Monday, January 16, 2017

Indicate Never Specify

For years I have subscribed to a theory I call: "Indicate Never Specify". I discovered the concept while reading about East Asian ink wash painters.  They carefully limit their brush strokes to the minimum required to capture the mood and texture of a landscape. Detail is absent; allowing the viewer to fill in the intentionally missing visual information. 



Sales people sometimes employ this technique to help shape their offering to meet a prospect's needs by limiting information to only that which is absolutely necessary to close the sale. There is a potential ethical danger with this technique, as it may lead some sales people to mislead a prospect into an unwise purchase.

The other day, Bill Bonner an investment advisor who posts a daily diary entry, http://bonnerandpartners.com/the-age-of-trumpismo/ explained why it has been so easy for Donald Trump to embrace the Goldman alumni he has appointed to his cabinet after vilifying them during his campaign.  

I guess he didn't mean what I inferred from what he said. He indicated but never specified. Aside a few "bumper sticker" phrases he offered no specifics, except to say he will solve the country's problems. He said "Trust me it will be tremendous".

I pray that in four years The Donald will have done such a "tremendous" job that I will enthusiastically want to vote for him. My concern is that during the campaign he beat the drum about how cozy HC was with Goldman and how the speaking fees she collected were obscene. How she said one thing in public and another in private.

I feel as if a Jedi mind trick is being played out on a national scale. Something like a cosmic three card monte.