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Pencils of all varieties receive great love from Selectism. While some prefer new-school notation through digital devices, most of our staff remain attached to the classic notepad and pencil; taking notes the old fashion way. Interestingly, the pencil market continues to innovate, specifically in the world of mechanical pencils.
Uni-ball’s Japanese arm is at the forefront of this market with their Kuru Toga mechanical pencil. It features an auto lead rotating mechanism that keeps the lead from fall flat on one side. By rotating the lead continuously, the impression on the paper stays uniform. What is absolutely amazing about this tech is the idea that at .5mm (shown above) or even .3mm, someone will actually notice a fluctuation in line thickness. That’s exactly why the Kuru Toga was developed. Serious business. Jetpenshas them.
Photography (above): Selectism.com
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10 Reasons Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
I have compiled a Top 10 list of why I think smart people do dumb things. In no particular order…
1. Poor Perspective or Lack of Objectivity: Didn’t see the forest for the trees. Need to step back and get a view from 20,000 feet so to speak. Been there!
2. Pressure to Perform: It is usually from within ourselves or outside pressure from supervisor or company. Often happens when we feel the pressure to fix a problem, or get back on schedule. Been there!
3. Interruptions and Distractions: Things are often on our mind other than the task at hand. Not paying attention. Resuming work when going on/coming from vacation, or even lunch. Reminds me of Eastern flight 401 being distracted by a burned out light bulb. Been there!
4. Poor Situational Awareness: Where I think I am vs. where I actually am. We fight to be right, so we rationalize away hints and clues that keep trying to tell us, “Hey Dummy, you’re a smart person doing something dumb.” Been there!
5. Making Assumptions: We know what happens when we “ASS-U-ME”. When we make decisions based on one or a series of assumptions, the decision to act in a certain manner may seem perfectly logical. BUT, if the assumptions are wrong, the results of our actions may be disastrous. Been there!
6. Ego-Ability Exceeds Capability: Overconfidence in our ability to perform an action. It is usually prefaced with “Watch this” or “I’ll be careful”. Reminds me of the Bud Holland B-52 crash, or being a teenager again. Been there!
7. Snap Decisions: Are usually driven by panic or pure emotions. Acting without processing logical or rational thoughts. Slow down! Take a breath. Think. Communicate with others… then proceed. Been there!
8. Complacency: “The Silent Killer” has many facets, yet it has tagged many smart people. Reminds me of the Thunderbird accident. “Ho-hum” routine jobs hurt smart people every day. Pay attention. Been there!
9. Lack Of A Moral Compass: Bernie Madoff and Enron are examples of smart people or entities who did dumb things. I don’t steal from people, but I need to keep adjusting my moral compass when I run a yellow light… or speed… or “text and drive”… or… Been there!
10. Drugs & Alcohol: This certainly impairs ones ability to think or act smartly. Dumb acts have been committed by many smart people due to impaired thinking/ability. Been there, and, thank goodness, I don’t go there anymore!
What is interesting about each of these is… When a smart person is doing something dumb, they either do not realize it OR they don’t think they will get caught / hurt / killed!
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Ratingen Schwimmbad (Ratingen Swimming Pool), 1987. Photo by Andreas Gursky
