Rote Learning, Nightmare Bosses & Ortega's Mag Mile Purchase

“Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory.”

-Leonardo da Vinci

To conduct. Llevar, dirigir (en inglés, la idea aquí es: “to direct the course of”)
To appeal to. Apelar a

I discussed this comment last week during Who Said That?, the segment where I share quotations by famous people pronounced throughout history.

I particularly got a kick out of this quotation by Leonardo da Vinci. It immediately made me think of rote learning and how much I dislike it. Rote learning refers to learning something in a mechanical way; pure memorization of a subject rather than attempting to really understand it. Da Vinci’s quote brought to mind people whose arguments are simply based on what other people (in this case “authorities”) say, or have said on the topic. I say, who cares? It’s what you think that matters in an argument.

I get a kick out of (something). Me emociona, me encanta, me entusiasma

In Business, last week I discussed ways to cope with a nightmare boss. Hopefully, none of you have one (a nightmare boss), however it’s always good to have some tools available that can help confront this problem – some of which include:

Understanding your boss. Not surprisingly, this subordinate / manager clash is often due to differences of personality. Try putting yourself in your boss’s shoes. This will deepen your understanding of what he or she experiences on a daily basis.

Understanding yourself. While working here in Spain on an assignment for the Boston Globe newspaper, the U.S. bureau chief and I found ourselves doing some research in Tarragona.

During lunch we began a somewhat philosophical conversation on self-knowledge, at which point he reminded me of the advice given by Master Po to Kwai Chang Caine in the TV series Kung Fu: you are as others see you; you are as you see yourself; and you are as you are. Wow. Profound. Thank you Master Po. Yet, it’s pretty true.

Well, this is helpful in dealing with a nightmare boss: understanding how you are. Let’s say, for example, that you value attention to detail and your boss is a “big picture” person. If every time you approach your boss to ask for detailed information you are focusing on his or her weaknesses. So it’s not surprising that your boss will turn into a nightmare for you! Obviously, the idea here is to determine certain behavior patterns that your boss demonstrates and accommodate yourself to them.

To cope with. Poder con
Clash. Choque
To be (put yourself) in someone’s shoes. Hallarse en el pellejo de alguien
To deepen. Aumentar (conocimientos)
Assignment. Tarea, misión
Somewhat. Algo, un tanto
To approach. Dirigirse a (persona)
To accommodate (yourself to circumstances). Adaptarse a las circunstancias

Being from Chicago, one story that caught my eye was Amancio Ortega’s purchase last month of high-priced retail property on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. It’s located at 730- 750 North Michigan Avenue and has 217,000 square feet (some 20,160 square meters). The headline read, “Spanish mogul snags key corner,” which led me to briefly discuss the verb “snag” on yesterday’s program. I think a good translation of the word “snag” into Spanish, as it’s used figuratively in this context, would be “pillar.” As in “Magnate español pilla esquina importante.” Of course, the literal sense of the word “snag” is “enganchar” whose meaning I learned as a kid when I went on my first fishing trip. As many novice fishermen soon learn, it’s not unusual for your fishing line to get snagged in a tree, on a rock or in some seaweed when learning how to fish.

To catch one’s eye. Llamar a uno la atención
Purchase. Compra
Retail. Venta al por menor
Headline. Titular
Whose. Cuyo/a
Fishing line. Sedal
Seaweed. Alga marina

The property that Mr. Ortega purchased is located on the Magnificent Mile (or, as we say in Chicago, the “Mag Mile”), which is Chicago’s upscale residential and shopping district; most of which is located on Michigan Avenue. It appears that Mr. Ortega was lucky in his purchase, because last summer buyers were unable to acquire the same property when their deal with the owners fell apart. They had offered the same amount that Mr. Ortega ended up paying: $350 million. I was surprised to hear about this, especially in light of the decline in commercial property values in the United States. It just goes to show you that Chicago’s Mag Mile is still hot real estate property. The purchase represents Mr. Ortega’s first investment in Chicago. I presume he’ll use the space to put in a Zara.

Upscale. Exclusivo
To fall apart. Desbaratarse
To end up. Terminar / acabar
In light of. En vista de / considerando
Hot. De moda
To presume. Suponer

Published by: Drew Crosby