but for's definitions

self-created difficulty

Unknowingly or unconsciously making an action harder for one to perform.

Charlie noticed that without realizing they are doing it, people sometimes make things harder for themselves, and/or occasionally for others to do. He named that action a "self-created difficulty."

by but for February 17, 2021

positive or negative

Two extremes which help classify each person, place, thing.

They met Saturday. The man complimented her beautiful face telling her her features were those of classic greek or italian women. She thanked each time he found a different way to say that and did everything within her power to create the most positive first impression by speaking perfectly and looking at him lovingly, which he also complimented her on. When by coincidence her mother, father, and brother entered the supermarket, they saw her talking with the man at a table in the eating area and said hello to the girl but did not approach them. Seeing how unattractive the members of her family initially looked to him turned him off, but over the weekend he fell in love with her, and Monday he realized that he considered external appearances unimportant, and that—thinking twice—the members of the girls family were also unpretentious. So, in time he got to know them and like them. Seeing they were poor, a few weeks later, he invited them to be partners in a new childcare business.

Though most people generally agree on what is positive and what is negative, one individual may interpret a thing to be positive, and a different individual may interpret it to be negative. Do you consider that chain of events to be positive or negative?

by but for February 13, 2018

word-direct

The fact that the words individuals hear or read control the ways they think, feel, and act.

Human beings are directed by the words they hear or read, and also greatly influenced by the ways their parents, the members of their family, friends, neighbors, classmates behave, and by other role models, all of whom—intentionally or not—by example, intentionally or not, get others to do or not do the things they do. So, I am writing the lyrics to a song to word-direct as many people as possible.

by but for April 20, 2018

third person journaling

Writing down the things one is experiencing, thinking, and feeling as being those a character in a fictitious story is experiencing.

"Third person journaling" allows one to detach oneself from oneself and perceive and express things differently and more objectively than when writing about oneself.

by but for May 2, 2018

eating mode

The way a human feels when his or her body is receptive to food.

Individuals are not always in the eating mode, they are not always receptive to food. For example, if something or someone frightens a person, they enter the flight or fight mode and their stomach, brain, and body will not want to eat any food. Interesting, it is that in the flight or fight mode, which most people call the "fight or flight" mode, I think I would be open to drinking, at least water, to be able to fight or run away better. Humans are not airplanes, it may be best to call it the "fight or run away (or flee mode)."

by but for February 5, 2018

a likely benefit triggers action

People and animals decide how to act based on a sophisticated and usually subconscious cost /benefit analysis they conduct.

People and animals have already run a cost/benefit analysis of each behavior they repeat, and know the benefit(s) repeating each of those actions will yield.

When a human or an animal foresees that it is very likely that a specific action will produce a specific benefit, he or she will execute it.

Thus, "a likely benefit triggers action."

by but for March 5, 2018

rejectionist

The other part of a receptionist's job.

Miss McCallen receives mail and packages, and welcomes visitors to the company's headquarters, but as an experience "rejectionist" is also very good at preventing unwelcomed visitors from seeing the company's executives.

by but for December 6, 2017