Repetition legitimizes, repetition legitimizes

One of the memes I love from Adam Neely is his vlog on the role of repetition in music. Repetition legitimizes.

Although today’s gospel is about exorcism, what caught my attention was the question: what is there about His word that is able to command unclean spirits to leave humans?

What I love about figures of speech and the use of parables is that they have such innate “replay value” – they are meant to be read again and again. And again, repetition legitimizes.

There’s such power in enticing the reader to read again. And with each re-read, not only do we learn, but more importantly, we legitimize the Word and the way we relate with Him.

The thing with repetition is that it can feel tiring. Boring. Dull. Or painful even, like an athlete doing his 100th push-up or running his 10th kilometer. But these kinds of repetitions are borne from discipline, good habits, and virtue.

Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes our virtues.

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Luke 4:31-37. What is there about His word?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 242: AUGUST 30, 2022]

Balancing flow and fairness

Perhaps one thing we should be able to learn in life is when an act is pursued for its own sake (e.g., flow activities) and when something is appropriately conditional for the sake of justice and fairness.

Fixating on exchanges of value leads to a disease of measurement, or in Filipino, “sukatan”. Applying measurement and accounting principles all the time to the way we approach our relationships can make them very transactional and robotic. But failing to measure and account for what is due to another fairly can lead to abuse and is also detrimental to our personal security.

In today’s society where many things are measured and quantified, we should be mindful when it is appropriate to measure and when it is to pursue something for its own pure sake. There are times when these things could overlap, like when an artist is commissioned to create art for a certain amount compensation.

Maybe the challenge for the businessperson of the future is to manage these activities in the spirit of facilitating flow and fairness.

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Luke 14:1, 7-14. “… then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 240: AUGUST 28, 2022]

The cost of preparedness

Is there such thing as being overprepared? Or is overpreparedness simply a product of anxiety and the need to prepare for something?

Today’s parable separates the wise and the foolish in terms of how prepared the former was and how “chill” the latter seemed to be. When crunch time came, the prepared virgins were able to celebrate with the bridegroom; while the unprepared virgins were locked out the venue for having moved out just to search for extra oil for their lamps.

It’s easy to fault the foolish virgins because they did not foresee or were too lazy to have backup plans. But I sometimes wonder about the costs of being prepared and the expectations that come from being wise, like how the wise virgins were.

Did they feel anxious? What if their backup plan didn’t work out too? Would they blame themselves because their preparations were not enough to address the contingencies that happened?

The burden to a person who tries to be wise is quite heavy, ridden with self-doubts and anxiety. A wise person seeks to correct one’s self and anticipate all possible scenarios, while accounting for what is controllable and uncontrollable.

In a way, there is cost and investment to pursuing a more virtuous life. When anxiety and pressure levels are rising, either we are purified or we burn out. But it’s important to have faith that there are infinite chances, or at least as many chances as we need, to grow and be better.

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Matthew 25:1-13. The Parable of the Ten Virgins

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 238: AUGUST 26, 2022]

Can we fully know someone without relating?

When we become a fan or stan someone, is it the same as saying we really know that someone? What have we really related with, the person themselves or just an impression?

Without a means of relating and dialogue, we are only left with a biased impression. And that impression is not necessarily reducible to the identity of the person. Our impressions should always be subject to correction.

Maybe the difference between fandom and friendship is that the former is one-sided and based on impressions, while the latter is two-sided and is based on relationships that stand the test of time.

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John 1:45-51. Come and see and get to know the person

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 236: AUGUST 24, 2022]