Calculation Beta

"Not everything that counts is countable, and not everything that's countable, counts." Albert Einstein

Calculation is about adding, subtracting, multiplying, and/or dividing numbers in order to obtain an outcome. It is a never-ending process, and has always been a part of life no matter how people do not want to do math.

In fact, people have to do a lot of calculations every day. When should I get up? Should I do it now, or later? How many words should I write for the report? How many tasks should I complete for the day? How many bottles of beer should I take during happy hour? When should I go to bed? How many this and that...

It seems that everything can be calculated, even love...

Do I love her/him more than s/he loves me? If I love her/him more, will I get hurt eventually? Should I find someone who loves me more than I love that someone...?

Love is blind, which explains why there is love at first sight. Does love need a reason? If reason is ever required, then it is not love. Love is an emotional thing but definitely not rational. But, there is this formula of love: (x² + y² - 1)³ = x²y³. When plotted, this equation makes a heart-shaped curve.

However, not everything can accurately be calculated, especially love. Sometimes, the best and the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, cannot be touched, but can be felt in the heart.

Case Study - Page One

Every book begins with page one. It is a simple fact that everyone knows, but who will pay attention to this obvious?

Page One, a successful bookstore chain in Hong Kong, reminds readers this almost long-forgotten fact, by using "Every book begins with Page One" as their tagline.

Book store sells book, but Page One sells more. It not only sells books, but also their own corporate identity, or brand. Every touchpoint experience they offer to readers is different from that of traditional bookstores. In the old days, they used paper bags for books purchased by customers, in contrast to plastic bags used by most other bookstores. The paper bags were nicely designed. The name card is also different, with die-cut. In terms of store number, they probably do not have the most, but their stores are usually located at prime locations. Its first store was located at Park Lane, Causeway Bay, selling books and magazines on design. Now, there are 4 stores located at Central, Festival Walk at Kowloon Tong, Times Square at Causeway Bay, and The Gateway at Tsim Sha Tsui.

In 2007, they launch their first membership card. Their membership card comes with the theme of "I read therefore I am." The font chosen is unconventional. The quote is modified from a famous statement by Rene Descartes "I think, therefore I am."

There is a long message in the nicely designed card with the membership card: "I know of no other qualities that contribute to the perfection of the mind; for as to the reason or sense, inasmuch as it is that alone which constitutes us men, and distinguishes us from the brutes I am disposed to believe that it is to be found complete in each individual; and on this point to adopt the common opinion of philosophers, who say that the difference of greater and less holds only among the accidents, and not among the forms or matures of individual of the same species."

The message itself is not important, but the way it is presented. The books themselves are not important, but where they can be bought.

3H

你討厭銷售嗎?

甭管你是否參與銷售工作，其實每一天當你睡醒睜開眼的那一刻開始，你已經在進行銷售活動。第一個你在推銷的對象就是你自己：“為什麼我要起來上班去？”當然，如果你熱愛你的工作，說服自己去上班這個步驟是多餘的。你會認為精神煥發的上班是正常不過的事情。但人生不如意事十常八九，總有一些時候你是會不願意的。在願意不願意當中進退兩難，你便需要開始你的銷售工作—不是對其他人，而是對自己。

其實，說服自己去接受一些新事物是最重要，也是最困難的第一步。如果連自己都不能讓自己相信，那就更不要期望你身邊的人去相信你。就算你能瞞騙所有人，使他們都願意去接受你的漂亮謊言，自欺欺人的結果往往都是飛蛾投焰，自取滅亡。

曾經有一位從事演藝界的朋友，從來看錢比什麼都看得重，他以為有了宗教信仰，自己的價值觀就會隨之而改變，但他可能不了解，罪惡的根源並不是金錢本身，而是對錢的摯愛。表面上他滿口仁義道德，行為上卻因自己也無法接受精神食糧比物質力量大而露出馬腳，最終弄得神憎鬼厭。他身邊可能還有一些朋友，但都不外乎三類。第一類是以為跟著他有好處便天真的對他不離不棄。第二類是因對他有利用價值所以能苟且偷生。第三類則同類是也。這樣的一生，內外不一，有啥價值可言？

要做到表裡如一，就要明白為什麼你要相信，不要盲目跟從。然而明白並不等於接受。真正的接受，從心開始。

甘地說，“心若改變，態度就會改變；態度改變，習慣就改變；習慣改變，人生就會改變。”

變化，其實是生存之道，但卻往往讓人感到惶惑不安。而主因，是人都愛耽溺於舒適領域(Comfort Zone)之中。要成為一個有效的業務員，可從三方面做起—心(Heart)、頭(Head)、手(Hands)，簡稱為3H。

心，是態度之源。常言道態度是一切。如果存有的態度並不是給對方創造最大利益，好事也能變成壞事。

頭，策略之源。有效的業務員，能正確辯別對與不對，並選擇做對的事情。

手，執行之源。知道什麼是對以後，便把它做好。