Usability testing & revealing the True Self....

If I've learned one thing while doing usability testing these past couple weeks with participants, it is not to ask them about what they would do in the future. The thing is, when asked about a future scenario, many people do their best to answer truthfully. However, they answer with their ideal behavior. We like to think we'll behave in the most logical, effective manner. In short, we want to think we'll do the right thing. However, people don't always act logically, and we don't always do what's ideal. It is true we want to predict future behavior so we can anticipate software that will respond to this behavior. Yet, asking participants may not get the answer we need.The best way to predict future behavior is to look at past behavior.

The statement has personal implications as well. If we want to see the predisposed pattern that we gravitate towards, look at past decisions. If we want a realistic portrayal of our self... look at past decisions. Get the picture? To better understand the true self vs. the ideal self.... look at the decisions the true self has made. This reveals his/her strengths and faults, his/her shining moments and his/her sins. The best way to reach the ideal self is realize you are not that person- and embrace the true self.

Stolen Waters

The moment the human body experiences that kind of relationship (sexual intimacy), the seduction is to find the feeling without the cost of it. And the cost of it actually is what preserves the feeling, otherwise even the feeling ultimately dies...it is not a feeling, it is a fact of a commitment which properly expressed, preserves the feeling. Improperly expressed, the feeling will die out and the person becomes diminished in the process.
...as painful as it is, you have to find ways and means ... to crucify yourself in that desire, and ask the Christ ...to be to you what only he can be to you in this and nobody else can. - Ravi Zacharias

Language # 2

I guess it should be no surprise that the the more motivated you are to learn a language, the more successful you will be at language acquisition. I've been "trying" to learn Spanish since visiting Honduras back in 2006. However, I guess trying means listening to the podcast "Coffee Break Spanish" every so often and taping Spanish flash cards up around my room.

However, staying motivated to learn a second language seems equally as daunting as the language itself. One of the benefits of learning a language young include hearing the difference in pronunciation, which are cemented at a early age. Plus your faculties and energy are more honed in this skill. Since learning a language for me is simply recreational, I find it difficult to devote the time needed to the task. Right now learning consists of watching Soy tu Duena and a impromptu flash card session. I'm not even sure how helpful watching the hour long Spanish soap opera (it's true what they say) a day truly is. I hope one day I'll have the benefit of immersion to motivate me- but until then I'm left with a half heated motivation. On top of that, my recent schooling in french was actually detrimental to the Spanish I did know (it's called double semi lingualism). If you have stuck it out and do speak two languages- kudos.

The Truth about Science...

This started as a simple response to a friends blog, however the response elaborated into my own post.
Objectivity is a tenant of science like legs are the foundations of a table. However, any firm believers in such objectivity may be sadly dismayed to find that objectivity better resembles the tablecloth rather than the foundation. Jack Webb's character on Dragnet was infamous for saying just the facts ma'am. (On a brief side note, this phrase is incorrect. The actual phrase was All we know are the facts ma'am). You may have also heard the popular phrase "the facts speak for themself".

Research is conducted to find the facts of a situation. However, those facts are sought to prove or disprove a hypothesis. When we make an argument for a case, our arguments contain a premise and conclusion. So what if a underlying premise is difficult to deduce? For instance, the statement "We are causing global warming" contains a underlying premise: the rate of increase in global warming is increasing, the increase is unhealthy, and we are the cause.

I still believe it is important to do extensive research in your suppositions and science is the best model we have of pursuing knowledge- but it is simply a tool that's at the mercy of its wielder. Scientist are still attempting to prove their own hypothesis. (not saying that in itself is not a bad thing; as human factors expert Jeff Atwood points out in his blog, research without a purpose is pointless). Therefore, unless you read the raw data, your simply getting a experts point of view. While good scientist recognize that they have an innate bias and factor that into their tests, this added value is lost on the reader if they lack a understanding of the data and statistics used to analyze the data. Since the average person is often unaware of complex arithmetic equations used in research, they are forced to trust the deductions of the experts. But, the experts don't always know what they are talking about (read the book "the experts speak" if you doubt this).

So to summarize, we should be aware that often we are getting someone's interpretation of the facts. These interpretations themselves carry their own baggage. This is unavoidable, since everything we do is colored with emotional overtones. Basically we can't strip the impact that emotions play in our decisions, choices, and beliefs. However, that's a topic for a different time...

giving up myself

I give myself to God because he keep me from giving myself to unholier pursuits. I give myself to God because It is the only way to keep myself. I give myself to God because He gives the best return on my investment.I give myself to God because He makes new what I gave Him. When I don't give up myself, I end up loosing myself. Giving him the day releases any fears that my life is irrelevant and ultimately pointless.

The Old Man & the Fox

(Not a true story, however it was inspired by my first experience with a Fox yesterday)

There was an old man, retired, who lived deep in the woods alone. However, the man did not feel alone. He had the birds to sing to him in the morning and the coyote’s song at night. His entertainment was watching the dear and the rabbit from his porch and the mischief of the possum. But his most recent and favorite guest of all was the fox.

Once a week the man would take 40 minutes drive into town to visit and gather food. He had the same routine of visiting the library for a few books, than the grocery store for some perishable items and sometimes the hardware store. The last stop he always made though was to visit the butcher, to buy leftover scraps for his friend- the fox.

The fox was a slender small little creature who made his first appearance only a short while ago. He was an extremely short animal, only a foot off the ground. The little fox seemed to have been separated from his pack. He was quite skinny and sniffed the grown around the porch for food. The old man sat on the porch and thought to himself that such an unusually shy creature must have a stomach louder than his fear of humans.

The kind old man had pity on the fox and threw out some scraps onto his hard from his dinner that evening. The fox readily consumed the scraps of food, and left. The following day around the same time, the man was on the porch and noticed this fox had returned, licking his lips in expectation. The old man welcomed the new company and gladly provided the days dinner. This pattern continued till almost a year had gone by.

One day however, the fox did not meet the man at their scheduled time. The man waited for a while- and finally went to bed. When he noticed the fox was absent again the second day, he went on a hike to find his mammalian friend. The man walked for miles and miles in the woods until evening approached. Before the sun sought to hide its face, the old man found his friend. Upon closer inspection, the man saw that the fox’s leg was caught in a trap. The man could see the fear on his little friends auburn haired face, and felt pity. The man reached down to release the creature from his bind. The fox felt fear and bewilderment- he did not understand the man’s intentions, only that the man was causing his leg to hurt more. The fox bit the old man.

The man withdrew his hand in pain, and for a moment was tempted to leave the fox. However, the man thought to himself, “my friend hurt me, but could it be because he is scared and in pain? If I truly care for this creature- I would think about his needs above my own.” Therefore, the man did not withdraw his help, even when the fox bit him a second and third time. After about ten minutes, the man was able to help the fox get his leg out of the trap. When the fox was finally free, he dashed into the woods, never seen from again by the old man. The man walked home and treated his wounds; all the while hoping the fox would be able to recover from his wounded leg.

The next time the man was in town, he swung by the butcher to pick up food for himself. The butcher asked about the bite marks on the old mans arm and change in meat purchases. The man shared with him the story of his friend, the fox. The Bucher responded in bewilderment, “Why did you help a creature that hurt you in return, and showed no gratitude in the end.”

The man replied with a soft smile on his face “Caring means initiating without expecting a return. It seeks to understand the plight of a friend, even when they don’t understand it themselves. It may even mean hurting a friend more to help them in the end. It could involve subjecting oneself to pain, simply to see a friend free.” As the man left, the butcher was surprised at all the wisdom the man had gained simply from opening his heart to a small creature- the fox.