Paradigm

Paradigms & Principles

A paradigm (pair-a-dime) is another word for perception, the way you see something. Everyone has beliefs or points of view that color their thinking. For instance, you might believe that the sky is blue, or that grass is green. On the other hand, a physicist would tell you that color is simply a reflection of radiation and that nothing is a "color." Here are some paradigms that were not exactly true:

"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home." – Kenneth Olson, President and Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977.

"Airplanes are interesting toys of no military value." – Marshal Foch, French military strategist, 1911.

"[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." – Darryl Zanuck, Head of 20th Century-Fox, 1946.

"For the majority of people, tobacco has a beneficial effect." – Dr. MacDonald, Los Angeles surgeon, 1969.

So what are your paradigms?

On a scale of 1-5 (Five being the strongest agreement), rank your reactions to the following questions.

1= absolutely not 2=occasionally 3= sometimes  4= most of the time 5= always

  1. A successful person makes his own luck.
  2. Seeing things from another person’s point of view can help us understand why they act the way they do.
  3. An unlucky person has no hope of succeeding in life.
  4. New people and strangers should be avoided.
  5. Friendships are forever.
  6. Being popular is more important than being smart in school.
  7. Some people will never fit in.
  8. A person who has more stuff than you do is more successful.
  9. Girl friends and boy friends should spend as much time together as they can.
  10. Cramming before a test is the only way to pass it.
  11. You should always do what your parents tell you to do.
  12. It is better to work until the task is finished than to do it in stages.
  13. Rock music is better than classical music.
  14. If someone hurts you, you should always try to hurt them.
  15. It is better to say nothing than to say something stupid.

Now talk about these in a small group. How do your beliefs match up with the others? Can you believe any of these? What does it say about perceptions?