Connector, Maven, or Salesman?

Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist and writer who contributed to the classifications of people into Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.

Connectors are people who know a lot of other people and make friends easily.  Connectors have many casual relationships, but maintain many weak ties among their social connections.  Connectors know many different kinds of people from many different walks of life.

Condoleezza Rice is a great connector because she knew people through education, civil rights, government, and even through her musical talents as a pianist.

Mavens like to help other people by providing information.  The word 'maven' is Yiddish for "one who accumulates knowledge".  The motivation of a maven is to educate and assist, not to persuade.  Mavens can serve as both teachers and students.

Martha Strewart is a great example of a maven. She is a maven by her need to show what she likes to the  world, but never actually tell you that you have to do exactly as she does.  Martha explains her talents to us in order to educate us, not to persuade us to do the project she displays.

Salesmen are people who use subtle, nonverbal cues when communicating that enhance persuasiveness.  Salesmen engage in conversational and gesture "synchrony" or adopt ways other people talk and move.  A great example of this is when a southerner's accent is heavier when they return to the south after being away for a while.  They adopt the accent back once they are around it more.  In many cases, salesmen do not know they are salesmen.

Bill Clinton is a great salesmen because her uses gestures with him speech all the time.  Most of his most notorious quotes cannot be repeated without displaying one of his signature hand gestures. 

But the real question is...

Which one are you?

After learning of the qualities each of these poses, I would have to say I am mostly a... 

Connector. Although I am young, I have many friends from multiple aspects of life.  When I think of all the connections I have with others, right off the bat I can think of a few 'groups' I have been apart of...

• Trussville - my hometown
• Traveling softball teams
• Travelling volleyball teams
• I lived in Nashville, TN
• Being a student at UA
• Connecting with professors
• interning at 2 different news stations
• Being a pianist and playing the drumbs as a child
• My dad being in multiple bands
• Having siblings and step-siblings to introduce me to other people
• Church
• Church Choir Tour around the country
• Mission Trips
• Vacations in many areas
• Multiple, multiple jobs throughout my life
• Sorority life
• Honor societies
• Greek societies
• Ambassadors to my college

And those are just to name a few off the top of my head.  I have never been a shy person, and making friends always seemed to come pretty easy for me growing up.  I always learned to accept everyone and be kind, no matter what.  I was in many different "groups" or I guess you would call them "cliches", but I always did my best to talk to everyone.  I was in multiple groups with very different people by the time I finished high school, and college has only expanded this notion.  I always get involved and rarely say no to opportunities, which has led me to have more chances to make connections with different people. Although I make friends easily, not all are considered to be my close friends.  Being accepting and friendly is easy, although it leaves me with weak connections among those I communicate with.  I hold very few friends close enough to confide in. My Facebook might say I have over 1,000 friends, but only a handful of those I would consider to be my close friends.

Although I love helping others and one day aim to base my future career as a professor, I sometimes lack the motivation to accumulate knowledge, unlike a Maven would.

I also use gestures and other nonverbal cues quite frequently, but since studying nonverbal communication as a college student, I have become intently more aware of my cues and when to use or not use them.  This has caused my gestures to be less frequent and not needed in everyday speech, making me less of a Salesmen.

Being a Connector can be seen as a positive step in life.

After all, they do say "it's not what you know, but WHO you know."

Intertextuality

Have you ever watched a movie/TV show and said "Hey, that reminds me of ______"?

Well, when you make connections between texts you are demonstrating...

Intertextuality: Layers of meaning; Theory about how we understand and interpret cultural texts. 

In other words: Connecting old and new world things in order to better understand the topic/object at hand.

There are different types of Intertextuality:


Horizontal Intertextuality: How connections between old and new cultural texts with a single genre create meaning


Vertical Intertextuality: How connections between old and new cultural texts across multiple genres create meaning


Tertiary Texts: Personal or public commentary on cultural texts that influence our understanding and interpretation of those texts

FOR EXAMPLE:

Let's look at the mega hit movie from 2007: TRANSFORMERS.

Transformers (2007) - Genre: Film

This film is about an alien species that comes to Earth and mankind finds themselves among a war between the rival races of the Autobots and Decepticons. This is an action film by Michael Bay.

What the trailer HERE!

Horizontal Intertextual Connections:

Alien vs. Predator (2004) - Genre: Film

This is a movie that is very similar to Transformers.  This films puts two alien species, Aliens and Predators, against one another to fight for power, after being discovered on planet Earth.  Almost the same circumstance occurs in the battle between Autobots and Decepticons in Transformers. Even the movie posters are similar. 

What the trailer HERE!

Independence Day (1996) - Genre: Film

In this film, Earth is being invaded by aliens who aim to destroy it. Military around the world must fight to protect our planet and survive.  This portrayal of human survival against a foreign enemy is very similar to Transformers. Some scenes involving military efforts in Transformers are very similar to those in Independence Day.

Watch the trailer HERE!

War of the Worlds (2005) - Genre: Film

Again, Earth is invaded by an alien species, much like Transformers. This movie shows one family fighting for survival, similar to how Shia Labeouf's character fights to protect his family and loved ones as well.

The dark scenes and even the loud noises made by the aliens in War of the Worlds is similar to the sights and sounds of the Decepticons in Transformers.

Watch the trailer HERE!

The Island (2005) - Genre: Film

One of the biggest controversies about Transformers is the director's "reuse" of some of his recycled footage.  Transformer's director, Michael Bay, also created a movie called The Island a few years prior to Transformers.  People quickly began to see similar scenes between both of these movies.  The images below show how a car crash scene in The Island is almost identical to a fight scene between Optimus Prime and Megatron. It even appears he used the same images.

The Island car crash scene.

Fight scene in Transformers.

Watch the  trailer  HERE!

Vertical Intertextual Connections:

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots (1960's to present)- Genre: Toys

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots are a toy that originated in the 1960's, but are also still popular today.  This toy places two opposing robots against one another to fight for a winner.  Transformers has always reminded me of this game that I use to play when I was little.  Seeing Transformers made the childhood game come alive.

Watch the 1960's commercial HERE!

GoBots (1980's) - Genre: Television Show

GoBots is a 1980's telvision show that is so similar to Transformers, some people think they are interchangable.  GoBots features different robots that transform from cars, trucks, and other forms of transportation.  Transformers do the same thing.  The GoBots are also very similar to the Autobots in Transformers, because they are 'good guys' who do not want to cause harm to Earth. When I first learned about Transformers, I thought the GoBots were just being renamed. 

Watch the 1980's commercial HERE!

Space - Genre: Science/Geography

A large chunk of Transformers is spent explaining the origin of the Autobots/Decepticons: Space. This movie always reminds me of our solar system and the possible life that exists within it.  Although Transformers is a fictional piece, it reminds me of scientists who look for extra terrestrial life and what life would be like in space.

The Holy Bible - Genre: Literature

In Revelations, the Bible talks of the world coming to an end; ending in fire and ruins.  Scenes of ruined cities around the world where Decepticons have invaded reference this biblical story.  In Transformers, many believe the existence of these aliens are inferring the beginning of the end of the world, much like the Bible's story of an Anti Christ coming to destroy Earth and the inevitable apocalypse.

Public Tertiary Texts:

Claudia Puig - Film Critic, USA Today

Read the entire critique HERE!

"Transformers will appeal to the kid in all of us. Yes, it's loud, explosive, and silly, but it also perfectly embodies the concept of a summer blockbuster with it's simple good-guys-vs-bad-guys plot, cheeky humor and special effects."

Owen  Gleiberman - Film Critic,  Entertainment Weekly

Read the entire critique  HERE!
"Bay, at heart, isn't a fantasist, he's a literal-minded maestro of demolition. But then, that serves Transformers well during it's climax  , a  spectacular clash of the heavy metal titans, and a primal reminder of why boys love their toys."

Private Tertiary Texts:
Chesi Cana (@chesicana) via Twitter

"I think Transformers will always be the coolest move evarrr!"

All these things above, no matter their genre, helped me make sense of the movie Transformers.  Through all these associations, I could better understand and relate to the movie.

All through the use of INTERTEXTUALITY.

Most Valuable Topic from MC495?

The most valuable topic I learned from my MC495 class, dealt with the myths of creativity.

This was the most valuable topic I have learned in this class so far, because I hate to say I believed some of these myths.  Learning about these myths helped me to reevaluate what I think "creativity" is.

MYTHS:


Creativity comes form "creative types".
This is when we group creativity to certain people.
This is a myth because we are ALL creative, however many people think you are simply born with creative talents.

Money is a creativity motivator.
This is a myth because once you've spent it, the value is evaporated.
Once you've won money, you think it will never happen again and therefore you have no motivation after this to be creative.
I learned from this myth that a trophy is actually a better incentive than money, because it can remind you of what you have accomplished and motivates you to further express your creativity.  When I think back on my life, I am more proud of the trophies I have won, than the monetized awards.

Time pressure fuels creativity.
Creativity has a need for incubation versus execution.
Your brain needs time to figure solutions out.
I always say I do my best when I am pressed for time, but in reality adequate time would allow me to perfect my creation.

Fear forces breakthroughs.
You cannot intimidate people to be creative.
This made me take a look at my past accomplishments.  My best work was not done out of fear of failure or fear of impressing someone, but instead my creations were results of my own will, influence, and imagination.

Competition beats collaboration.
This is when we focus on beating someone rather than solving the problem.
I was shocked to learn collaboration is actually more of an influence on creativity than competition.  I always thought striving for your best when up against others would motivate you more, especially since I do not enjoy participating in group projects.

A streamlined organization is a creative organization.
A streamlined organization is designed to have the least resistance and maximize their output or product.  That sounds like a great thing, right? However, this need for mass production in a concise amount of time can hinder our creative ability. This is where I truly learned it's not the quantity, but the quality.

Study Break

How someone prepares for a big test says a lot about who they are.

My preparation and study rituals scream one word: NERD. 
The word Anxiety is a very close second though.


When it comes to studying, I am very particular.

1.  I need a quiet space. Not library quiet, but monk-ish silence. Noise distracts me. Most people come to understand one thing about me fairly quickly: I have the WORST sense of hearing.  I listen to the TV all the way up and rarely notice when my voice volume is completely too loud for the setting I am in.  My outside voice is also my inside voice. This notion might seem to contradict some of my study preparations and techniques, because I am an auditory learner.  I learn by hearing things.  This might be a key point in why I cannot study in a noisy environment.  I focus on the noises around me, rather than paying attention to my studies.
2. I procrastinate.  Each time a test nears, I tell myself I will study days or maybe even weeks in advance.  Each time this happens, I say I will start this ritual next test. (See what I did there? -Procrastination Station.) I usually study the night before a test and into the wee hours of morning of test day.  Shockingly, I do not need Aderral to help me accomplish this.  Running off zero sleep is one of my few.. uh ..."talents" if you want to call it that.
3. I suffer from "study blackout". Some of you might be saying to yourself, that there is no such thing. Oh but believe me, there is. And more than likely you have been a victim of it as well.  "Study Blackout" is when you suddenly realize you have been on Pinterest for the past 30 minutes instead of reading the 3rd chapter in your Economics book. You have no idea when you clicked on Twitter, or how long you have been online shopping. This is similar to when you drive home and when you get there you can't remember your drive. I occasionally frequently suffer from this.  The best help in this situation is to leave your laptop/iPad/phone in another room. Insane right? But it's doable. 
4. My friends think I talk to myself. And guess what? They're right.  In order for me to absorb what I am learning, I need to hear the terminology and concepts out loud.  My mother use to say I could ace a test just by going to class.  To an extent this is true.  I remember examples professors give in class without writing them down.  My ability to quote sentences from lecture is borderline creepy.  When it comes to studying, I have to put my notes back into lecture form. I have to hear myself talk about the concepts.  This makes it difficult to study in a public space, well without being labeled a lunatic.  This hopefully will help me one day when I will be the teacher giving the lectures.
5. I make electronic notecards. If you do not know about quizlet.com yet, then I am about to change your life.  Quizlet.com is a website where you can type information, terms, and definitions into their database, and they will create notecards for you. FO FREE.  All you do is print them out, cut them up, and start learning! This website can cut your study preparation time in half.  If you don't want the physical cards, you can take tests on the website that are created by the information you put into their database. I love technology.
6. I do the readings. Crazy concept right? To actually buy the book and do what the teacher tells you to? Well guess what, it works.  This can be a double edge sword though.  I read and understand class material before we talk about it in class. But this also means all the other people in class who slack off and refuse to pay $70 for a textbook (but will spend $50 at the bar...) ask me if they can use my book.  I'm all for sharing but come on man?
7. IUAWIS - I Use Acronyms When I Study. I am queen of turning the concepts of one thing into a ridiculous sentence.  For example: On my last test, the 5 ways that facial expressions are expressed are Simulation, Intensification, Neutralization, De-intensification, and Masking.  But I learned that the 5 ways that facial expressions are expressed are So In Need of Dave Matthews. Seems silly, but it's genius.

When it comes to test day, I have specific rituals.

1. Take a shower. Seems like a necessity anyway, but taking a shower will wake me up and give me energy I need to focus on a test.
2. Eat a good breakfast. Not just a good breakfast, but a filling one.  There is nothing more distracting than a growling stomach talking to you while you take a test in a classroom full of people.
3. No coffee. Energy is good. Looking like a crack addict with the shakes is not good.
4. Run over my notes. I do this before every test.  I go to the exec room in my sorority house and study for about 45 minutes before I take a test.  This room is rarely occupied and in the quietest section of the house.  I read my whole outline out loud to myself so I can hear for the last time, what will be on the test. I also go through my notecards at least one more time.
5. Tweet it out. This might seem juvenile, but before a big test I will vaguely tweet about it. I will post something like "Here goes nothing" or "Crossing my fingers". I do this all the time and don't really know why. Maybe I did it once before I got an A on a test and figured it wouldn't hurt to continue the tradition?  Or maybe I'm hoping someone will see my post and say a little prayer for me...
6. Pencil Perfect. I bring about 2 extra pencils to a test.  Just incase I break one, someone else needs one, etc.  I also refuse to use pens on a test. Too much of a commitment. Too permanent. 
7. Pointless Anxiety. I get a lot of anxiety before a test, but not related directly to the content of the test.  I freak out that my phone will ring during a test. Or that my alarm will go off.  I check to make sure my phone is off multiple times before I take a test. An unhealthy amount of times.  I give dirty looks when someone's phone distracts me during a test... and Lord knows I don't want to be on the receiving end of that look.  
8. Have questions? ASK! One thing that completely boggles me about college is how students think asking questions is not necessary.  No one did anything great in this world without a little help.  When the professor asks if anyone has any questions before the test, ask something.  Even a question you know the answer to. Worst case senario? He gives you and the class an answer you would have missed if you were too afraid to ask. And shockingly, professors actually want us to succeed in class. So ask them for help!

Investments

How do I Invest Myself?

"Successful investors have to be bold, willing to take risks, and ready to act contrary to the behavior of other investors."

- Sternberg & Lubart

How do I Invest Myself?

Take short-term losses for long term goals.

I invest a majority of my time and a huge chunk of my money into my academic life and future career.  Right now I am taking short-term losses for my long term goals of becoming a college professor.  I have taken out all the loans possible in order to make sure I have the schooling I need. A steady career in a field I love, with a comfortable paycheck will be the long term goal I am reaching for.  I am also sacrificing my time by devoting it to schooling, studying, and applying to graduate school.

There's no guarantee that one's stock will go up.

When it comes to investing yourself, there is no guarantee that what you are sacrificing for will be achieved. I could be in debt for years from my schooling and could fail out of graduate school.  Risks are something every investor must take into account.  I believe my investment in my future life and career will be work it, and that I will achieve all my goals.

Your ability to become more creative is impacted by your own personal beliefs about knowledge and learning.

I believe knowledge is cumulative over time and not fixed from birth.  No one was born with the amount of knowledge they will live with for forever.  I also know learning takes time and it will take years for me to attain the knowledge I need in order to pursue my career.  I am currently more of a performance-oriented learner.  This means I am more concerned with appearing successful or competent.  I am more of this kind of learner right now because I need to appear competent and successful in order to get into an accredited graduate school.  I will need to be more of a mastery-oriented learner where I am highly focused on understanding content and not fearing failure.  This will allow me to master my knowledge on the communication concepts I will teach in the future and not be afraid to ask questions.  

Buy low and sell high. 

I am investing my time in school now so later in life I will have a job that will be worth my investment.  If people think you're slightly nuts in whatever you are doing, you're probably on a "buy low" path.  I believe this describes my investment in a future teaching career because most people do not understand why I want to put this much time and effort into school.  If years of schooling and possible debt are the risks I have to take to attain my dream job... it's an investment with risks that I am willing to take. I will be bold, be willing to take risks, and be ready to act contrary to the behavior of other investors.

Making a Comeback

Growing up I learned quickly what "good music" was.  My father was in a band, my uncles were in a band, my Papaw played saxaphone for decades, and even my Grand was a former bass player.  Most family events concluded with my Papaw on his saxophone or my Uncle Tony on the piano.  Hearing my dad have band practice in our music room inspired me to play the piano and take drum lessons.  I was actually pretty good.  My dad even bought me a pair of "jelly bean" drums that were multicolored. I loved them.  Needless to say my parents knew to teach me the importance of music in my life.  But I learned of one band in particular that was the most important of all . The Beatles.  I knew who John, Paul, George, & Ringo were before I knew the names of  any U.S. presidents.  As far as I was taught: "The Beatles are musicians.  Everyone else is just auditioning to be their opening act."  I had their songs memorized and remember waking up on weekends to the sound of their music being played while my mother cleaned the house.  My favorite movie of all time was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  This movie was made in the 1970's and featured the band The Bee Gees performing all Beatles songs while fighting to win back the magical instruments that were stolen from their city.  Needless to say this movie royally flopped at the box office and still is repulsive to most critics.  I saw the movie as a tribute to The Beatles.  SPLHCB featured all my favorite songs and had the comedic innocence that I enjoyed.  Not many people agreed, but that was my movie.  I watched it repeatedly. To an extent, The Beatles and their music were my childhood.  My parents divorced before I was 10 years old, and for a while I lost interest in the music.  My dad taught me everything there is to know about the band: from Yellow-Submarine, to the Yoko Ono days.  When he was no longer there, I didn't feel the connection or happiness I once felt when I heard Hey Jude or John Lennon's Imagine.  At that point in my life, I saw The Beatles as an old group that was ostracized by my friends and didn't give me a comforting feeling of "home" anymore.  I lost interest in learning an instrument.  I stopped playing the piano and quit my drum lessons.  I just wasn't interested in the music anymore.  And I forgot about The Beatles.

Well, not to fear! The Beatles and their music have made a comeback into my life! I owe a lot of it to my little brother.  My brother is now 4 years old and can play the drums better than I could at age 8.  He even inherited my "jelly bean" drums and uses them all the time.  He has rhythm that some people would give anything for.  He can memorize a song after hearing it once.  And guess what. He knows everything there is to know about The Beatles.  I remember him asking me one day if I knew who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were.  I could do nothing but smile and say "Yes, VJ. I know all about them.".  My dad plays music now more than he ever has.  My brother is now the one who sits in at band practices and thinks my dad is the new Ringo Starr of his generation.  Seeing my brother's love for the band and interest in music has made me revisit my childhood.  I have three Beatles Pandora stations.  I watched the Grammys this year solely because Sir Paul McCartney was performing.  Don't Let Me Down is currently my ringtone.  And guess what Santa bought me for Christmas this year...

I was literally as excited as a little kid on that Christmas morning.

And in July, my dad is taking me, my sister, and my little brother to see Ringo Starr at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.  I cannot wait to hear a Beatle LIVE. Cross that one off the bucket list.

The Beatles have made a comeback into my life and after years I have rediscovered  my love for music.  I forgot about The Beatles and how much I loved them.  The Beatles are back, and this time- they're not going anywhere.  Next stop- taking up piano again.

And as the wise men once said:

"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED."

The Holstee Manifesto

If you are not familiar with the Holstee Manifesto, you are missing out.  This encouraging creation can change all of our lives around. And it inspires the world to CREATE. What better?