Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

can't go very far to change our seeing without simultaneously changing our
being, and vice versa.
Even in my apparently instantaneous paradigm-shifting experience that
morning on the subway, my change of vision was a result of -- and limited by --
my basic character.
I'm sure there are people who, even suddenly understanding the true
situation, would have felt no more than a twinge of regret or vague guilt as they
continued to sit in embarrassed silence beside the grieving, confused man. On
the other hand, I am equally certain there are people who would have been far
more sensitive in the first place, who may have recognized that a deeper problem
existed and reached out to understand and help before I did.
Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see
the world. The power of a Paradigm Shift is the essential power of quantum
change, whether that shift is an instantaneous or a slow and deliberate process.
The Principle-Centered Paradigm
The character ethic is based on the fundamental idea that there are principles
that govern human effectiveness -- natural laws in the human dimension that are
just as real, just as unchanging and unarguably “there” as laws such as gravity
are in the physical dimension.
An idea of the reality -- and the impact -- of these principles can be captured
in another paradigm-shifting experience as told by Frank Kock in Proceedings,
the magazine of the Naval Institute.
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on
maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead
battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor
with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all
activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light,
bearing on the starboard bow.”
“Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out.
Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous
collision course with that ship.
The captain then called to the signal man, “Signal that ship: We are on a
collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.”
Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.”
The captain said, “Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees.”
“I'm a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course
20 degrees.”
By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send, I'm a battleship.