It's about as useful as a henway!

What's a henway?

about 3 lbs.

Paradigm is popular with academics, especially administrators. Their latest darling is "rubric." A colleague and I laugh with each other whenever we see it in an email from the vice-provost or the like ... "oh boy, another rubric!"

Rubric....

I took a project management coarse.......

The terminology we used will really go over good here.

Yeah, those things drive me crazy!

I've never been able to solve one and yet there are kids around who can do it in seconds.

Rubik's Cube World Records - Recordholders.org

You stole my next punch line!

I feel there could be an imbalance in the matrix!

To feed parking meters for ten minutes.

Previously referencing "that German guy from WWII" as part of your argument was the agreed upon point that the discussion (whatever it was) ends, and NOT in the favour of the person that mentioned "that German guy from WWII".

Perhaps out-of-context (and other misuse) mentions of "climate change" will shortly be the new benchmark.

I was not aware that Hitler was off limits. Calling people Nazis however, well that seems to bring down thread closings right quick.

It's called "Godwin's law"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Damnit. I learned something new today.

I never use it because I hate the way it's spelled!

I think that the most simplistic explanation is that it forces those who don't want to lose their self-perceived status of being "in the loop" (don"t ya love that one too ?)to play along / knuckle under.

It was either Orwell or Huxley who floated the idea of Newspeak, way back. The purpose was the same then as now : to control conceptualization and communication through control of their expression, i.e. language.

Around twenty years ago I was watching a Lou Dobbs show on TV where a new book titled something like Clultural Schizophrenia was being chuckled off the map. (schizophrenic , another repurposing / mutation) It was gone by before I could think to nail down author and title, but I do believe that our Western Civilization embraces some irreconcilable self-contradictions that the same powers that generate Newspeak will by no means reconsider. We'll be ploughing along with one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas until this happens.

Another interesting cultural referent is the Al Pacino flick "Devil's Advocate". if you can find a surviving copy that hasen't been neutered by re-editing.

It's heartening to know that not everyone has ceased to give a damn.

I only use it when I'm taking the piss out of mangementspeak, and even then I do the "waggle fingers" thing .

Mind I think repurpose is a bastardization that makes my skin crawl.

I like to throw in the odd "pragmatic" too

Del

Repurpose is ok. Related to the term "off label use".

Yeah, OK, but when your boss tells you, "I think we may have to repurpose you", I always wonder if that comes with a bar ditch and a plastic bag, or will they just put a new label on my paystub?

Paradise is a rarely used word, and seldom seen in this world. Paradise is what you make of it for yourself. Paradigm is what you have to put up with in terms of crap from people with more (1) money, (2) power, or (3) money and power that you.

at least pragmatic has a literal meaning

when you're having trouble responding to an obvious self-contradiction, don't forget to put an indulgent smile on your face and do the fish mouth, as if too polite to respond to such stupidity

But you know that 'if only one life was saved' it would be worth it.

Unless of course that life saved turned out to be an anonymous poster or their useless suicidal he/she offspring.

(Oh. They closed that thread now. I feel bad.)

One of the virtues of the English language is its richness of vocabulary, extending to its willingness to borrow words from other languages when the native vocabulary is missing or inadequate. Examples of borrowed words include not only dietary objects like taramasalata but also concepts such as Weltanschauung and Schadenfreude.
Given this paradigm of the language, can anyone honestly say that the word is redundant and completely replaceable? Does the word "framework" adequately cover all the meanings of "paradigm"?

One of the virtues of the English language is its richness of vocabulary, .....

I guess its better then Latin. At least its still living.

I don't use the word, I figure one digm at time is enough.

Drop a digm, report a crigm.

So that's how the phase was..... 'coined'.....

MBA's don't have a lock on this action - if I were to go into a bar and speak as I did in college in the late 60's, I'd be told to get my hippie a** out of there. Even every day speech has to change every decade.

and take your hippie beans with you......

On a serious note, on my college break and returned home, I found that I had to choose my words carefully when I spoke.

I was surprised how many "hippies" still exist, here in red neck country of small town NW Pa. Went to an Arlo Guthrie concert recently, and NOBODY was less than 55 years old, and I think I was the only one there with hair shorter than my college years. Shoulder length silver hair looks a bit strange. Arlo carries it well, but some of the old fat guys in the crowd, well..... The 1960's vernacular was definitely in order there.

It is a wonder anyone survived, considering the VW van had the gas tank above the engine with a gravity feed.

Hey mister hippie sir, is that your van out there? It's on fire!

That's not funny... Well yes, yes it is.

When I was about 20, I experienced a VW fire on the side of the road, coming home about 3:00 in the morning.

my favorite phrase to use is "eschew obfuscation" when in discussions with the brainiacs I work with.

What's the big deal about a word like "paradigm" being used?

Words are used for communication of thoughts and ideas. A paradigm is a perfectly legitimate word to use. It is simply a way or pattern of thinking or process. We live in a fluid environment that is always changing, so our "paradigm" of thinking also needs to change. This isn't a problem or something to become incensed about!

Weird Al's "Mission Statement" from "Mandatory Fun". Well worth the watch as it's done in the style of a stop-motion whiteboard drawing video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyV_UG60dD4

"I never like to use it because there seemed to me to be many already existing word describing changing trends, patterns, templates, standards and models."

Except that, having been around since the 15th century, "paradigm" is one of those existing words. Covey didn't invent it, you know.

Yeah, every zeitgeist⁽¹⁾ has its own buzzwords, even if it doesn't have the word 'buzzword' to describe them.

(Why yes, I do like throwing in a little Gratuitous German from time to time. It reminds me where I come from.)

Notes:

1. 'Spirit of the time,' literal translation is 'time ghost.' Used to give a vessel or personification for the prevailing attitudes of an era.
   

I understand that.

Maybe he didn't invent it.

Let's just say he "re-purposed" it, for an unnecessary use.

Motivational speakers and marketeers throw it around like so much bird seed.

"Upcycling" is the new paradigm in 'repurposing'.

My cats regularly upcycle some fur.

Well don't throw it away, save that up until you have enough to make a jacket. I'm sure it would be a new paradigm in "Ecouture".

I think we had one here, but he quit to find a new paradigm!

That's one way to control the game : just shut it down. In case you need reminding, it's the idea that's important, not the source.
As someone who is cool with controlling who is and isn't obscure, who are your favourites and most disfavoured of our current crop of famous?

I believe Henry Higgins can answer this best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhninL_G3Fg

(New words are necessary so that class distinctions can be maintained)

Absolutely !

Yes the term is used often by the elite in charge of policy and budget to prepare the listener(s)/recipients for an "intercourse" in non-logical application of managerial leadership.

The incidence of usage is usually precipitated by numerous incompetent decisions over an extended period of time wherein maintenance of the company infrastructure has been ignored to the point of imminent failure.

It is not unusual for the other terminology of "Smoke and Mirrors" to be used by the experienced recipients of past paradigm shifting to describe this phenomonon.

What is important that is brought up in college, but not emphasized, is that when speaking to a group, is to know your audience/listeners and make the necessary adjustments to your verbiage and presentation.

Otherwise, you lose them after the "Hello...."

Yes, I agree.

Sorry; It was/is my very dry attempt at humor on the situation.

At this point in my career I am so tired of all the catch phrases and the constant "spinning" going on in today's workplace.

We never stay with any new system, program, or plan long enough to see if it will actually work well and due to the four year rotation program in upper management positions, few managers ever have to answer for their poor decisions (paradigms?).

Just look at the catch phases/words you should use on a resume,..... as compared to the ones you shouldn't use..... ^{(the ones you shouldn't use was recommended just a few months prior)}

I had a manager whose management style I'd call was Chameleon, it changed depends on the latest monthly issue of the management periodically. And he received several a month.

Yep! I call it the "scramble & survive mode".

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with Bull..... " seems to be the norm today.

It almost seems like this should be a corollary to the Peter Principle. Another trend related to this gobbledygook jargon is the observation "No good deed goes unpunished." If they don't understand what you said, then they may not punish you.

The Peter principle is such a gray area.... in other wards, when you set ones goals, you set them at a level you can make.

I always felt that management as pertaining to personnel, had to be ....... "fluid".

GP! My sentiments exactly!

Even though I don't think I ever met Peter in person, I feel I have known him all my career for some reason.

Reminds me of when Yogi said; " It's like De Ja Vu all over again."

I have grown to believe that there are times when no good deed goes unpunished.

I deal with business/property owners, city administrators/council members, patrons of the arts and the public. They each have differing paradigms when it comes to how I'm doing my job.

I am knocking on the door of 80, and to my knowledge I have never come across the word myself (I had to Wiki it for a definition) but even if I knew what it meant I would probably not have used it when addressing an audience. But then I guess I don't move move in circles that are impressed by Dilbertspeak.

I tend to rely on the three 'ups' when giving a speech:

Stand up !

Speak up !

Shut up !

As one is exposed to these terms, becomes common place.

I never did like 'Key Flash Words" that sounds cool and hip, it annoyed the hell out of me" This may sound foolish now....

Back in the early 90's,... maybe late 80's. I hired a young Engineer still wet. He had all sorts of terms I was not used to using,... because I never heard of them.

His his biggest was networking with this guy, establish networks with that company...

even though, I had an idea with what he was talking about. I asked him, explain it to me, what do you mean about this networking,

And he did, my response was, "Oh, I see, networking,...it used to be called developing contacts."

But its nice to stay current,... well,... back to my clay tablet and chisel.

Your speech "paradigm" is plain and simple, and probably is a good business type speech model.

In science "speech" - in other words, presenting technical talks about research results, or review of another's research paper:

(1)Tell them what you are going to tell them

(2)Tell them

(3)Tell them what you told them

I usually do a fourth, if they have that hazy look in their eyes, even though they were agreeing with me.

I ask them on What I said.

if not, I elaborate farther. you engage your listener..... (ha, I said 'engage', of which I do use this term)

I have a paradigm shift to suggest for the peeps who run CR4: I like that I can choose to get an email notification if a new comment has been posted to a discussion in which I am participating. But it would be better if the new comment were shown in the email, so I wouldn't have to go the website and scroll down to the end to see it. What do you think? Any of you guys in this discussion involved with running the site?

I agree it would be helpful for the comment number to be given in the email, and in fact the number be also shown on the 'reply' page.

A request alongs these lines was submittd awhile back when we were asked for comments for improvements to CR4.

Wrong thread.

Please proceed to: What Would You Like to See?

CR4 had (still has?) this function and I used it for a while, then I stopped because it was filling up my in box!

I don't know if they still have it but it was pretty useless, just open up the webpage with your internet settings set to auto log in. Quicker than opening up email and the updated discussion indicator is right there on the screen for you!

Yes it was right about the time of the now famous bathtub breaking thread.

Yes, it's a formula TV news programmes use, except in 1) and 3) they drown out what is said by dubbing it with annoying foreground beat noise.

Another approach is to tell the audience it's the speaker's job to talk and their's to listen - adding that if they finish first -then say so.

Lyn: One reason we have paradigms is to prevent shortbus engineering.

Refer to recent post where the OP presents that "renewables only, no burning", is the new definition of renewables. Does that mean that fission and fusion are OK, but combustion is not OK, nevermind phobia about anything to do with steam turbines as being "old tech".

I hope my terminology will be accepted without labeling me a monster for insulting the mentally challenged.

Well reasoned, thoughtful opinions always welcome.

That paradigm has not changed.