“Chutzpah“
What connects or divides people are words, ideas, education, culture, communications, and an open or closed mind.
The closed minded are by definition the hardest to communicate with. That doesn’t mean that the effort shouldn’t be made, but it must be balanced out by the other realities of living.
When you live with someone long enough, you get to know them, and their stories.
When you listen to – or read someone’s – thinking long enough, and carefully enough, you get to know “what makes them tick.”
A single word can unite or divided someone.
That word may be a word that was understood or misunderstood.
A word like chutzpah is colorful, and rich in meaning. Jewish or Yiddish expressions can be fairly common in certain circles.
Every culture, every language has its own rich idioms.
Tony likes to sing songs and tell stories. One story he likes to tell us how we met in Baytown, Texas. I won’t steal his thunder today by telling that story, but I will share another from just a few weeks later.
We were at dinner with a couple in their fine home. The wife was an author, so was her husband. They were both highly educated, each had amazing and successful careers. The woman met Tony after her talk at a church function, where he also met her husband.
We were having a free-flowing dinner conversation. The woman looked at me. Then, turning to my husband, she said to Tony, “You have an amazing ability to leap cultural boundaries.”
I’ve seen Tony connect with someone in just seconds. It can be in a check-out line, or at a dentist’s office. It can be on the phone, or in person. It may all hinge on the use of a single word, phrase or gesture.
It takes audacity, courage, wisdom, boldness – or chutzpah – to use a phrase or word at a key moment.
Tony doesn’t know much Farsi, but when I’m talking to Persian family members, he will use a Farsi phrase correctly, and the distance between people melts. He may meet someone who is Hispanic, use a phrase in Spanish, and they light up like a Christmas tree.
That’s called respect. That too can melt differences, and bridge gaps.
Tony insists on citing sources that wish to be acknowledged. But as any publisher should, he won’t cite a source that wants to be kept anonymous.
When we quote from other writers or speakers, we use their words, their idea, and we do so in context. Those are the rules of the road in publishing, and journalism — including trade media.
A single word can help bridge a gap.
But missing a single word can cause a misunderstanding.
Tony told me a story recently about how he misread a message. He missed a short, single word, and that completely changed the meaning of what was said. He apologized.
Similarly, our reports can be misunderstood, sometimes by missing a single word. Our reports are best when they aren’t skimmed.
Misreading or misinterpreting happens to us all. It is why the game “telephone” is played by kids with such delight. The kids game of telephone starts with a circle of say 10 kids. The first one whispers a sentence into the ear of someone next to them. That person then turns to the next one in the circle and says what they thought they heard. That is repeated until everyone in the circle has had their turn.
By the time the last person in the circle has heard the story, it has changed. And everyone gets a good laugh.
People can change a story by accident or by intent. Each change can be a problem. But a deliberate twisting of a story is a form of manipulation.
Words or ideas can unite or divide people. Words can help bridge a gap. They can also cause a gap, sometimes unintentionally.
Manufactured housing is arguably among the most misunderstood subjects in America. There are those who want it kept that way, at least for now. But that, says Tony, misunderstanding about manufactured homes is an opportunity in disguise. You don’t have to wait for anybody else to learn what’s correct, and then do something about it in your market or location(s).
There are those, like us, who day-by-day strive to help people understand the realities of just how amazing – and life changing – modern manufactured home (MH) living can be.
We share MH “Industry News Tips, and Views Pros Can Use.” © We do reports that are “News Through the Lens of Factory-Built Housing” ©.
Don’t get those reports second hand. You can sign up for our headline news reports at this link. Your team or circle of influence can sign up for free too. Thousands “get it.”
From one person offices, to the biggest names in the industry, thinkers and doers read here. They may not all have the chutzpah to admit it, but they or a colleague tell us that they do.
Understanding is the key that turns the lock that opens more opportunities.
Thank you, and thanks to all who make this pro-business, pro-morally sustainable growth resource possible. We strive daily to earn that confidence, by sharing reports that matter. “We Provide, You Decide.” ©.
Let’s dive into the timely, and often timeless, reports from the week that was.
What’s New on the Masthead
Facebook, Manufactured Housing, and American Drama
The Masthead
What do you see? Facebook has a neat feature that reminds you of some post from the past. This morning, that Facebook feature reminded me of a post about
What’s New on MHLivingNews
Celebrate National Home Ownership Month, with 26 Cool Prefab Cribs, a $1 Billion Dollar Hybrid Mansion, 4 Fun Videos – manufacturedhomelivingnews.com
Celebrate National Home Ownership Month, with 26 Cool Prefab Cribs, $1 Billion Dollar Hybrid Mansion, 4 Fun Videos, President Donald J. Trump’s birthday. Flag Day, Antilia, tycoon, Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani, India’s richest man,
What’s New on the Daily Business News
Saturday, 6.16.2018
Friday 6.15.2018
“Coming Collapse of China,” Trade War “Will be Easy to Win,” Plus MH Market Updates
“’Trailer Trash’? Watch Who You’re Insulting When You Throw Around Those Words” – Buffalo News
“’Trailer Trash’? Watch Who You’re Insulting When You Throw Around Those Words” – Buffalo News
How “Location, Location, Location” in Housing Can Shift, and Manufactured Home Industry Impact
How “Location, Location, Location” in Housing Can Shift, and Manufactured Home Industry Impact
Thursday 6.14.2018
$1.2 Billion Settlement Proves FEDs Are Serious; Communities, Industry Head$ Up
$1.2 Billion Settlement Proves FEDs Are Serious; Communities, Industry Head$ Up
Former NFL Star Arrested for Burglary of a “Mobile Home,” Surprising News Story Twist
Former NFL Star Arrested for Burglary of a “Mobile Home,” Surprising News Story Twist
Wednesday 6.13.2018
Mergers & Acquisition Activity Heats Up After Ruling, Plus MH Market Updates
Near Half-Billion Deal for Gateway LifeStyle, Details Beyond News Release
Near Half-Billion Deal for Gateway LifeStyle, Details Beyond News Release
Famous Pimp Who Has Manufactured Homes for “Cathouse” Wins Primary
Famous Pimp Who Has Manufactured Homes for “Cathouse” Wins Primary
Latest SCAM Alert, Tech Tip Report with Video
Tuesday 6.12.2018
“FEAR, Manufactured Homes, and a Solution to the Affordable Housing Crisis,” Special
“FEAR, Manufactured Homes, and a Solution to the Affordable Housing Crisis,” Special
Monday 6.11.2018
Pending Federal Case Could Open Flood Gates, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Plus MH Market Up-dates
Wall Street Journal – Tech Giants are Monopolistic Threat to Businesses, U.S. Economy
Wall Street Journal – Tech Giants are Monopolistic Threat to Businesses, U.S. Economy
Sunday 6.10.2018
And that’s all she wrote, with a little bit of help from that other guy, during the week that was. (Headline news, week in review, recap, analysis, commentary.)
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