by david allan van nostrand | Mar 29, 2021 | Human Behavior, Status
Narcissus, the son of a river god, was known for his beauty. One day he saw his own reflection when he went to drink from a smooth-as-glass pool of water deep in the forest. Smitten by his own pretty face, he fell in love with himself. When Narcissus leaned down to...
by david allan van nostrand | Mar 1, 2021 | Human Behavior, Status, Using Information
One of the most strategic military sites in the world, the Rock of Gibraltar guards the only entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. For centuries it was much fought over by Carthaginians, Moors, Romans, Phoenicians, and Barbary Pirates. When...
by david allan van nostrand | Nov 6, 2017 | Fads, Marketing, Status
In 1926, the Book-of-the-Month Club started with only a few thousand subscribers. By 1951, it had sold 100 million books. The business model worked then, and it works now. Clothing retailers have wholeheartedly embraced the subscription model, and why not? It allows...
by david allan van nostrand | Jun 19, 2017 | Items in the News, Status, Unintended Consequences
In her excellent WSJ article, A Test of Loyalty at Macy’s, Miriam Gottfried says that 9% of Macy’s customers account for nearly half of all sales. This led to Macy’s decision to develop ways to reward these high-end customers with more brands available exclusively at...
by david allan van nostrand | Jun 13, 2017 | Human Behavior, Status
In the 8th century BC, a Greek shepherd found his goats behaving strangely. Nearby was a chasm, with vapors coming out of the ground. When the shepherd got close, he inhaled the fumes and began to have strange visions of the future. Word got around, as you would...
by david allan van nostrand | Dec 22, 2016 | Conformity, Status, Unintended Consequences
Multitasking is for many a status symbol, a demonstration of their importance. Or is it? We took a closer look at multitasking, and here is what we found: Almost everyone is wrong about almost everything involving multitasking. Most people think they’re good at...
