There are no “rules” only principles.

When the writer first arrived in Eastern Europe, his new friends were pumping him for “the rules” of the free market. “We are new to the game, and it will help us if we learn the rules. We have not made a profit in 8 years.”

It was a carryover of decades under Soviet rule, where the commissars imposed the rules.

If you are going to compete against the Western giants that are now in your country, it is not “rules” but “innovation” that you must learn. And innovation is about thinking outside the box – breaking the “rules.” But there are principles to guide you.

And if you want me around, there is one “rule” you must commit to; otherwise, I am out the door. And that is transparency. This company must be like no other in this part of the world where the culture of impunity is accepted. [Today, the company’s intranet gives managers access to practically everything that matters in an enterprise. And folks hired from Western industry leaders recognized this access far exceeded that from their former companies.]

And to their surprise, when the writer held the first innovation workshop, Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs was introduced. “Innovation” is not for innovation’s sake; it must address a social need and raise a person’s well-being. The good news is “innovation” is limitless.

Humankind adapted to its universe since first walking on the earth. Darwin codified that.

What about Juan de la Cruz? Thinking outside the box – but guided by principles –  can be a tall order because in a continuum that runs across “static” and “dynamic,” we are closer to static.

Let’s hold it right there.

Different dimensions require connecting the dots – if we are to dissect the implications of being static in a dynamic universe.

Recall the concept of sets and subsets in modern math. For example, the universe is a set with an infinite array of subsets (and the galaxies come to mind.) And that is why Steve Jobs defined creativity merely as connecting the dots.

For example, recall human development and metacognition. There is a reason why the “age of reason” is akin to a rite of passage. And why humans move up from dualism or absolutism to relativism. Sadly, when we hear relativism, we automatically equate it to morals.

As Catholics, we grew up acknowledging Christ’s battles with the scribes and Pharisees – that took upon themselves the arbitration of truth. And why we don’t hold Padre Damaso in high esteem. He didn’t mirror the Great Commandments – which in pop culture is The Golden Rule. It is not even a rule but a principle.

Another element of human development is civilization. And the writer is always reminded of the elder he met in a village in Papua New Guinea. “The outside world still suspects that we are cannibals. But like everyone else, we outgrow our past.”

There are also systems of government. They are not an either/or – e.g., democratic or autocratic. Because isms like systems are human-made, they can’t be perfect. Even in America, neither of the political parties would manifest their core beliefs, e.g., the US deficits are beyond enormous. Or think of how the electoral college system undermined the popular votes in the case of Bush and Trump.

Yet, it is not surprising given that the spirit of “creation” is dynamism. And that translated to “personal responsibility” to Adam and Eve after their banishment from the garden.

In the Philippines, when we speak to systems of government, we come down to the debate: Is Western-style democracy the right one for Juan de la Cruz? Inherent in the notion is that a colonizer imposed Philippine democracy.

But what about the Japanese? “The [Constitution] was largely the work of Supreme Allied Commander Douglas MacArthur and his occupation staff, who had prepared the draft in February 1946 after a Japanese attempt was deemed unacceptable.” [https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-japanese-constitution-goes-into-effect]

Which brings us back to our instincts: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism that we rely on political patronage and oligarchy that ours is a culture of impunity.

They speak volumes about our caste system that it is no different from a bunker mentality.

Recall the blog’s recent posting speaking to AmBisyon Natin 2040. We want a stable and comfortable lifestyle, yet even Adam and Eve didn’t get one. Should AmBisyon Natin 2040 mutate to AmBisyon Natin: To be the next Asian Tiger?

Where do the perspectives differ? As the blog has argued, we need lots of practice in forward-thinking. Neuroscience tells us that the brain’s chamber that does creative thinking is untapped in most people and why visionaries are few and far between. Recall creativity is connecting the dots, including lateral and forward-thinking.

Moreover, it takes forward thinking to recognize the elements of an ecosystem that is a virtuous circle. Recall the blog repeatedly presented photosynthesis as a great model. 

Think of how we undermined economies of scale in agribusiness and how we stunted industrialization. In both instances, we looked at the obvious and the present, i.e., rural poverty and job creation.

But didn’t we develop 42 industry road maps, for example? But absent forward-thinking, prioritizing does not come easy, and worse, we can’t leverage Pareto. That is why our efforts continue to yield sub-optimization instead of benefiting from the laws of Physics. Where there are mass and weight, there is energy and power.

That is why the blog raised the challenge of replicating Samsung Vietnam and AirPods Vietnam. Instead of accepting that we can only do computer chips, there is no reason why we can’t focus on becoming a regional hub for manufacturing electronic devices. As necessary, pursuing this avenue and attracting a major global brand and enterprise can do a quantum leap in GDP. The 6%-6.5% mantra will take a generation to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Recall the 4Cs of 21st-century skills: (1) critical thinking, (2) creativity, (3) collaboration, (4) communication. It is another way of saying; there are no rules, only principles.

For example, speaking to collaboration and communication, if we incorporate the 4Cs in our K-12 initiative, “students will learn that they should speak up when they have an idea. They may not be on the money 100% of the time — and some of their peers may have strong, opinionated reactions — but it’ll teach them to speak up when they’re working with others.” [https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/four-cs-21st-century-skills]

But in a caste system, there will be the untouchables – that don’t deserve our time.

The universe is not black and white; it is in living color. Recall the lovely view of the Earth from Apollo 11, that Armstrong and Aldrin sent back to us earthlings.

Our dilemma comes from our inability to wrap our heads around dynamism. It is beyond the isms that humans created.

Because we are inward-looking, we have not developed the impulse to benchmark. While our neighbors can adapt to this world, and have joined the ranks of the wealthiest nations.

Sadder still, we confine ourselves to the “law” if not the “ism.” 

We are bogged down by the dilemma, is it this or that “ism” that gave our neighbors the capacity to traverse the road from poverty to prosperity?

Benchmark. Benchmark. Benchmark.

It merely means picking and choosing the best practices of other nations and adapting them to our situation. For example, neither Singapore nor Malaysia is communist, yet Deng heeded Lee and Mahathir's advice to beg for Western money and technology.

Or think of Vietnam. It is a communist country, yet the blog has repeatedly raised the challenge for us to replicate what Vietnam did if we are to gain our own Samsung Vietnam or AirPods Vietnam.

It is not a cakewalk, especially for us Filipinos left behind in development. That is where metacognition comes in. Absent experience in development, to move up in human development – to relativism from absolutism or dualism – is not a given.

But then again, we in the elite class won’t readily buy that. We are smarter than our neighbors. Wait until either Cambodia or Laos does a Vietnam?

If we cannot connect the dots – the different dimensions – from our “caste system” to “poverty,” we will remain the regional laggard. It will be like humankind failing to connect the dots from the “universe” to the “demands of the 21st century.” Unsurprisingly, it has developed the skills to thrive in this century.

Let’s get back to dynamism as opposed to the isms – and why the 4Cs of 21st-century skills matter.

We call ourselves a democracy, yet because we love, tyranny, we value hierarchy and paternalism – effectively ceding its very critical element of check-and-balance. But that is why representative democracy is self-government. It calls for critical thinking and creativity as well as collaboration and communication.

In short, it is a personal responsibility. But we gloss over this inability.

If we have the impulses of dynamism and are committed to its spirit of development, we can adapt to different nations’ best practices.

When there is no check-and-balance, the ability of a nation to leverage trade and foreign relations, for example, is undermined. It will have a credibility problem. Think of China and why we have a dilemma in the West Philippine Sea. When making friends, the principle is going with the ones where the rule of law is supreme. Think of metacognition – beyond the obvious and the present.

Consider: Despite Trump and its many follies, because the US system has demonstrated its adherence to the rule of law, as in check-and-balance, it remains a world power. Nations, both democratic and autocratic, and their most prominent investors find the US a haven. Not for the absence of transparency but because of the rule of law.

There are no rules, only principles. 

While human development is not a cakewalk, we have to start somewhere and someday, like yesterday.

We cannot be static in a dynamic universe.

Gising bayan!

“Here is a land in which a few are spectacularly rich while the masses remain abjectly poor. And where freedom and its blessings are a reality for a minority and an illusion for the many. Here is a land consecrated to democracy but run by an entrenched plutocracy, dedicated to equality but mired in an archaic system of caste. 

“But the fault was chiefly their own. Filipinos profess the love of country, but love themselves – individually – more.” [Ninoy Aquino, Foreign Affairs magazine, July 1968; Stanley Karnow, New York Times Magazine, “Cory Aquino’s Downhill Slide,” 19th Aug 1990.]

“Why independence, if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow? Moreover, that they will be such is not to be doubted, for he who submits to tyranny loves it.” [We are ruled by Rizal’s ‘tyrants of tomorrow,’ Editorial, The Manila Times, 29th Dec 2015]

“True social reform has little to do with politics. To unmoor ourselves from the burdens of the past, we must be engaged in the act of continual and conscious self-renewal. All men are partially buried in the grave of custom. Even virtue is no longer such if it is stagnant.

“Change begins when we finally choose to examine critically and then recalibrate the ill-serving codes and conventions handed down to us, often unquestioned, by the past and its power structures. It is essentially an act of imagination first.” [David Henry Thoreau; American essayist, poet, and philosopher; 1817-1862]

“National prosperity is created, not inherited. It does not grow out of a country’s natural endowments, its labor pool, its interest rates, or its currency’s value, as classical economics insists. [A] nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade.” [The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business Review, March–April 1990]

“You have to have a dream, whether big or small. Then plan, focus, work hard, and be very determined to achieve your goals.” [Henry Sy Sr., Chairman Emeritus and Founder, SM Group (1924 - 2019)]

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” [William Pollard, 1911-1989, physicist-priest, Manhattan Project]

“Development is informed by a people’s worldview, cognitive capacity, values, moral development, self-identity, spirituality, and leadership . . .” [Frederic Laloux, Reinventing organizations, Nelson Parker, 2014]

“Now I know why Paul dared to speak of ‘the curse of the law’ (Galatians 3:13). Law reigns and discernment is unnecessary, which means there is little growth or change in such people. When you do not grow, you remain an infant.” [Faith and Science, Open to Change, Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, 23rd Oct 2017]

“As a major component for the education and reorientation of our people, mainstream media – their reporters, writers, photographers, columnists, and editors – have an obligation to this country . . .” [Era of documented irrelevance: Mainstream media, critics and protesters, Homobono A. Adaza, The Manila Times, 25th Nov 2015]