Tuesday, February 7, 2012

I reject your label and substitute my own.

There's a rumor that Amazon is thinking of opening a brick and mortar store in Seattle.
Supposedly more of a boutique kind of store than a super store. As a test for a possible chain.

They certainly have the brand name.

But wouldn't that be ironic?

**********

It's funny, but it seems like a bunch of books are coming out extolling the virtues of being alone, and of being an introvert, (though not necessarily both at the same time.)

Being alone allows a person to reflect, to concentrate.

Turns out that having a small group brainstorm may not actually be as useful. Which runs counter to the current notions of incubators and innovative small companies. This seems obvious to me. I certainly never saw a small group in the classroom that ever accomplished much. Heh.


I was reading an article about how the emphasis changed early in the century from "character" to "personality" and how the cult of extroversion took over. If you were not extroverted, you somehow had an inferiority complex.

I remember the father of a friend of mine in Jr. High, telling me I had an inferiority complex.

Well, gee, thanks. I didn't really have one until you told me so.

I was a full adult before I started rejecting these notions. Before embracing my privacy -- my aloneness. I like being by myself, thank you. And no, I don't feel inferior to you.

Different, maybe. Secretly, I harbor a superiority complex.

In fact, I think there are huge advantages to being self-directed.

For me, too much social activity actually seems to knock me off my center.

I guess what I'm saying is, it's interesting to see all these validations of the conclusions I had already come up with. Maybe the current generation won't get labelled quite so much.

6 comments:

RDC said...

"There's a rumor that Amazon is thinking of opening a brick and mortar store in Seattle.
Supposedly more of a boutique kind of store than a super store. As a test for a possible chain.

They certainly have the brand name.

But wouldn't that be ironic?"

What is amazing is that everytime a company indicates they are going to do something new you act shocked.

Retail more than any other business evolves. Resturants are probably the only category with a higher turn over rate than retail. Companies need to try new things if they want to not only grow or survive. Every successful retail model is rapidly copied.

Duncan McGeary said...

Amazon going brick and mortar is surprising to me.

RDC said...

There were discussions by Amazon about doing some brick and mortar store as early as 1999. so not much new here.

Since they view their competition as including Apple and the boutique Apple Stores are a key part of that companies strategy not sure why it would surprise you that Amazon is looking at that also.

Duncan McGeary said...

What the hell. You're probably right. Nothing these guys do should surprise me.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Duncan, why should you be surprised that a company that proclaimed the death of brick and mortar should open a brick and mortar store?

It's called flip-flopping. Everybody flip-flops. It's fun! And since everybody does it,nobody takes what anybody says seriously anymore. You didn't know this?

Jim

PS I'll have a different take on this tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

As for introverts, here's a link to a piece in Atlantic Monthly that I really like: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/

Hit the nail on the head for me.

Basically, introverts find other people tiring — we're drained by contact and need time alone to recharge. Doesn't necessarily mean you're shy or withdrawn. That fits me to a tee.

Extroverts, on the other hand, are energized by other people.

Working with performers (musicians) extensively for the past decade-and-a-half, I'd say that most of them are, in fact, introverts, despite making a living putting themselves out in front of people. Seems unlikely, but in the context presented in this article, that makes perfect sense.

Jim