I'm not really much of a Christmas person, but I have to admit this year I saw the holiday spirit at work several times. On one occasion I was watching the evening news and a "feel good story" came on. I can't even remember the story right now. What struck me was that there wasn't just one story that night, but several. And then, I realized just how different this was from a normal night of crappy, sad news.
I also received several messages about "cheer chains" at Starbucks (I wrote about this previously). One of them was 1,013 long.
That's when I started thinking... The holiday season creates an environment where people are inclined to think positive thoughts. We are exposed to heartwarming stories, and we try to be more decent than normal. Things "just happen" around Chirstmas.
In other words: there are times where topples are more likely to fall. It's not just about the "purpose" but about the environment. The purpose of the Starbuck's cheer chain isn't any different in June than Dec., but I'm confident the chain wouldn't last as long in June.
Taking this thought a little further: consider a topple with a purpose about global warming. Not only is the purpose especially compelling, the general social consciousness is creating an environment where the topple is likely to fall more easily/quickly. Less friction in the system.
So here's a new core concept: when toppling, consider the environment, not just the purpose. Sometimes the environment is more conducive to toppling.
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