by Rabbi Effie Kleinberg
I have a question for you: Which internet browser are you using right now to read this reflection? Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, or Google Chrome? If you are using Explorer or Safari, you will want to keep reading this; if you are using Chrome or Firefox, you may want to continue reading simply to appreciate and understand more about why your choice of browser puts you into a different category than many people in our society.
In 2009, Michael Housman, the chief analytics officer at Cornerstone OnDemand, a company that sells software to help companies retain and recruit employees, presented the results of a study which showed how something as seemingly insignificant as one’s internet browser choice could indicate how successful that person would be in their professional lives. The company distributed a 45-minute job-assessment survey to 50,000 people who were subsequently hired at a firm using the company’s software.The candidates ended up working in sales or customer-service jobs in various industries. The study showed that people who completed the test using Firefox or Chrome, performed better in their jobs, and ended up staying in their jobs for 15 percent longer than those who had completed the test using Explorer or Safari.
How could a person’s internet browser choice have such a significant impact on their professional career? Wharton School of Business Professor Adam Grant, in his fantastic book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move The World, shares his insight on this study. Grant argues that the difference between Chrome/Firefox users and Explorer/Safari users is the difference between people who simply accept the default they are handed versus those who reject the default they are handed and seek out alternatives. Chrome/Firefox are browsers that must be downloaded to a user’s device, whereas Explorer/Safari are pre-installed on our machines, whether you are a PC or Mac user, respectively.
Grant’s point was not that if you download a different browser after reading this that you will immediately enjoy renewed success and/or longevity in your professional life, but rather, this curious data result pointed to a certain way of thinking and living. If you are someone who has said to yourself or your children, “I wonder if there is a different way to accomplish that”, with this statement, you are introducing nuance and originality; a fresh perspective.
Rejecting the defaults in our lives allows us to see the people and the world around through a different lens. Grant calls this life approach vujà dé, as opposed to déjà vu, which is when we encounter something for the first time but it seems that we have seen it before. Vujà dé is when we encounter something or someone for the upteenth time and we attempt to see it or them with fresh eyes.
A new Jewish and school year is upon us, and with it arrives the opportunity and challenge to encounter more vujà dé experiences in our lives. When your child comes home from school today, how will you greet them? Will you default into yesterday’s line of questioning, or will you reject the default and approach your children differently? When in conflict with our children, how easy is it is to fall back on our defaults? We all know the answer to that question. But, oh how refreshing it would be to add a little vujà dé into resolving the conflict! For the new year, let us resolve to not falling back on the defaults of yesterday, last week, and last year, and through our efforts, may we see our children continue to succeed and rise up.
Shana Tova!
Ephraim Kleinberg is Director of Educational Technology and Religious Growth at Ulpanat Orot
