홈앤서비스 SK BROADBAND

Almond flowers survive the long winter and bloom the earliest in early spring. 『Almond Blossoms (1890)』 is the first gift Vincent van Gogh gave to his nephew and the last flower painting he painted in the last spring of his 37-year life. In February 1890, Vincent van Gogh, while in the Saint-Remy Asylum, received a letter from his brother Theo containing the happy news of a new son. “As I said before, the child is named after you. And I also wished that this child would be determined and courageous like you.” Gogh was both sorry and grateful that his nephew inherited his name(Vincent), which he had no health, happiness, or success. So Vincent van Gogh painted a pretty flower tree as a gift for his nephew.

It was a picture of a blossoming almond tree in pink and white colors against a blue sky. Theo, who received the painting, said it was very beautiful and hung it over the baby’s crib. Almond flowers that bloom in early spring symbolize new life and hope. Also, the almond tree is known as a symbol of resurrection. Paradoxically, Vincent Van Gogh painted the most hopeful and brightest picture in the darkest and most difficult time. Five months later he died, and his lifelong brother, Theo, followed six months later. So what happened to baby Vincent? He cherished the flower paintings his uncle gave him for the rest of his life, and later donated them along with all his uncle’s posthumous works to the Van Gogh Museum. Would the painter Vincent Van Gogh have imagined the image of his nephew who created an art museum with the name and gift he received from his uncle? Among the fruits of the plant, there are exceptionally many red ones. Why?

Plants bear fruit in order to spread offspring through seeds. However, young plants do not grow well near the mother. Young plants born near their mother do not grow well because they cannot compete with their mother for nutrients and sunlight. Therefore, plant seeds must be moved to a faraway place and sprouted there so that they can grow well without competition and spread over a wide area. Birds have wings and can travel quite far. Then the plant can spread its seeds as far as possible. That is why plants attract birds with their fruits. Birds do not have teeth, so they cannot bite the seeds in the fruit and swallow them whole. The flowers therefore encase the seeds in the “red” flesh that birds love.

Preface004

Acclaim for Andrew KIM and ABLE education012

Praise for 〈Vactor: A Pioneer of Excellence and Prosperity〉016

Prologue026

Part I.
Space between Stimulus and Response: Decision and Choice

Chapter 01. Map to understand the world: Mental Models
1. Perspectives on Human beings041
1) Psychoanalysis and Behaviorism041
2) Cognitive Development Theory and “Cognitive Revolution”045
2. How does the human brain process “information”046
3. Mental Models (MM)052
4. Functions of Mental Models060
5. Mental Models as Lenses, Biases and Tools065
1) Lenses066
2) Biases068
3) Tools070
6. Hard mental models and Soft mental models075

Chapter 02. Understanding how the System works
1. Systems and Mental Models086
1) What is a System?086
2) System and IPO model091
3) Little’s Law093
2. Mechanism of some Systems100
1) A system called a fan100
2) “Organizations” and “Corporations”106
3) Business system110
4) System called “Capitalism”112
5) The system of “Money”: Compounding and Leverage122

Chapter 03. Improvement and Utilization of the System
Before started130
1. How to improve the system131
1) One Level Higher131
2) Theory of Constraints134
3) First principle141
2. Use of feedback loop145
1) Understanding feedback loops: some example147
2) Use of feedback loop149
3) What well-designed feedback loops have in common152
3. A system called “Luck”155
1) Magic potion156
2) 4 stages of luck and “luck surface area”156
3) Improving the luck system: 5 ways to increase your “luck surface area”158

Chapter 04. Decision-making methods for value creation
Before started161
1. Making a decision163
1) Long-term: Regret Minimization163
2) Medium-term: Pareto Principle166
3) Short-term: ICE167
4) Immediate: Eisenhower Matrix170
2. Systems thinking171
3. Game theory180
4. Second-order thinking187
5. Marginal thinking and sub goals191
1) Marginal thinking and holistic thinking191
2) Sub goal197
6. Numeracy and Analytical Thinking200
7. Optimization: Linear Programming207
8. Probabilistic Decision Making211
1) Bad Decisions but Luck vs. Good decisions but bad luck214
2) Think Like a Poker Player215
3) How to think of betting in three steps215
9. Backwards reasoning217
10. The 3 stages of decision making and simplification221

Part II. Competence and Performance

Chapter 05. Meta-cognition and Circle of Competence
1. Value creation and Competence230
2. Competence and Meta-cognition236
3. Competence and Circle of Competence247
1) What is the circle of competence?247
2) If so, how can you find your circle of competence?251
4. Negative capability254

Chapter 06. Pareto’s Principle
Episode: Reverend John Maxwell263
1. Non-linear: efforts and results265
2. Pareto Principle and Performance268
3. Focus on High-value areas!276
4. Practice the Pareto Principle!284

Chapter 07. A Critical Review of the 10,000-hour rule
1. 10,000-Hour rule287
2. Original source of the 10,000 hour rule288
3. In-depth review of the 10,000 hour rule:292
1) When effort and performance are not related. (Luck)292
2) If the aptitude is not right for you294
3) When the amount of effort is not enough297
4) When quality is more important than quantity of effort298
4. A more realistic alternative for us299

Part III. Mindsets

Chapter 08. Expansion and Strengthening of Competence
Before Started304
1. What’s wrong with staying in your comfort zone?305
1) If you settle in your comfort zone, there is no growth,
but rather stagnation.305
2) Comfort zone and safety zone are not the same.
And the safety zone changes.308
2. Get out of your comfort zone?311
1) Model 1: comfort zone → fear zone →
learning zone → growth zone312
2) Model 2: comfort zone →
“Stretch zone” → panic zone314
3) Synthesis of the two models315
3. Mindset that drives people321
1) Fixed mindset and Growth mindset321
2) From limits of Growth mindset to Vactor mindset323
4. What are the beliefs that give us strength?328
1) Message from Steve Jobs329
2) The Grounds and Amazing Power of Beliefs: The Hidden Link to the Growth Mindset (or Vactor Mindset)332
Further reading: An episode of Dr. Youngwoo Kang338

Chapter 09. Value creation based on the Plus-sum mindset
1. Competition and Zero-sum344
2. Plus-sum and Plus-sum mindset348
3. How to create value?357
4. How to create value? : Case Study364
Further reading: 〈One red paperclip〉-from Plus-sum369

Part IV. Social Networks

Chapter 10. The Impact of Social Networks on Success and Prosperity
1. How did Einstein become a celebrity?384
2. Mixed fortunes of SAMO partners394
3. Lessons from Einstein and Basquiat401
4. Social Networks410
1) Weak ties410
2) Success formula : “3 Elements of Success, PIE”415
3) Value network417

Epilogue424