Empathy begins the process of connecting us with others, as we share their emotions. Our own life experience enables us to understand something of the life experience of others. That emotional understanding is the distinction we call empathy: “. . . the capacity to share the feelings of others . . .” “Empathy is a complex capability enabling individuals to…
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Value for Thursday of Week 50 in the season of Harvest and Celebration
Being Decisive
We cannot get it done until we have decided to do it.
- The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness. [attributed to Lee Iacocca]
- Decisiveness turns slow players into fast ones. [attributed to Joe Ingles]
- When you really start figuring things out as a quarterback, you realize you don’t have to be perfect every time, but you do have to be quick and decisive. [attributed to Aaron Rodgers]
A person can scarcely accomplish anything, especially over an extended period of time, without a decisive commitment to the undertaking. One is unlikely to find a productive niche in life by bouncing from endeavor to endeavor. Decisiveness has a value in many settings.
In business and in politics, most stakeholders and most voters prefer decisive leaders. This preference extends into medical care. Top business schools focus on the issue.
Intuitively, we might expect decisiveness to improve mental health, by removing or resolving conflicts, and through resulting actions. Perhaps researchers will get to this subject soon.
Real
True Narratives
Histories of indecisiveness:
- Matthew P Hitt, Inconsistency and Indecision in the United States Supreme Court (University of Michigan Press, 2019).
- Werner J. Feld, ed., New Directions in Economic and Security Policy: U.S.-West European Relations in a Period of Crisis and Indecision (Routledge, 2018).
Technical and Analytical Readings
On decisiveness:
- Julius Maximilian Rogenhofer, Decisiveness and Fear of Disorder: Political Decision-Making in Times of Crisis (University of Michigan Press, 2024).
On indecision:
- Justin Howard Kirkland & Jeffrey Joseph Harden, Indecision in American Legislatures (University of Michigan Press, 2018).
- Leslie Hill, Radical Indecision: Barthes, Blanchot, Derrida, and the Future of Criticism (University of Notre Dame Press, 2010).
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
From the dark side:
- Sloane Crossley, Cult Classic: A Novel (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2022): “The key here is a throbbing, urgent ambivalence: Does Lola want to be married, really? Does she want to connect with another person, or is she just looking to get high off the rush of falling in lust? How can anyone make a grand decision about her life if the paths not taken keep popping back up? One thing is for sure: You never really escape your past. You just learn to live around it, or, if you’re lucky, you learn how to make peace with it instead.”
Poetry
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, “The Emperor” (1811) (approx. 35-40’) (list of recorded performances), to Archduke Rudolf, who was his patron and music student. “Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto begins with a bold and unexpected announcement. Four chords in the orchestra, outlining the most elemental harmonic progression (I-IV-V-I), stand as mighty pillars. Each initiates an expansive cadenza from the solo piano. . . These first bars establish the piano as a heroic, convention-defying protagonist.” “In sending his final piano concerto to his publisher, Beethoven clearly admonished: 'The Concerto will be dedicated to the Archduke Rudolph and has nothing in the title but Grand Concerto dedicated to Hs. Imp. Highness the Archduke Rudolph.'” “Beethoven was deeply concerned with the philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment, and most particularly with the dilemma of the individual’s right to be free versus society’s need to be governed. Beethoven was among the many thinkers who first believed that as liberator of Europe from monarchies, Napoleon was a champion of human freedom who betrayed this noble cause by arrogating the power and privileges of monarchy to himself.” Top recordings, among many, are by Lamond (Goossens) in 1922, Schnabel (Sargent) in 1932, Ney (Abendroth) in 1944, Gieseking (Rother) in 1945, Edwin Fischer (Furtwängler) in 1951, Fleisher (Szell) in 1961, Rubinstein (Ormandy) in 1963, Perahia (Haitink) in 1987, Zimerman (Bernstein) in 1989, Pollini (Abbado) in 1993, Grimaud (Jurowski) in 2006, Bronfman (Zinman) in 2006, Fellner (Nagano) in 2010, Sudbin (Vänskä) in 2011, and Zimerman (Rattle) in 2021.
- The first movement, Allegro maestoso, begins with the solo pianist unconventionally announcing the theme. This tone of everything-under-control remains throughout the movment. This is music with a powerful sense of purpose.
- The second movement, Adagio un poco mosso, is one of music’s most episodes. Despite the tender tone, the soloist takes charge, as if to reassure everyone that all will be well.
- In the third movement, Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo, soloist and orchestra proceed full steam ahead to a definitive conclusion.
Other compositions:
- Dmitri Klebanov, String Quartet No. 5 (1965) (approx. 26’) “duly brings an incremental expansion of Klebanov’s idiom in the harmonic astringency and emotional restiveness of its opening movement, qualities distilled in the Andante’s oblique progress towards a fervent climax and quizzical close. The alternatively energetic and pensive Vivace builds to a decisive conclusion.”
Most people will display a look of pleasure and begin to keep time to music with a strong beat (groove). “The sensation of groove has been defined as the pleasurable desire to move to music, suggesting that both motor timing and reward processes are involved in this experience. . . the sensation of groove is supported by motor and reward networks in the brain . . . the basal ganglia are crucial nodes in networks that interact to generate this powerful response to music.” This positive response probably reflects the natural human craving for certainty. “The pleasure of prediction is more . . . when you listen to music based on repeating patterns.” There is nothing ambiguous about a strong beat, especially when it is loud. People are inclined to like music that is just complex enough to pique their interest, yet is easily followed – is predictable and certain. “Moving to music is an essential human pleasure particularly related to musical groove. Structurally, music associated with groove is often characterised by rhythmic complexity in the form of syncopation, frequently observed in musical styles such as funk, hip-hop and electronic dance music.” “. . . the biological link between movement and auditory rhythms in our species is supported by the capacity of high-groove music to stimulate arousal in the central and peripheral nervous system, presumably via highly conserved noradrenergic mechanisms.” The allure of a strong beat is especially strong in a group setting. “The regularity of musical beat makes it a powerful stimulus promoting movement synchrony among people. Synchrony can increase interpersonal trust, affiliation, and cooperation.” As a result, people in cultures all over the world dig the groove.
- Afro-electronic albums, including Amar 808, “Maghreb United” (2018) (36’); Boddhi Satva, “18” (2020) (179’); Guedra Guedra, “Vexillology” (2021) (39’); Hagan, “Textures” (2022) (47’); ÌFÉ, “IIII + IIII” (2017) (61’); Keleketla!, “Keleketra!” (2020) (68’); Kondi Band, “We Famous” (2021) (36’); Konono No. 1 & Batida, “Konono No 1 Meets Batida” (2016) (61’); Otim Alpha, “Gulu City Anthems” (2017) (66’).
- European groove albums, including Labi Siffre, “Remember My Song” (1974) (53’); Bernard Estardy, “La Formule du Baron” (1999) (37’); Jean-Claude Pelletier, “Streaking” (1973) (40’); Doris, “Did You Give the World Some Love Today Baby” (1969) (66’); Ezy & Isaac, “Soul Rock” (2015) (1974)
- Electronic groove albums, including Drive Like Jehu, “Yank Crime” (1994) (70’); Black Midi, “Schlagenheim” (2019) (43’); Shellac, “At Action Park” (1994) (37’); Polvo, “Today’s Active Lifestyles” (1993) (41’); Don Caballero, “American Don” (2000) (56’); The Fall of Troy, “Doppelgänger” (2005) (45’)
- Latin American eco-tronica albums, including Barrio Lindo, “Fulgor” (2019) (48’); Rodrigo Gallardo & Nicola Cruz, “El Origen” (2017) (40’); Monte, “Mirla” (2020) (32’); Chango Spasiuk & Chancha Via Circuito, “Pino Europeo” (2018) (42’).
- Metal groove albums, including Metallica, “The Black Album” (1991) (938’); Pantera, “Vulgar Display of Power” (1992) (53’); Sepultura, “Chaos A.D.” (1993) (47’); Skinlab, “Disembody: The New Flesh” (1999) (42’); The Haunted, “rEVOLVEr” (2004) (53’); Machine Head, “Burn My Eyes” (1994) (56’); Gojira, “From Mars to Sirius” (2006) (71’); Lamb of God, “Ashes of the Wake” (2004) (66’); Kill II This, “Deviate” (2001) (46’).
Opposite: Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a character study in indecisiveness. Among the musical works inspired by the character are:
- Ambroise Thomas, Hamlet (1868) (approx. 160-200’), an opera about Shakespeare’s most infamously indecisive character. Here are links to performances conducted by Plasson in 2000, de Almeida in 2001, de Billy in 2003, Plasson in 2006, and Niquet in 2011.
- Joseph Summer, Hamlet (2006) (approx. 200’): Here is a link to the premier recording.
- Franz Liszt, Hamlet, S. 104 (Poème symphonique No. 10) (1858) (approx. 15’)
- Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Hamlet (overture – fantasia), Op. 67, TH 53, ČW 50 (1888) (approx. 18-19’)
- Edward MacDowell, Hamlet and Ophelia, Op. 22 (1878) (approx. 17-18’)
Albums about indecisiveness:
- Deniz Peters & Simon Rose, “Edith’s Problem” (2017) (54’): “There is an intense brevity in the construction of the Peters/Rose performance . . .”
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Eminem “Not Afraid” (lyrics)
Visual Arts
Film and Stage
- Shakespeare’s Hamlet (performances by Olivier, Smoktunovskiy, Branagh, and Tennant) is a cautionary tale about indecisiveness
- Billy Liar, about a young man who lives in a fantasy world but cannot make up his mind about what he wants, or whether he cares about anyone but himself
