The ongoing war in Ukraine and the contingent uncertainty mean it’s too soon for optimism about the global economy. Men seem to be in trouble, but the phenomenon is more complex than a crisis of masculinity. ‘Gut feeling’ is not an idiom – it’s a scientific reality. More radical climate action may be unpopular but not necessarily ineffective. Successful negotiation must be perceived as trust building and collaborative.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Kenneth Rogoff, Too Soon for Global Optimism
(Project Syndicate, 31 January 2023)
The Harvard economist makes a simple, yet fundamental point. In the economic debate between optimists (soft landing) and pessimists (hard landing), much hinges on what will happen in Ukraine. Russia’s war represents a fundamental cause of short-term and long-term economic uncertainty. While there are some positive signs of economic recovery, a sudden escalation could severely destabilize the global economy, cause a stock market crash, and accelerate deglobalization. An interesting point made by Rogoff: the war was initially inflationary, but it may turn deflationary (metered paywall that may require prior registration – reads in 7-9 min).
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Idrees Kahloon, What’s the Matter with Men?
(The New Yorker, 30 January 2023)
A rich read, US focused but probably valid all around the world. Men seem to be in trouble:
by a variety of metrics, they are falling behind parity, notably floundering at school and in the workplace. Even though the highest echelons of power remain lopsidedly male, is the ‘second sex’ becoming the better half? Some conservatives blame a crisis of masculinity, but as this article, and the plethora of academics interviewed or quoted make clear, the problems, and their solutions, are far more complex (metered paywall – reads in about 15 min).
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Jessica Wapner, The link between our food, gut microbiome and depression
(The Washington Post, 31 January 2023)
The science of nutrition is progressing at an incredible speed, shedding light on why some old expressions (like ‘gut feeling’) that have been around for centuries were spot on! The idea that a link exists between our diet, our brains and our mental health is now corroborated by a new study that helps us understand the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. The gut microbiome – the collective genome of trillions of bacteria that live in the intestinal tract, largely created by what we eat and drink – appears to influence our mood and mind-set. In the words of a geneticist who contributed to this study: “It provides some real-life evidence that you are what you eat.” Put differently: how we feel is closely related to what we consume (gifted article – reads in 6-8 min).
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Kate Yoder, Climate activists’ new, confrontational tactics aren’t popular. That’s kind of the point
(Grist, 20 December 2021)
Climate activism is a rising phenomenon that should be on the radar screen of companies, public organisations, and individuals as well. As concerns for the environment mount, so does the propensity to engage in disruptive climate action that might take increasingly radical forms. It’s hard to draw a straight line from protest to policy change, but some experts think that disruptive demonstrations are more helpful than many people believe (free access – reads in 5-6 min).
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Allie Volpe, How to negotiate over practically anything
(VOX, 20 January 2023)
Some negotiation tips coming from an unlikely corner. A renowned FBI hostage negotiator makes the case that any successful negotiation depends on non-adversarial confrontation and building trust. In his words: “In any negotiation – business, personal – you have to find a way to gently show people reality without them feeling cornered or attacked.” First and foremost, negotiation must be seen as a collaborative conversation, a means of problem-solving, and an opportunity for transformation (free access – reads in 6-8 min).
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