Wednesday, April 5, 2017
crossconnectmag: Particle GIF art by Takumi The Japanese artist...
Particle GIF art by Takumi
The Japanese artist known as Takumi creates fantastic generative art. Takumi’s black and white gif designs “are imagined from the behavior of microscopic particles to the macroscopic universe” (via). Follow Takumi’s work on Tumblr and buy prints of Takumi’s work on Society6. Thanks to Cookies and Koalas!
Art is being generated on our Facebook Page. Posted by Lisa.
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Artists + Bloggers + Sponsors = Stronger Together
crossconnectmag: Particle GIF art by Takumi The Japanese artist... crss
crssParticle GIF art by Takumi
The Japanese artist known as Takumi creates fantastic generative art. Takumi’s black and white gif designs “are imagined from the behavior of microscopic particles to the macroscopic universe” (via). Follow Takumi’s work on Tumblr and buy prints of Takumi’s work on Society6. Thanks to Cookies and Koalas!
Art is being generated on our Facebook Page. Posted by Lisa.
Cross Connect is a proud partner of the Minuscule community network
Artists + Bloggers + Sponsors = Stronger Together
crossconnectmag: reblog from...
reblog from littlelimpstiff14u2:
UK-based fashion illustrator and designer T.S. Abe created this fantastic animated self-portrait from a series 15 individual graphite drawings. Abe says this is the first in a series of moving portraits she intends to draw and also mentions this is her first foray into animation. You can follower her most recent work on Tumblr.
crossconnectmag: reblog from... crss
crssreblog from littlelimpstiff14u2:
UK-based fashion illustrator and designer T.S. Abe created this fantastic animated self-portrait from a series 15 individual graphite drawings. Abe says this is the first in a series of moving portraits she intends to draw and also mentions this is her first foray into animation. You can follower her most recent work on Tumblr.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
What Narcissists Are Actually Thinking And Why
Does any of these situations reminds you of anyone around?
He asked you for your opinion, but followed only what he said every time after you talked about what you thought.
She loved to talk about herself, everything about her was just better than you. But when you tried to share with her anything happy or good about yourself, she seriously doubted it.
If yes, it’s likely that you’re dealing with some narcissists.
But what is a narcissist?
Narcissism is a spectrum personality disorder which most of us actually have.
In popular culture, narcissism is interpreted as a person who’s in love with themselves, more accurately, their idealized selves. Narcissists believe that they are too unique to be understood and that they are so good that they demand for admiration from others.
Psychologist Stephen Johnson writes that,[1]
the narcissist is someone who has buried his true self-expression in response to early injuries and replaced it with a highly developed, compensatory false self.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) describes narcissism as a personality disorder. It is a spectrum disorder, which means it exists on a continuum ranging from some narcissistic traits to the full-blown personality disorder.[2]
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is not very common, but the truth is, we all have some of the narcissistic traits.
Traits of a narcissist:
- They have a deep need for admiration and validation. Because they think they’re special and too unique to be understood.
- They feel they are superior to other. Because they’re more talented, they achieve more and know a lot more than you.
- They do not show their vulnerabilities. Because they fear what others think of them and they want to remain superior in all situations.
- They are unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. Because they want to be the centre of attention and believe that showing emotions is a sign of weakness.
- They are skilled manipulators and are emotionally abusive. They know how to make use of their charm to take advantage of others to get what they want.
Narcissism could be a result of an unhealthy childhood, or a wounded past.
Narcissists are desperate to seek validation constantly because they either didn’t feel worthwhile and valued in the past, or were being paid too much attention as the most precious and unique one in the world.
Faulty or inadequate parenting, for example a lack of limit setting, is believed to be a major cause, and both permissive and authoritarian styles of parenting have been found to promote narcissistic symptoms.[3]
Both parents who fail to see the worth in a child, and parents who spoil and give excessive praise to the child promote narcissism as the child grows. While the former ones make the child feel inferior of others and want to get more attention, the latter ones encourage an idealized-self in the child.
How narcissists think and feel are very different from non-narcissists.
Narcissism expert and the author of Narcissism in a Nutshell, Zari Ballard, tried to answer some common questions asked by non-narcissists about what a narcissist thinks and feels from a narcissist’s perspective.[4]
Do narcissists know they are narcissists and are they happy?
We could really care less about how others feel. We enjoy our so called cold existence. It’s all we know…True narcissists don’t want to change. Most don’t even believe they have a problem. We love every minute of it. It’s who we are. We feel in total control of our lives using this method. Anything less is unacceptable.
Do narcissists know or understand right from wrong?
Not being guided by a ‘moral compass’ means that judgments of good vs. bad and rights vs. wrong are determined using a different mechanism. Narcissists know the difference between right and wrong because they understand cause and effect. While such a simplistic method of decision-making leaves plenty of room for error, it also explains why they are sometimes unaware of the trouble they cause or outright do not care…
There is no “guilty conscience” giving them a clue and they are displaying the symptom of being “indifferent to social norms” while most likely presenting as ‘cold-hearted.’
Narcissists simply have a very different thinking mechanism. They see things from a different perspective. Unlike non-narcissists and empaths, they don’t have much sympathy and are reluctant to show emotions to others.
To deal with a narcissist, learn to embrace the differences.
There’re different personality types and not everyone will think and act the same as you do. Instead of trying to change others, learn to accept the differences and strike a balance when you really have to communicate with them.
Don’t try to change a narcissist, focus on your own needs.
Try to understand that narcissists are resistant to change, it’s more important for you to see who they really are, instead of who you want them to be. Focus on how you feel, and what you want yourself to be.
Embrace the fact that there’re different types of personality and the only thing you can control is your attitude and your own actions.
Recognize what a narcissist does only comes from their insecurity.
Narcissists are quite vulnerable deep inside, they question others because that’s how they can make themselves feel better.
When you learn that what a narcissist does to you is nothing personal, but something that comes from their insecurity, you know that sometimes they just need a certain amount of reassurance.
This is especially important if the narcissist is someone you have to closely work with, or if they’re your family member. The right amount of reassurance can calm them down and get the tasks on hand completed.
Ask the narcissist what would others think, instead of what’d others feel.[5]
Narcissists don’t feel guilty, but they care about how others think of them deep in their heart.
Clinical psychologist Al Bernstein explains:
If you are in a position to advise, ask what people would think. Narcissists are not stupid; there are just things, like other people’s feelings, that they rarely consider. If you have their ear, don’t tell them how people might react; instead, ask probing questions. Narcissists are much more likely to act on ideas that they think they thought up themselves.
If you have to work with a narcissist closely, focus on the facts and ideas, not the emotions.
Let go of the need for getting a narcissist’s approval.
You’re not who a narcissist says you are. Don’t let their blame game undermine your self-esteem, and don’t argue with them just to defend what you believe is right.
There is no point arguing with a narcissist just to prove them wrong because they will not give in proving themselves right. It’s more likely that you’ll get more upset when they disagree with you in an unpleasant way.
Know your own worth and detach from a narcissist’s opinion on you.
And if there’s a choice, choose to stay away from the narcissists.
Remember, a healthy relationship is two-sided. It’s about mutual respect and it’s based on give and take. But any kind of relationship with a narcissist is likely to be the contrary, it’s about making the narcissist happy and constantly supporting them. A relationship like this will only weigh you down and is unhealthy for your growth.
Set a boundary and always keep it.
If you’re setting a boundary, you have to be willing to keep it. When a narcissist sees that you’re trying to take back control of your life, they will try to test your limits, it’s just their instinct to do it.
Be prepared that your boundary will be challenged. Make your boundary clear, have all the actions needed to be taken in your mind.
For example, if you have decided to stop communicating with them, they will likely to show up in front of you just to talk to you. Be brave enough to keep your boundary, don’t back down and get close to them again; or else they will not take your boundary seriously any more.
Learn when to walk away.
When a narcissist starts to make you feel uncomfortable and doubt about yourself, it’s time to pick yourself up and give yourself enough respect to just walk away from them.
If you’re in love with a narcissist, you should seriously think about ending the relationship and move on for a better life. If the narcissist is your family member, you don’t have to be cruel to them, but it’s better to keep distant from them.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Stephen Johnson: HUMANIZING THE NARCISSISTIC STYLE: INTRODUCTION |
| [2] | ^ | Dr. Karyl McBride: What is Narcissism and Maternal Narcissism? |
| [3] | ^ | Winning Teams: Causes of Narcissism |
| [4] | ^ | Zari Ballard: What are Narcissists & Sociopaths REALLY thinking? |
| [5] | ^ | Observer: How to Deal With a Narcissist: 5 Secrets Backed by Research |
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How Startups Can Analyze Market Fast And Accurate: The Porter's Five Forces
If you are looking to start a business but are unfamiliar with the potential profitability in the industry, this simple tool is the perfect one for you to start with — Porter’s Five Forces Model is an effective tool to evaluate the existing market.
And if sometimes you are asked to analyze a market and identify its major competitors but you are struggling on where to begin; or, if you are looking to raise your company’s competitiveness in the industry, the Porter’s Five Forces Models could then be your remedy.
What exactly are the Porter’s Five Forces?
The Porter’s Five Forces Model is named after Michael E. Porter, an economist. He proposed the model in his 1979 book Competitive Strategy. While there are different names for the five forces to different experts, they are essentially the same. Generally, the five forces are as follows:
1. Threat of Substitution
It concerns the availability of substitutes products or services from the competitors. Porter’s definition of substitute good in the model refers to a good in another industry. The goods or services are substitutes if they can be used in place of one another. This force is affected by various factors including the cost for customers to switch to a substitute, buyer’s propensity to substitute and price-performance of substitutes.
2. Threat of Established Rivals
It considers the strength of the rivalry present in the current industry.There are a number of possible factors including number of competitors, pace of market growth and diversity of competition.
3. Threat of New Entrants
It refers to the potential threat posed by newcomers in the industry. It is also known as the barriers to entry as it measures the vitality of new entrants in an industry. Capital costs, branding of existing competitors and requirement of proprietary technology or patents are the major factors influencing the force.
4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers
It concerns the ease for suppliers or factor of production to raise prices. For example, the number of possible suppliers and whether they produce homogenous or differentiated products can influence the price to a great extent.
5. Bargaining Power of Customers
It considers the ease for customers to push for a lower price. To illustrate, it is more likely for customers to demand a lower price if they purchase a large amount of goods or services. Number of customers and brand name strength also affect the bargaining power of customers.
The first three forces are from horizontal competition while the remaining are from vertical competition.
What’s good about the Porter’s Five Forces?
Every owner and stakeholder of a business has a question in common: how to maximise the profitability?
By evaluating the industry using the model, we can grasp a clearer picture of the overall environment of the industry. In fact, the model can also be applied to have a better understanding of the current major competitors. Identifying their strengths and weaknesses allows us to devise a better strategy to further boost our competitiveness.
We can also evaluate the potential of our business by comparing us with other competitors to see if the market has been saturated or not.
On the other hand, the model tells us on what aspect we are better. Thus, we can put more effort to expand our competitive advantage in order to always stay ahead of the counterparts.
Besides, after analysing the current and potential future states of the five competitive forces, we can seek to manipulate the forces in our favour. Adjusting the strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. A proper shift in direction can lead the company to a bright future.
Anything challenging about the Porter’s Five Forces?
Despite that Porter’s model may be applied to a lot of good use, it is a little too ideal to look at the industry. The model provides directions to evaluate an industry but such analysis is based on a perfect market assumption. In reality, the market is seldom if not never in such ideal conditions so it is impossible to perfectly evaluate an industry with this model. Instead, the model is only applicable to simple market structures.
Morever, the model overlooks a sixth force – Complementors. Complementors refer to those who sell products and services that are best used in conjunction with a product or service from a competitor. Intel and Apple are a good example which they are in fierce competition yet there is obvious reliance of each other in the industry. Taking the sixth force in account makes the model more well-rounded.
Lastly, the model also overlooks the technology component in today’s business world. As the model was proposed back in 1979, influencing power of technology was almost negligible compared to nowadays. Disregarding the technological aspect may render the whole analysis inaccurate. Hence, the factors in digitalisation or globalisation is usually added into the model now.
When’s the best time to apply the model?
When is a good time to make the best use of the Porter’s Five Forces Model? For business startups, it is unwise for entrepreneurs to start a company before exploring the profitability of a new entrants in the industry. In that case, the model can come in handy to analyse the market before putting in effort and investment.
Also, the model can be a good tool for an operating businessto fine-tune its strategies for better growth. It is especially useful when the business is experiencing stagnant progress and has no clues where goes wrong. The model may provide the answer for the dissatisfaction.
Here we demonstrate how the Porter’s Five Forces Model can be used to evaluate a business. Two world-renowned business, Facebook and Nike, are chosen.
Example 1: Facebook
The social networking market is significantly competitive and is constantly under rapid changes. Due to frequent introduction of new technologies, Facebook has to cope with the situation by continuous innovation and adaption to the ever-changing environment. Besides, the social networking market is unlike other market for its ease to enter the industry.
Consequently, increased number of competitors intensifies the competition further, making the Threat of New Entrants and Established Rivals greater. Lastly, as the mobile market is emerging while the switching cost for users from computer to mobile is low, the Threat of Substitution is also great.
Example 2: Nike
The Threat of Established Rivalry is the major worry for Nike, as there is established as well as upcoming counterparts in the market. The low barrier to entry also poses a big threat to Nike as the large number of competitors will significantly impact the profitability. If Nike is unable to adapt to the customers’ trends, the growth can be severely impacted or even recorded in negative digits.
Besides, the Bargaining Power of Customers is also worth consideration as the wholesaler can request for greater discounts for their tremendous demands.
Featured photo credit: Flaticon via flaticon.com
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