Fri 18 Jul 2008
Commitment and the “Tower of Doom”
Posted by admin under Uncategorized
Back in 1987 North Korea constructed a Soviet-era looking, pyramid-shaped, high-riser hotel. It was built to compete with South Korea as it prepared to host the Olympics. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, the funding for the hotel disappeared (to the relief of architects around the world), and it’s been sitting in the middle of Pyongyang collecting dust. North Korean officials even tried to airbrush it out of photos of the city.
Sure, the North Koreans could have admitted their blunder, cut their losses, and invited in the demolition team. But instead they recently hired an Egyptian firm to continue construction work on the hotel. This might be a classic case of commitment to a lost cause, but psychologically speaking, it’s more painful to admit to an embarrassing disaster than to march down a familiar path. We can all recall times in our own lives when we’ve built such symbolic “towers,” and how long did we remain committed to their completion?
August 19th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Interesting book. I finished it in the car yesterday and despite the fact that the NY State Through Way has internet, it is only at the rest stops… As I was going to pull up a few of the links in the end notes, it occurred to me that instead of providing links like http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3660 it might be better to provide permalinks (if possible–this one doesn’t have one) and to use something like tinyurl so that when typing it is shorter.
FWIW
August 21st, 2008 at 1:06 am
What an eyesore. And who would want to stay there?
I just popped over here, after your book was recommended by a friend. After looking through this blog, I can see it’s going to be well worth reading.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:42 am
I enjoyed the book. Well done! Speaking of Towers of Doom, you guys have left the world’s religions out of the commentary. Religion has to be the leading example of irrationality and sway. Perhaps an observation or two from the long list of missguided actions would be in order. On the other hand, maybe letting others make this obvious connection is a smarter and safer.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
The U.S. congress just passed a bailout bill that reminds me of the problem. Bush and buddies convinced the congress that bailing out the investment banks and hedge funds and other investors will save the system……but the actions won’t and the congress people who voted for the bailout are now married to the government gamble that will loose.
There are similarities to the vote for the Iraq war too…..once convinced to vote for something so fundamental they can NOT back out…………and no matter what evidence is presented as to how they voted wrong they can not cut their losses………..and take thousands of lives on the U.S. and many many more thousands of the Iraqi…
McCain is in fact the best example!
(from where have all the flowers gone)
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:10 am
I guess I have to disagree with the ‘tower’ irrationality. You make it sound so simple, like buying and selling stocks/bonds on paper.
The structure is the result of significant expenditure of resources and materials. Fundamentally I would find it preposterous to simply demolish it. Putting it to use (whatever use) seems more pragmatic than irrational.
Visually … commanding element of the skyline (to say the least). Out of scale maybe? In its unfinished state, it is difficult otherwise to necessarily label it ugly. The form is as valid as any architecture.
Maybe its conceptualization is irrational … difficult to say w/ the limited information. Possibly the ressurection is also irrational … but again, with the limite information and viewpoint offered, making use of the resource that is already in place seems to me to be a rational concept. To suggest the only rational thing is to literally throw it away bothers me.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Looks like a roller coaster. And it makes the other buildings look insignificant. Hover, would it be more eco friendly to use it, than demolish it?
March 18th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I recently read Rom’s blog about being picky. I really liked the blog entry.
I am wondering if there is any literature out there (any studies) that have been done showing how being picky (in matters other than choosing a mate such as food, or having more preferences in general) relates to self-esteem.