Business Buddhism

One time a caller explained that he runs his engine before filling in new oil, so that all of the old oil really gets cleaned out. Tom’s and Ray’s response “I like that you are thinking, but remember the saying: If you don’t think too good, don’t think too much!”

When someone called Click & Clack, they had a good chance at being called “a moron” and a 100% assurance of being laughed at. Tom & Ray on air were not just witty. Their warmth towards each other and callers was such that we all participated in the relief that comes from recognizing that we are all morons. Frequently telling stories of their own follies and yanking each other’s chain they allowed everyone else to come forward with their vulnerability. The car issue at hand was the hook for callers to share insecurity. Cars – maybe still an unsurpassed symbol of status and identity – were the perfect platform for a dialogue about “what kind of person are you?”, “how do you conduct your relationships?”, “what kind of communication and action is authentic to you?” Their answer: Tom’s laugh invited us to not take ourselves too seriously and to compassionately share our fallibility with each other.

Thank you for the countless laughs and the warm fuzzy feeling!

Here’s one piece of their brilliant thinking from http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=more&story=car-talk-car-features&referer=&year=

Features we’d like to see in all cars:
10. ‘Sorry!’ Button
Is there anything that we need more on the roads today than a “Sorry!” button? We often do bad or dumb things when we drive, and we have no way to communicate remorse. It might just lead to a little more civility.

As it stands now, when you tick off another driver, he or she has little choice but to remind you that you’re a moron. Then you have to retaliate with a clever retort like, “Oh, yeah? Well, you’re a moron, too!” Say you’re sorry, though, and you break the cycle. A “Sorry!” button could defuse a lot of otherwise explosive situations — not to mention, it would generate a good deal of karma.

While we’re at it, we’d like to have two buttons, “Sorry!” and “You jerk!” Except when you press the “Jerk” button … your car still says, “I’m sorry!” Nice, huh? We thought so.