New blog posts

src/content/posts/declaration-of-independence/index.md

@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 title: Infinite Game - Declaration of Independence
 published: 2024-08-01
 description: |
-  Being for or being against is a subtle but profound difference that the writers of the Declaration of Independence
-  intuitively understood.
+  A Just Cause means For Something, which should be affirmative and optimistic
 image: './cover.png'
 tags: [ "Leadership" ]
 category: 'Leadership'
@@ -12,6 +11,11 @@ draft: false
 
 ![Error loading declaration-of-independence.png](./declaration-of-independence.png)
 
+:::tip[Source]
+[_The Infinite Game_](https://trello.com/c/cj3d6g2A). New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2019. ISBN 9780735213500, Chapter 
+2 - What a Just Cause Is - For something -- affirmative and optimistic
+:::
+
 A Just Cause is something we stand for and believe in, not something we oppose. Leaders can rally people _against_
 something quite easily. They can whip them into a frenzy, even. For our emotions can run hot when we are angry or
 afraid. Being _for_ something, in contrast, is about feeling inspired. Being _for_ ignites the human spirit and fills us
@@ -21,10 +25,10 @@ for focuses our attention on the unbuilt future in order to spark our imaginatio
 
 Imagine if instead of fighting _against_ poverty, for example, we fought _for_ the right of every human to provide for
 their own family. The first creates a common enemy, something we are against. It sets up the Cause as if it is
-“winnable,” i.e., a finite game. It leads us to believe that we can defeat poverty once and for all. The second gives us
+"winnable," i.e., a finite game. It leads us to believe that we can defeat poverty once and for all. The second gives us
 a cause to advance. The impact of the two perspectives is more than semantics. It affects how we view the problem/vision
 that affects our ideas on how we can contribute. Where the first offers us a problem to solve, the second offers a
-vision of possibility, dignity and empowerment. We are not inspired to “reduce” poverty, we are inspired to “grow” the
+vision of possibility, dignity and empowerment. We are not inspired to "reduce" poverty, we are inspired to "grow" the
 number of people who are able to provide for themselves and their families. Being for or being against is a subtle but
 profound difference that the writers of the Declaration of Independence intuitively understood.
 
@@ -35,9 +39,9 @@ lasting inspiration, and in the Declaration of Independence it came before anyth
 in the document. It sets the context for the rest of the Declaration and the direction for moving forward. It is the
 ideal to which we personally relate and that we have easily committed to memory. Few Americans, except for scholars and
 the most zealous of history buffs, can rattle off even one of the complaints listed later in the document, things like:
-“He has endeavored to prevent the Population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for naturalization
+"He has endeavored to prevent the Population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for naturalization
 of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new
-Appropriations of Lands.” In contrast, most Americans can recite with ease “all men are created equal” and can usually
-rattle off the three tenets of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words are indelibly marked on the
+Appropriations of Lands." In contrast, most Americans can recite with ease "all men are created equal" and can usually
+rattle off the three tenets of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These words are indelibly marked on the
 cultural psyche. Invoked by patriots and politicians alike, they remind Americans of who we strive to be and the ideals
 upon which our nation was founded. They tell us what we stand _for_.