Death and Taxes (Beta)

A 13-model personality test based on……The Mother of all 2x2s

Venkatesh Rao

vgr@ribbonfarm.com

Useful but not essential prerequisites…Links are to blog posts of 2000-4000 words each, unless otherwise noted. This is about a day’s worth of reading.

1. How to Fall off the Wagon 2. Bruce Sterling Reboot talk (video, ~40 mins)3. Wikipedia page on John Boyd’s Energy-Maneuverability theory4. A Dent in the Universe5. Product-Driven versus Customer-Driven6. The Exercise of Authoritah7. The Interesting Times Triangle8. James Carse, Finite and Infinite Games (book – this Wikipedia summary should do it)9. The Economics of Pricelessness10. Take the Myers-Briggs test (find a free or paid version you like)11. You are Not an Artisan12. The Adjacency Fallacy AND/OR Nakatomi Space13. The Cactus and the Weasel14. Wikipedia page on Jane Jacobs Systems of Survival (Guardian vs. Commerce)

The 13 models that follow have all been rudely shoved into this 2x2

Take a moment to think about the opposed pairs of axis labelsSkip the models you don’t understand in the rest of the deck

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10

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Q1 (3 points) Q2 (2 points) Q4 (2 points) Q3 (1 point)

Cognitive Orientation Laughter of Gods

Profanity Sacredness Acting Dead

Energy Dynamics PE up, KE up PE down, KE up PE up, KE down PE down, KE down

Creative Instinct Dent in universe Customer driven Product driven Insurance

Life Script Make beauty Make money Make sense Do nothing

Game Orientation Infinite Finite Finite Game exit

Marketing Instincts No signaling Incentive-based Hypocritical Mortality based

Being and Doing Make things live Make things work

Make things significant

Preserve things

Structure of Habits Mindful Hacking Ritual Procedural

Structure of Goals Creative-Destructive

Destructive Creative Preservative

Interpersonal Mode Imaginative Pragmatic Idealistic Preservative

Views and Holds Very Zen Fox Hedgehog Weasel or Cactus

Subtotals

Circle grand total range 33 25-32 18-24 10-18

LIAR/DELUDED Approach Mode Retreat Mode Stayin’ Alive

We’re not done yet

Approach Mode: You are running towards lifeRetreat Mode: You are running away from life

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Enter 1 to 10 Math! Enter 1 to 10

L X=R+L Y=R-L R

Q1 – Q2 Cynicism:____ Curiosity:____

Q2 – Q3 Resignation:____ Restlessness:____

Q3 – Q4 Guilt/Shame:____ Anger:____

Q4 – Q1 Fear:____ Doubt:____

Circle the BIGGEST NUMBER in the Y column: This is your OUTER STRUGGLECircle the BIGGEST NUMBER in the X column: This is your INNER STRUGGLE

If your outer struggle is defined by a NEGATIVE number, you are falling off the wagonIf your outer struggle is defined by a POSITIVE number, you are getting back ont he wagon

We’re still not done yet…NOTE THE COLOR OF YOUR OUTER STRUGGLE ROW AND…

Use your color to figure out whether you are a reformer or a disruptor

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NOW we’re done.

This is all very beta.

Comments and suggestions to vgr@ribbonfarm.com

I’m developing versions for corporations/cities/nations.

Email if interested in giving me lots of money to speed those versions up.