1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff you should know? 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: Front House Stuff Works dot Com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: the podcast. There's Chuck Bryant about fall Asleep and I'm 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: Josh Clark. This is stuff you should know. How's it going? 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: You just went on? He Hall, I totally did. Didn't 7 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: I get the price tag? I'm a little hat. Did 8 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: you watch that as a kid? No, I never did. 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: That was more solid gold guy, Yeah, see that now 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: Big Time and Muppets. Muppets Actually I think came on 11 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: before after solid Gold, cal Burnet schell. Yeah. Yeah, My 12 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: mom was a big tribe. Me too. I thought Tim 13 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: Conway was the funniest human being. You're gonna bring up 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: to Tim Conway. Chuck always talks about Tim Conway's assess it. 15 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: It's always about Tim Conway. Tim Conway, This Tim Conway 16 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: that you know what? Never happened to Tim Conway. He 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: never got promoted to a job he wasn't qualified for. 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: We've been doing this way too long, Chuck, way too long. Together. 19 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: You can predict my every move. He can just point 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: and he knows what I'm about to do. Sometimes I 21 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: wonder if I actually do things because he's telling me 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: to with his mind. Yeah, tell me that power, dude. Oh, 23 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,479 Speaker 1: I'd be in big trouble, he would. Yeah, so chuck, Um, 24 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: let's talk about the Peter principle. Have you ever heard 25 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: of this before? Well, I've read your article when it 26 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: was initially published a while ago, But I mean, were 27 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: you disappointed with it then too? I actually thought it 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: was better than I do now. But I see, I 29 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: grew up with this, Like my dad had this book 30 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: and it was like it was like sixties kind of 31 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: like intelligent ha ha ha kind of joke, you know, 32 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: like hotail party humor. Yeah, and I grew up around 33 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: that kind of thing, so I you know, intelligence. So uh, 34 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: this was like the Peter principal to me is something 35 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: that like I've known forever. So it's odd to meet 36 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: people who don't who hadn't really heard of it before. Well, 37 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: my parents were both educators and maybe, um, like I 38 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: knew nothing about business in corporate life and that kind 39 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: of thing. My dad was an engineer, a train engineer. Yeah, dude, dude, no, no, okay, 40 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: Now he's a mechanical engineer. For untrained. Yep. Okay, so, Chuck, 41 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: that what we're talking about is based on a uh, 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: let's see, I think it's a nineteen sixty nine book, 43 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty seven, nineteen sixty nine, we'll say, somewhere in there, 44 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: and it's called the Peter Principal Why Things Always Go Wrong? 45 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: And it definitely was based on an article written by 46 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: a guy named Dr Lawrence J. Peter who was a 47 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,119 Speaker 1: an educator, and apparently it was an Esquire magazine initially 48 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,839 Speaker 1: in January nineteen sixty seven. Yes, there was a huge 49 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: response to it, right uh. And basically what it was 50 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: it was tongue in cheek. It's an unnatural law like 51 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: Parkinson's law, which we'll get to, right sure, or Murphy's law, 52 00:02:57,919 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: which we won't get to. We've already done that one, 53 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: I think. Or was that pre Chuck. I think it 54 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: was pre Chuck. Those days don't exist in my mind. 55 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: Uh yeah. So anyway, Chuck, it's a it's a kind 56 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: of tongue in cheek, but it actually does reveal, um, 57 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: kind of this this rye observation that you know, all 58 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: of us have seen at one time or another that eventually, 59 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: if you promote somebody based on good work, you're going 60 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: to promote them to a point where they're no longer 61 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: they're so far out of their field they've become incompetent 62 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: in their current job. That's pretty funny. There's one stertling 63 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,679 Speaker 1: example that comes to mind. Oh, I don't know, back 64 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: in the heavy days of two thousand five, maybe late 65 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: August early September two thousand five, a little thing called 66 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans with a vengeance. And there's this, 67 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: um I think it's a federal agency and it's charged 68 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: with handling natural disasters or disasters of any kind that 69 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: occur in the US. That would be the Federal Emergency 70 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: Management Agency a FEMA. Uh And um, it just so 71 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: happened that in late August of two thousand five, FEMA 72 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: was headed by a guy named Michael Brown who you 73 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: may know and love is Brownie. So Brownie was running 74 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: the show when herr Kane Katrina hit and basically it 75 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: took days for the FEDS to respond. I remember reading 76 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: an article or several maybe where Bush was questioning whether 77 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: it's even the federal government's role to help out in 78 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: this kind of disaster. Right, Well, sure enough, FEMA finally 79 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: gets around to helping. I think they got a few 80 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,039 Speaker 1: bottles of water down there and truck some people out. 81 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: That kind of thing. Uh. And amid this complete cluster 82 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: of a rescue humanitarian mission, mismanagement totally and in every 83 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: form of the word. Yeah, the good people of FEMA, 84 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: and we want to say we're probably working very hard, 85 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: but it was missing. It was a top down day 86 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: and and just ease off. I'm gonna, I'm gonna. I'm 87 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: gonna bail Brownie out here in a second. Um. But 88 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: amid this this bungled crisis rescue mission, Bush goes down 89 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: to New Orleans and says, Brownie, you're doing a heck 90 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: of a job, which he wasn't now and he even 91 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: knew he wasn't. No, this is not judgment on our part, right, 92 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: I think even while the the rescue operation or the 93 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: crisis alleviation operations going on, Brownie famously said, can I 94 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: quit now? Why made me feel bad for the guy? Yeah? No, 95 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: I agree, he's in over his head. I feel bad 96 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: for him. Two And he was in way over his 97 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: head why because of the Peter principle, because he was 98 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: promoted to a position he was not qualified to manage correct, 99 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: he period he was formerly his job right before the 100 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: head of FEMA. He was in charge of the Commission 101 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: on Judges for the Arabian Horse Association. He's good at 102 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: it too. Yeah, he excelled in that position, right. That 103 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: was part of the reason why I think, you know, 104 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: maybe a little bit of helping your buddy out I 105 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: had to do with it. So, which which everybody does? 106 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I got this job because of a friend, 107 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: So that did you? Really? I got this job by 108 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: my own blood sweat and tears, pal, blood sweat and tears, Josh, 109 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: great band agreed, So is earth wind and fire right, 110 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: But earth wind and fire won't get you a job. 111 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: Blood sweat and tears as well, agreed? So well, cool 112 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: in the gang. Okay, so Chuck um, you're right there. 113 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: There is a certain level of nepotism or I'm not 114 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: sure what it's called when you get friends jobs. Is 115 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: it still nepotism relatively familiar? Yeah? Yeah, I'm not sure 116 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: that we'll figure it out. Um so yeah. So, but 117 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: Brownie doesn't fit the classic definition of the Peter principle 118 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: because he got his job in large part because he 119 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: knew the president right, Is it usually someone who's promoted 120 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: from within? Is that the distinction? Yes? Okay, yeah, So 121 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: what happens is you, I use the example in this 122 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: article of a web designer. Think of when a guy's 123 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: in DEBV right, right, So you're just excelling at your work. 124 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: You're you're you're working your tail off. Everything you do 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: is just golden. You're born developer. Right. Well, if you 126 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: do that long enough, and you get to know the 127 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: people around you long enough, you'll probably get promoted to 128 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: a position of of manager where you're still over the 129 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: dev department, but you're now telling the dev department what 130 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: to do. Conceivably, if you're of a certain ilk, you 131 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: you would be able to kind of carry that out. Yeah, 132 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: if if you're capable of doing that. But let's say 133 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: that you are kind of good at that, and you 134 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: excel at that, but you're still really you're doing you're 135 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: walking behind other people and fixing their mistakes, that kind 136 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: of thing. You're still doing developing. Let's say you excel 137 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: in that managerial position and you get promoted eventually out 138 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: of development, and maybe you're over development like you're the 139 00:07:55,520 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: ct O R, but you're no longer developing. Oh, you're managing, 140 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: You're working with budgets, you're hiring people, you're firing, completely 141 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: different skill set. You're likely going to be incompetent unless 142 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: you're a born manager and you're good with budgets, you know, um, 143 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: dealing with CEOs and CEOs and stuff like that. Right, 144 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: that actually happened, same exact scenario at my last job, 145 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: a web developer, and he was great at that. They 146 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: promoted him, and um, he was not a good manager 147 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: of people. No, I think. I think it takes a 148 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: certain kind of person. It's like sales, right, I can't 149 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: sell anything. Come on, come on, I think dude. Uh no, 150 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: I I can't. Like I'm no good at sales. Um, 151 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: I also suck at serving. I was a terrible waiter. Yeah, 152 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: I was a decent waiter. I sucked at it. That's good. Thanks, Um, 153 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: so thanks? Why is that good? Well, because that means 154 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: you don't have to be a waiter. That's true. Well, 155 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: you were good at it, and you're not a waiter. 156 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: Well true, I'm a writer. It's only one letter different. Agreed. Um. 157 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: So let's say you you you do get promoted to 158 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: CTO and you're doing hiring and firing. Now here's where 159 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: the Peter principle, which has just occurred because you've been 160 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: promoted to your level of incompetence, Here's where it becomes 161 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: a vicious cycle. Right, right, do you want to take where? 162 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: Because okay, uh, the the since you're hiring and firing people, 163 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: you're probably also likely promoting people. So if you're an 164 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: incompetent manager, then you are probably going to make terrible 165 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: decisions on who to promote. So the problem with it 166 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: is that eventually, in a hierarchy which all businesses are 167 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: based on, or it's a top down, top down process 168 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: for pyramid, most of the work is being done by 169 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: the lower levels the base of the pyramid, and then 170 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,319 Speaker 1: you go further and further up, and the least amount 171 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: of work is being done by the people at the top. Supposedly, 172 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: I hear. Uh, So eventually the top of the hierarchy 173 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: becomes populated exclusively by incompetent people in a worst case 174 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: Peter principal scenario. But if this is what I found 175 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: most interesting is that it um unless you are what 176 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: he called uh super incompetent quote unquote, then you won't 177 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: get fired. No, you'll just continue along and basically what 178 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: happens is is mediocrity takes hold. Doesn't mean you're awful 179 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,239 Speaker 1: and that you're gonna make decisions that will destroy the company, 180 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: but your mediocre. And since there isn't a process of 181 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: demotion in this country, or maybe there isn't in any country. Uh, 182 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: and the corporate structure at least you, you can't be 183 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: demoted without it looking like failed, defailed exactly. Yeah, Like 184 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: they can't just say, you know what, this is quite right, 185 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: you're you're better at your other job, so why don't 186 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: we just put you back there? Um, And you'll even 187 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: make more money doing so well that that's a real 188 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: solution to the Pewter principle. Is number one, installing a 189 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: mechanism where you if it if you're not working out, 190 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: you get to go back to what you're doing, but 191 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 1: without the stigma failure. The other the other, this is 192 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: the one I subscribed to, is UM offering increased compensation 193 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: without promotion. I subscribe to that as well. Think about it, 194 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: I mean, like most people accept promotions and uh be 195 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: based on the increase in salary, right right. I just 196 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: really want to manage somebody. Usually I really want to 197 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: go make more money. Yes, but those are probably people 198 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: who are born managers. Yeah, but I would say the 199 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: prestige and the title and the money is even above that. Yeah, 200 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: the money's at the top, right, Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly. Um. So, 201 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: if you could, if you could set up your business 202 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: in such a way that you are paying people, you're 203 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: giving them increased pay, vastly increased pay, like the kind 204 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: that you would get if you got a promotion without 205 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: promoting them, then you're going to avoid the Pewter principle altogether. 206 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 1: The problem is that that you basically create a a 207 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: class structure where there are just people out there who 208 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: are you know, executives and that's what they do, and 209 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: then you have people out there who are just developers. 210 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: It's actually very socialistic in nature, it is, you know, 211 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: uh Parkinson. Yeah. So there's another dude, an English historian. 212 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: His name is C. Northcote, c Northcote Parkinson, great name, 213 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: thank you, uh. And he wrote in the Economist magazine 214 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty five his first law, which was work 215 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: expands so as to fill time available for its completion. 216 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 1: I think most people have heard this, and I think 217 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: I might agree with the guy. Oh yeah, if you 218 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: give somebody a week to do a project, they'll take 219 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: a week. If you give them two days, they'll get 220 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: it done in two days. Same project too, Yeah exactly. Yeah, 221 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: so like Murphy's law. Yeah, it's an unnatural law. Exactly. Um. 222 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 1: So yeah, what the white chuck just mentioned that is 223 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: because um, one of the there's actually a contrary theory 224 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: to um, the Peter principle. It was this lazare. Yeah, okay, 225 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: that's the he wrote, I'm sorry, an article not a book, 226 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: called the Peter principal a theory of decline, and he 227 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: put the uh the onus uh for responsibility onto the 228 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: employee rather than an incompetent manager who incompetently promote somebody 229 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: who shouldn't be right. He said that what happens is 230 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: you have your average employee who's looking for that promotion, 231 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: probably because they want more money, right. Probably, so they're 232 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: they're working, work and work and working like you know, 233 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: eighty hour weeks and um, just putting in all this time, 234 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: neglecting family, all that. Um. And once that, once that's noticed, 235 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: after a certain amount of time, usually they will get 236 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,839 Speaker 1: a promotion. The thing is, it's not that's not sustainable. Behavior. Right, Well, 237 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: that's when the trouble hits. You rest on your laurels 238 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: once you finally hit that promotion. Yeah, and once you've 239 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: gotten the salary. Because again, businesses don't have any kind 240 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: of fail safe put into knock you back down. When 241 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,839 Speaker 1: you do do that, right, you either get fired or 242 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: you just keep doing the same job. And most likely 243 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: you're not gonna get fired, just gonna do a mediocre job. 244 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 1: But Lazarre Lazier said that it was the employees basically 245 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: creating a deception that made people who shouldn't be promoted 246 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: promoted because they're being promoted based on their work ethic. 247 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: That was actually an artificial work ethic. Right. That's kind 248 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 1: of cool too. I like all this stuff. I thought 249 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: you hated this article. Oh, I was just pulling your leg. 250 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: You shouldn't toy with me. It's much it's much more 251 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: interesting when we talk about it than when I read it. 252 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: To be honest, I agree. I agree, Chuck. We've taken 253 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: some kind of fluffy articles and done some things we 254 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: should you know we should do. We should start a podcast. 255 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: What a good you like talking about? I don't even 256 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: know what a podcast is, dude. Uh, you know, the 257 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: Peter principal also doesn't just apply to employees, right, it 258 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: applies to innovation as well, right buddy, Yeah, it's it's 259 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: the same exact principle. And this was an essay called 260 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: the Peter Principle of Innovation by Nitton. I've never heard 261 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: that word. Nitton Bore Bore one car. Yeah, what a 262 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: great name. And um he basically said, the same thing 263 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: applies to innovation young he or she um proposed as 264 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: the a young company has room to innovate, producing new ideas, 265 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 1: advancing old ideas, and the same thing happens. At some point, 266 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: the innovation turns stagnant. Yeah, but then the reason why 267 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: it turns stagnant is because eventually you hit a home 268 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: run and you say, okay, well this one thing we 269 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: just did just made us a billion dollars, let's keep 270 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: doing it over and over again, and everything else kind 271 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: of falls to the wayside. So yeah, innovation becomes stagnant. 272 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: What happens is the people who are still innovators go 273 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: off found their own company and do the same thing, 274 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: and it just keeps happening exponentially, this cycle of innovation 275 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: and stagnation. Like I think Google will probably a good example. 276 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: It's like they've completely mastered search on the Internet at 277 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: this point, seemingly, and they've innovated their company structure in 278 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: their company model to a point where people have left 279 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: Google and started their own company. Sure, I I don't. 280 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: I don't know that it's a lack of innovation, though 281 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: they do a lot of I don't think they've hit 282 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: stagnation yet. You don't think so? No, man, They're throwing 283 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: so much money at new ideas, and um, They've got 284 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: like the Google Reader, where they're trying to scan every 285 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: book in existence and right on the web for free. 286 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: There's the Google take Over the Planet project, where in 287 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: they're all going to put microchips in our brain while 288 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: we're sleeping. Star Yeah, the Death Star. Yeah. Um, so yeah, 289 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: I think they're still innovative now, they are in different directions. 290 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: I think I was probably just thinking of the base 291 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: Google basement. But yeah, you're totally Chuck. We were talking 292 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: about ways to fight the period principle, and there's actually 293 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: one more way and that's actually, uh the up to 294 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: the employee what to just have to go get them 295 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: to uh to do good work. No, No, it's to 296 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: have the smart and wherewith all to actually say, you 297 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: know what, this guy is about to promote me into 298 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: my level of incompetence and I'm not gonna do it. 299 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: Think again, buddy, So you can just turn down and promotion. Yeah, 300 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: but it's so unheard of in the state. It goes 301 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: back to the money thing. Now, if it was the 302 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: kind of thing where they would give someone raises with 303 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: out the promotion, I think people might be more inclined 304 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: to do that. Well, yeah, he has to go hand 305 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: in hand with the companion piece, which is living without 306 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: as much money as you could have did. I'd be 307 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,880 Speaker 1: all over that more money and less responsibility. I think 308 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: that the Peter principal actually did speak to my debt 309 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: because he loved drafting. He loved drawing h V A 310 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: C aspects right, that was his thing, and actually towards 311 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: the end of his career he got tired of h 312 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: V A C. So he went over and learned refrigeration, 313 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: which was apparently totally different. I would have thought that 314 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: had fallen and fall into the same category, but I 315 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,880 Speaker 1: guess not um. But he after like thirty forty years, 316 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: he got bored with h V A C. But he 317 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 1: didn't try to move up. He just went to refrigeration. 318 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: And he actually I don't know if he ever turned 319 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 1: down a promotion or not, but he made it very 320 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: well known that he was quite happy doing what he 321 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: was doing. He did well for himself. Um, and he 322 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: never became an executive. He he just didn't want to. So, 323 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it can be done. And I'm wondering just 324 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 1: how much of an effect or impact the Peter principal 325 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: reading the book had on. But yeah, this is called 326 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: Peter's perry, which is basically turning down a promotion. If 327 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: you don't have the guts to turn out promotion um, 328 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: or if your spouse would murder you if if he 329 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,479 Speaker 1: or she found out that you turned down to promotion, UM, 330 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: you can actually self sabotage. Yeah. Do you want to 331 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: hear a couple of examples that Peter gives, Yeah, I'd 332 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: love to. One is, um, basically wearing too much Perfumer cologne. 333 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: Really nobody wants to be around you like that, you know, 334 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 1: but it's not so it's not such an obvious uh 335 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: social miss grace, disgrace. They're gonna say anything I love. Yeah, 336 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: I know what you're gonna say. Go ahead, parking in 337 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: the company president's reserve parking space. Yeah again, you're you're 338 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: just showing like I don't really care. I'm not going 339 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 1: to look out for you unnecessarily. My favorite one is 340 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: to kind of subtly give the impression that you lead 341 00:18:54,320 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: a morally questionable personal life. Yeah, which we do every 342 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: week twice a week. Actually, I might have a bit 343 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: of self sabotage and you think me too, So, Chuck, 344 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: either one of us want to manage anyone. You know. 345 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: I was avoiding that because you know, I I the Perry. 346 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: I fell on one side. I did I go to 347 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: the self sabotage side. I don't want to manage anybody either, Chuck. Now, 348 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: I have a hard hard time managing myself and you. 349 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: So there you got Peter principal. Peter principle. It's done. 350 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: If you want to learn more about it, or if 351 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: you basically want to read the article, Chuck it I 352 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: just covered a hundred and ten percent. You can go 353 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: to how stuff works dot com, our beloved website and 354 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 1: type Peter principle into the handy search bar, which means, 355 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: since I just said handy search bar, that it's time 356 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: for listener mail. Listener mail, Josh, I'm gonna call this 357 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 1: one frightening listener mail. Oh yeah, I don't know if 358 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: you've read this one, because you usually email me and 359 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: say did you read this one? And I didn't get 360 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: that on this one, Okay. I I'm writing to share 361 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: an experience I've had in this related to the Dejabu episode. 362 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: And this is from Drowsy Doug and his Dreadful Dreams 363 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: in Portland, Oregon, Grove Doug So Doug says, at times 364 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: when I'm sleeping, my mind wakes in the middle of 365 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: the night, but my body does not. My eyes open, 366 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: and I can see the bedroom from a sideways angle, 367 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 1: the dark shadows of the dresser, of the tree outside 368 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: the window, of my arms and legs curled up below me. 369 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: Yet I cannot move. The frightening thing it's already frightening, 370 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: to ask me. The frightening thing about this is that 371 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: though my mind is aware of the reality of my situation, 372 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: it vacillates in and out of the subconscious, creating visions. 373 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: It seem all too real. So he goes on for 374 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: a minute here, but I'm gonna skipped down one particular moment, 375 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: which stands up my mind is this. I opened my 376 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 1: eyes in the middle of the night. I was lying 377 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: in my bed on my back, paralyzed, watching the image 378 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,159 Speaker 1: of someone standing at the foot of my bed in 379 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: a pig suit. What yes, in a costume animal. I 380 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: was waiting for that, because he actually put that in parentheticals. 381 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: I know that I had my eyes open because I 382 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: slowly came to consciousness the pig man fading into the 383 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: darkness like a blurry image, and I hadn't closed my 384 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: eyes the whole time. It was as if my mind 385 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: just projected and imagine image onto what I was actually seeing. 386 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: Once I even got up from my own bed, walked 387 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: into the bathroom, and in the darkness, the reflection of 388 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: my own face was stretched and contorted, and I was 389 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: bleeding black liquid out of my mouth. But then I 390 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: woke up and I was fine. So drowsy Doug says, Now, 391 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: I'm sure you get lots of weirdos writing you, but 392 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: I assure you I'm a pretty normal guy all except 393 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: for this terrifying waking nightmare syndrome. I don't believe in 394 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: possession or ghosts or anything like that, so I'm not 395 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: supposing the supernatural yet. The occurrence of these dreams both 396 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,679 Speaker 1: fascinates and terrifies me. I've come to recognize the exact 397 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: creeping feeling of it coming on. Yet by that point 398 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: there's nothing I can do but try to talk myself 399 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: in the waking. Is this common? Have you ever heard 400 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 1: of this? And why can't they be about Hollywood hotties 401 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: and not strangers and pig suits? So like, why can't 402 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: I see Giselle at the Yeah? Some he actually does 403 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: suffer from a recognized condition, and sadly I don't know 404 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: what it is. Yeah, it sounds called but when you 405 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: when your mind wakes before your body does, this is 406 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: pretty bad conscious of of your surroundings. It is a 407 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 1: recognized condition. Seeing first suitors, um is, I don't know 408 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: what that is. And seeing yourself bleed like black ooze. Yeah, 409 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: it sounds like there's a lot of self loathing. It's frightening. 410 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: Such your arm chair psychotrop Yeah, I literally have my 411 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: arm on a chair right now. Um. And then I 412 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: asked him if you've seen the movie Donnie Darko, because 413 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if you saw that, but it was 414 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: very reminiscent of that. So a guy in a rabbit 415 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: suit and Frank the Rabbit, which is one of my 416 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: favorite movies. That's a great movie, is so well done 417 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: and so drowsy. Doug, dude, good luck. Wish we could 418 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: help you. I wish we could help Doug too. If 419 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: anybody out there has any clues to Doug's mystery, any 420 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: suggestions on maybe what Doug do eg drink Balerian root 421 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: key and hope for the best, that kind of thing, um, 422 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: just email us at stuff podcast at how stuff works 423 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 424 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot com. Want more how 425 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: stuff works, check out our blogs on the how stuff 426 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: works dot com home page. Brought to you by the 427 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you