An unbelievable new trend....
 

You won't believe this new trend....

Apparently a new trend is.... Integrity!

According to the Consumer Trends Institute, which specializes in tracking trends....

Their web site is fascinating reading.... I recommend checking it out....

If you want to read about the new trend of integrity, click here....

And just to reach the home page of the Consumer Trends Institute, click on the link below.... :)

You can read about the Top Ten Trends for 2001....

The new trend for home schooling....

Online demographic and ethnographic trends.... and various other consumer-related information....

It's quite fascinating.... :)

Dien Rice


The Consumer Trends Institute

This is awful news
 

For certain Gurus.

Jack

> You won't believe this new trend....

> Apparently a new trend is.... Integrity!

> According to the Consumer Trends Institute,
> which specializes in tracking trends....

> Their web site is fascinating reading.... I
> recommend checking it out....

> If you want to read about the new trend of
> integrity, click here.... And just to reach
> the home page of the Consumer Trends
> Institute, click on the link below.... :)

> You can read about the Top Ten Trends for
> 2001....

> The new trend for home schooling....

> Online demographic and ethnographic
> trends.... and various other
> consumer-related information....

> It's quite fascinating.... :)

> Dien Rice

Call it what you will, it's a great principle....
 

Hello Jack,

Thanks for your comments.... Well, it's good to focus on the positive....

I quite enjoyed the article.... It's kind of like the "opposite" of the 80s, when it seemed like the rule was anything goes to make a profit! Now the wheel has turned to the opposite (which I think is good)....

To be honest, I believe that it is impossible to have long-term success without at least trying to be ethical, since I do believe in a "law" of the world, the universe, and the totality of all things....

The same law which said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"....

Or which is contained in the phrase, "What goes around, comes around"....

Or what some call the law of "karma"....

But however you call it, label it, name it, it's a good principle to live your life by....

If you put out good, then good eventually will come back to you....

And vice versa....

Well.... That's what I try to follow anyhow....

Dien Rice

It's a great principle to apply throughout........
 

Hi Dien!

Yes, Integrity is a great practice for our businesses, our relationships, our lives.

Its interesting, I was just talking about the upcoming elections with a friend, and I was discussing how using my benchmark values has influenced my voting patterns.

So whether its voting, parenting, entrepreneuring, writing, partnering, etc, it is the only way to be in alignment....congruence...just FEEL good (which leads to higher productivity, etc and the whole Win/Win/Win paradigm.)

Great site! I am sending it along to my friend who has a one room schoolhouse in her home as well!

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE JORDAN SCOTT

When Ignorance Is Bliss
 

I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph.
He blew his mind out in a car
Because the paper's said it was the trend

Remember the good old 1980s?
When things were so uncomplicated?
I wish I could go back there again
And everything could be the same.

HA... the trend is Integrity?

Personally I think to say Integrity is a trend (an emerging trend) is a load of "oops, mind you don't step in that".

I mean, really. Since when was it not a trend?

The 80s?

Says who? The newspaper? The "trend reporters"?

--begin sarcasm--

Oh no... home invasions are on the increase, whatever shall we do?

Do the same as you've always done. They aren't on the increase. The only thing increasing is what is being called a home invasion.

Oh no... the economy is in a recession.

Is it? How can you tell? You still get the same paycheck every week don't you?

Well yes.

So how can you tell?

The newspapers told me.

Oh... the newspapers. I see. Well, if it's in the newspapers it must be 100% accurate 100% of the time, musn't it?

Oh no... all businessmen and businesswomen are crooks.

How can you tell?

They're always on those current affair shows being exposed.

Oh... I see.

-- end sarcasm--

I think if anything is a trend, it's what the media, or whomever, decides to focus on for the time being.

There are just as many "anything goes as long as we make a profit" people in the world right now as there were in the 80s.

There are just as many "I'm going to run my business with integrity" people in the world right now as there were in the 80s.

The only difference is what the media, trend reporters, trend watchers, etc., decide they'll tell us this year.

Doesn't one of those self-help guru dudes say something like "I'll see it when I believe it"?

Go buy a particular brand of car and then notice how there suddenly seems to be a flood of them everywhere.

What changed?

Nothing. Except your perception. You never noticed before. But now that you drive one, you notice.

If you look for integrity you'll find it. If you look for rip-off artists you'll find them.

It's the same logic that enables one man to see opportunities all about the place while others see nothing.

At least, that's my take on it. :o)

Michael Ross

P.S. Ask yourself... if you never heard that integrity was a trend, or someone telling you there was a recession, or anything else like that... if you were ignorant of all these things, would you change what you do?

Does anyone know the story of the hotdog seller who sends his son to college?




Is this the trend of education in years to come?

PS - important
 

Something I didn't write in that post and which is very important is

Even though *I* don't believe a lot of these so-called trends, a lot of people do. And knowing what people are thinking about is good knowledge to have.

Using the Integrity thing as an example... if enough media put it about that Integrity is the latest HOT trend, then it might be time to come out with a product which helps businesses develop Integrity.

After all, the business owners will be reading it every day. They'll wonder about it. Exactly what it is. Even wonder how they can show their customers they have Integrity.

Seeing as the media's doing the job of getting people interested, it makes sense to follow the media's lead.

So even though I don't necessarily believe everything that's reported, I like to try and keep up with it so I can figure out how others will think about it.

Michael Ross.


Think about this...

The "Social Proof" principle....
 

Hi Michael,

I agree.... And if enough of the media reports on something being a "trend" it can even become a "self-fulfilling prophecy"....

That's because everyone wants to be hip, cool, and with it, so many will follow the reported trend (if they believe it's true) just be with the times!

I know that this is sometimes used as a marketing strategy.... Like those ads you see on TV, where they stop people in the street and ask them what brand of washing powder they use, and lo and behold, they all use the advertiser's brand! This kind of thing works on the "social proof" principle -- they want to give the impression that everyone is using their brand.

By having ads like this, if people think everyone else is using the brand, people think "well, I should try it too...."

Most people like to conform and don't like to stick out too much from the "norm"....

It's an interesting strategy, because if it works and it ends up that most people then *do* use your brand, then it tends to perpetuate itself!

This also could be why it is usually very hard to knock off the market leader in mature markets. It's probably partly why Coca-Cola has been the no. 1 cola drink now for perhaps almost 100 years, and why Pepsi eternally seems to come in at number 2.... And all the other competitors seem to have fallen off the radar screen....

Thanks Michael, great food for thought.... :)

Dien Rice