Overheard

“Oh boy! Another great opportunity for personal growth!”

“I’m not bitter about what happened to me as a child, and my mother was instrumental in keeping me from being so. ... She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly related to the image of Christ on the cross and the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What she taught me is that the deliverance God offers you from pain is not no pain—it’s that the pain is actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t really give you another choice.”

After over a decade of user testing, it is clear that the way we search the web is similar to the way we would search our home for valuables as it was burning to the ground. Frantically.

“We must shift the focus of companies back to the customer and away from shareholder value ... The shift necessitates a fundamental change in our prevailing theory of the firm… The current theory holds that the singular goal of the corporation should be shareholder value maximization. Instead, companies should place customers at the center of the firm and focus on delighting them, while earning an acceptable return for shareholders.”

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”

Comments

Maybe a little happy, but more neutral. I agree, though, yeah I've definitely seen you more serious than this!

Posted by hermitdeb
  at 5:22 am on Jul. 17, 2006

In transition, about to break into a big expression. That, or blase - blah-zay.

Posted by James
  at 6:55 am on Jul. 17, 2006

I agree with Debbie. I've seen you more serious than this. On the other hand, you don't look 'relaxed'. I think that's what people are noticing -- 'unrelaxed', possibly guarding against expression at all?

Posted by Mom
  at 7:49 am on Jul. 17, 2006

Here's something that I've learned from posting self-portraits on Flickr: other people always see different things than we do in photos of ourselves.

Looking serious isn't a bad thing, and it isn't a typical facial expression for you.

Posted by Rachael
  at 9:24 am on Jul. 17, 2006

Wow, those are super interesting responses.

I think that the one from Rachael was the most eye-opening -- that this isn't a typical expression for me, and maybe that's why I and others don't recognize it or know exactly how to process it.

Thanks!

Posted by Travis Smith
  at 9:58 am on Jul. 17, 2006

Um, it could be so many things; the lighting, the angle, the framing. I don't think you look serious or other wise. I think it's a nice shot!

Posted by Kathryn
  at 2:24 pm on Jul. 17, 2006

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