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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>></span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Stefano Vaj<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Natasha's brand new doctorate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On 14 July 2012 02:24, spike <<a href="mailto:spike66@att.net" target="_blank">spike66@att.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>>>…</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I disagree so much Stefano. The more active verb “defend” is the right word, for it is much more wonderfully descriptive of the exhausting and rigorous process of getting the highly esteemed doctoral degree. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span>I was not being ironic, I fully agree<span style='color:#1F497D'>…</span>The lexical change in Italy reflects the fact that process is currently perceived as too "adversarial", something which is pretty stupid. <span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>--<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>Stefano Vaj<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ja OK, cool thanks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>We have a kind of attitude here in the states which seems to always be trending away from all things adversarial, such as the notion that all kids are winners, let’s nurture their delicate self-esteem, etc. I would contend that everything everywhere and everywhen is adversarial, and must be, by human nature. Competition can be friendly; you can like the person or team whose ass you are desperately struggling to whoop, no problem there. I cheerfully recommend it. Be nice, be a sportsman, but whoop ass all the same, in sport, academia and business. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>We live in a world and a time in which we no longer need to struggle for the basics of survival; we do not encounter predators, we do not face starvation, we are not exposed to nature’s harsh elements. We have evolved to conquer all these kinds of challenges which suddenly all simultaneously retreated under the attack of wonderfully stampeding technological advance. So what do we do with all these evolutionary vestigial abilities to contend with adversity? We create rtificial adversity, such as video games and sports, the professional striving to dominate her business competitors, contrived (but singularly worthwhile) goals in academic achievement, artificial battles in politics, to suggest a few good examples. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>All of these contrived artificial struggles are the things that cause us to achieve personal and corporate excellence in a time when all our traditional challenges suddenly went away faster than we could evolve to no longer need them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>My proposal for our race: get rid of those artificial battles which are physically dangerous: the kinds that involve military anything or any kind of physical injury or serious death to anyone. Keep and nurture the rest of them, while inventing new and interesting challenges in which humans and corporations may compete, the result of which is excellence for all and superiority for some.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>