Vantage Point with Eli Amdur

Eli Amdur
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Philosophy

This is … VANTAGE POINT The podcast for critical thinkers. Where we make sense of – and excel in – our lives, our jobs, and our world. We’re not political, just critical. **************** Thanks for joining in the first of our inaugural episodes. I’m your host, Eli Amdur. VANTAGE POINT, the podcast for critical thinkers, will bring you: 1. One major commentary. 2. Timely, relevant observations and advice. 3. Eli’s aphorisms – short, pithy, and insightful. 4. Thoughts from great minds in history – and a question to ponder. 5. “What if?” Exciting contemporary ideas. Additionally, from time to time we’ll interview exciting thought leaders from many fields. VANTAGE POINT has one objective: To help make you better, more competitive, and more fulfilled by constantly improving your critical thinking.

  1. 4d ago

    Steal Eleven Days From People and Watch What Happens

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. In 1752, Britain's calendar reform erased eleven days overnight - no one actually lost a minute of life, but the country rioted anyway. Eli unpacks why the mere idea of missing time was enough to make people lose their minds, and why Ben Franklin was the only one who didn't blink. In this episode Why did September 3rd through 13th, 1752 never happen; What was the act of British Parliament that replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian; Why did Londoners riot and demand their eleven days back; What did Benjamin Franklin say about the eleven missing days, and how old was he really; Which countries still use a calendar other than the Gregorian today; What if Ben Franklin had stayed in Boston instead of moving to Philadelphia; What did Thomas Jefferson say when told he was replacing Franklin in Paris. This episode is supported by Major Sponsor Bergen Volunteers, neighbors serving neighbors across 70 towns in Bergen County since 1966. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  2. Aug 31

    Will You Recognize the Next Great Idea?

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Suppose every idea reached you anonymously, judged only on its merit. How many of the ones you'd actually accept come from the sources you'd never have expected? In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 13 of Eli's aphorisms, Dr. Jonas Salk, born 1914 in New York to European Jewish immigrant parents, gave the world the polio vaccine and wiped the disease off the face of the earth, Dr. Jonas Salk, Alan C. "Ace" Greenberg, and Fred Hassan, longtime chairman of Schering-Plough from great minds, a "What If?" to ponder. Eli’s Aphorisms “Turning education over to AI and robots will be about as effective as kissing through a glass window.” “Doing well and doing good are not the same thing, but they go together very nicely.” “Go ahead and make mistakes — just don't do anything stupid." (Fred Hassan, longtime chairman of Schering-Plough, built research teams unafraid of "grand mistakes," as long as nobody did anything stupid.)” “When you think you're thinking out of the box, look around — you may just be in a bigger box.” “This is not about throwing the old sources out. It's about letting the new ones in.” “Go ahead and make mistakes. Just don't do anything stupid. Mistakes are good when they serve as learning events.” “Because you never know where the next great idea is going to come from. And you don't want to miss it.” “Cognitive biases lead to perceptual distortion, narrowed options, faulty judgment, and lost opportunities.” “Leaders not only have to think out of the box — they have to make sure they're just not in a bigger box.” “Truly original ideas come from more places, arise and develop much faster, and reach much farther than ever before.” “Our biases aren't easy to shed, but shed them we must.” “Greenberg wasn't arguing against education. He was arguing against credentialism.” “Don't ask where this person went to school. Ask: is this person smart, hungry, resourceful, and determined to succeed?” From Great Minds “while his medical-school classmates went into private practice and made fortunes, he went into research instead. When Salk's own lawyers told him, on the eve of release, that he hadn't patented the vaccine and a patent would take another year, he shut the conversation down: a year of delay meant roughly 60,000 more cases of polio, many fatal, many in children. The vaccine shipped in 1954 with no patent. Eli was part of the final human trial as a first-grader — he got the real vaccine, not the placebo, and keeps his Polio Pioneer card on his desk. Salk's own words: "Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors." Eli names Kizzmekia Corbett, who led the final work on the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and was scooped up by Harvard within days of the announcement, as a Salk for our own time.” — Dr. Jonas Salk, born 1914 in New York to European Jewish immigrant parents, gave the world the polio vaccine and wiped the disease off the face of the earth “Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” — Dr. Jonas Salk “The firm wanted people not with an MBA, but with PSD degrees — poor, smart, and a deep desire to become rich.” — Alan C. "Ace" Greenberg “When we built research teams, we built with people who were not afraid to make mistakes. We call them grand mistakes — just as long as we don't do anything stupid.” — Fred Hassan, longtime chairman of Schering-Plough What If? July 11, 1804 — the duel between Vice President Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, who as much as anyone built the country from its founding: the Treasury Department, the idea of public debt, the U.S. Coast Guard and later the Navy, the Bank of New York, the New York Post, trusted advisor to George Washington. Hamilton was also almost always right and never held his tongue about it, which cost him — an immigrant from St. Kitts and Nevis at age eleven, product of a mixed-race, illegitimate marriage, scrappy and unpopular with the era's power players. He pushed Burr to the point of challenge. On the field at Weehawken, New Jersey, both men insisted on standing for themselves rather than sending seconds; they took ten paces, turned, and fired. Hamilton missed. Burr didn't. Hamilton was barged back across the river to his home in lower Manhattan and died the next day. What if Burr had missed instead? Eli isn't a historian and won't pretend to be one, but he'll leave you with this: had Hamilton lived — a most persuasive arguer, the kind of man who won people over simply by spending time with them — there very likely would have been a President Alexander Hamilton, and probably no Civil War. This episode is supported by Vantage Point's Executive Sponsor, Stephen Bozer, SVP of Human Health at Flavine. Also supported by Major Sponsor Bergen Volunteers, neighbors serving neighbors across 70 towns in Bergen County since 1966. Also supported by Major Sponsor Kardam Consulting, strategic counsel for the business of making medicine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  3. Aug 24

    The Power of the Positive Word

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Two nearly identical New Jersey towns put nearly identical open-space questions on the same ballot. One passed, one failed. The only difference anyone can find is the wording. In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 3 of Eli's aphorisms, Abraham Maslow from great minds, a "What If?" to ponder. Eli’s Aphorisms “Not all great communicators can lead, but all great leaders can communicate." (earned over 15 years teaching Executive Communication and Leadership at Fairleigh Dickinson University)” “The most important thing you can do with your life is something that will outlast you.” “Judging by recent politics, one is tempted to challenge Darwin's theory of evolution.” From Great Minds “You will either step forward into growth or fall backward into safety." Eli's terse comment: falling backward is precisely what has happened over the last ten to twenty years, and it is why so little progress is being made in schools, education systems and social services — those who resist the teaching of challenging books, who want parents rather than professionals running boards of education, who are afraid to move forward. Throughout history we have stepped forward into growth and backward into safety, and deciding to do something about it is what this podcast is. Maslow also pledged his faith in the species: human beings have wonderful possibilities and inscrutable depths. There is nothing we cannot accomplish; we just have to do it.” — Abraham Maslow What If? D-Day, June 6, 1944. Eisenhower launched Operation Overlord across Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, and as bloody as it was it succeeded — though it should not have, because Erwin Rommel, perhaps the most accomplished general in the world at the time, had everything he needed to defeat it. What he did not have was authority. Thirty kilometers away sat a battalion of panzers with air support and ammunition trains, and Rommel could not release them; he had to ask von Rundstedt, who was in Paris buying birthday shoes for his wife, and who in any case could not go over Hitler's head because Hitler was asleep under standing orders not to be woken before noon. By noon the invasion was six hours old. Hitler signed the release at eleven that night. Meanwhile FDR, Churchill, George Marshall and the King of England had given Eisenhower their complete confidence and full command of the battle, and his objectives — fifty yards inland to the first crossroads, to a barn — were met. What if the authority had run the other way? It very easily could have. This episode is supported by Vantage Point's Executive Sponsor, Stephen Bozer, SVP of Human Health at Flavine. Also supported by Major Sponsor Bergen Volunteers, neighbors serving neighbors across 70 towns in Bergen County since 1966. Also supported by Major Sponsor Kardam Consulting, strategic counsel for the business of making medicine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  4. Aug 19

    Don't Expect to Be Spoon-Fed

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Three months in, a listener asked where the how-to instructions were. Answering that question would have sabotaged the whole point. In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 8 of Eli's aphorisms, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. from great minds, a "What If?" to ponder. Eli’s Aphorisms “When you're driving the herd, it's a good idea once in a while to look over your shoulder to see if the herd is still there.” “Never interrupt your competitor or enemy when he's making a mistake.” “There are six frogs on a log. Five decide to jump off. How many are left? Six — because deciding to do something and actually doing it are two different things altogether.” “Not one step of progress of humans on this planet has ever been made within anyone's comfort zone.” “Critical thinking is all about the future, but many of its lessons are found in the past.” “Don't expect to be spoon-fed, because then you wouldn't be thinking independently or constructively.” “The real measure of success is not in the data. It's in my inbox.” “We wanted a place where curiosity mattered more than certainty.” From Great Minds “A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. What If? The Columbian Exchange — the potato, tobacco, and chocolate going east, chocolate once valued above gold and hoarded by kings and queens; the horse, steel, guns, germs, and Christianity coming west, remaking warfare, economies, and the art of two continents. Columbus matters not because he discovered a place where indigenous people had lived for thousands of years, but because he facilitated the exchange. What if he had veered off on one of his three voyages looking for India and never arrived here at all? This episode is supported by Bergen Volunteers. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  5. Aug 10

    Becoming Great Is a Decision, Not a Happenstance

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Critical thinking from an unusual angle — sports. Sandy Koufax, and why you should quit trying to be better than others and only try to be continuously better than yourself. In this episode The Sandy Koufax story and why becoming great is a decision, 10 of Eli's aphorisms, G.K. Chesterton, Sandy Koufax, and Thomas J. Watson from great minds, and a "What If?" to ponder — what if the Dodgers had never left Brooklyn? Eli’s Aphorisms “When attitudes change, results change.” “If you learn something today you didn't know yesterday, you've had a good day. If not, you have a chance to change that tomorrow.” “Manage your business, but coach your people.” “Save the earth — it's the only planet with chocolate, for God's sakes.” “Quit trying to be better than others. Just try to continue to be better than you've been.” “Becoming great is a decision, a vision, not a happenstance.” “Being competitive is about you, not the other guy.” “If you will be fascinated by things, you will become fascinating. If you are in awe of things, you will become awesome.” “No matter your level of skills, you can do something about them immediately.” “Achievement depends as much on resolve as it does on talent and skills.” From Great Minds “We are perishing not for lack of wonders, but for lack of wonder.” — G.K. Chesterton “I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make hitters miss the ball and started making them try to hit it.” — Sandy Koufax “If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less than excellent work.” — Thomas J. Watson What If? Walter O'Malley, Ebbets Field, and the Dodgers going west — New York offers Queens instead of Brooklyn, O'Malley follows the population west where there was no baseball at all, and 14 teams now play west of the Mississippi. What if New York had built the Dodgers their Brooklyn stadium? This episode is supported by Bergen Volunteers. And by Kardam Consulting. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  6. Aug 3

    To Become a Great Writer, Never Stop Writing

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Ten practices to develop the gift — from Faulkner's 1,288-word sentence to your delete key. In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 12 of Eli's aphorisms, Albert Einstein and Akio Morita from great minds. Eli’s Aphorisms “Don't mistake motion for action.” “Management manages within paradigms. Leadership leads across paradigms.” “You can't whistle a symphony.” “If you let your customer talk long enough, he'll tell you what's wrong. If you listen longer, he'll tell you how to fix it.” “If you want to become a great writer, never stop writing.” “Never stop writing. Best single piece of advice I could ever give.” “Becoming a great writer is evolutionary in every Darwinian sense of the word.” “Editing is simple; revising is what turns a good piece into a great piece.” “Great writers are great readers.” “The big question is, are we using AI or is AI using us?” “Life is simple. It's never easy, but it's simple.” “When I read a particularly good passage, I read it a second time—the first for what was said, the second for how it was said.” From Great Minds “It's not because I'm smarter than anybody else. I'm infinitely more curious. When some people find a needle in a haystack, they stop looking. I look for more needles.” — Albert Einstein “Curiosity is the key to success.” — Akio Morita This episode is supported by Vantage Point's Executive Sponsor, Stephen Bozer, SVP of Human Health at Flavine. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  7. Jul 27

    If You Want to Be a Writer, Start Writing

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. The weighty, wonderful responsibility of putting words on a page — and the only way in. In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 11 of Eli's aphorisms, John Wooden, Pablo Casals, and Mark Twain (twice) from great minds, and a Christopher Columbus "What If?" to ponder. Eli’s Aphorisms “When we let go of who we are, we can become who we might be.” “Building a team is like holding a baby. You can't let go, not for one second.” “Everyone wants you to tell the truth ... until you do.” “If you wake up each day without a list of at least three meaningful things to do, you're either disorganized, disinterested, or pessimistic.” “If you want to be a writer, start writing without delay, and then don't stop.” “The more you do something, the more you have a chance at getting good at it.” “Constructive criticism is the opportunity to go to bed at night in a world that's better than it was when we entered it.” “Declare your love of and desire to write, and then work on the hows and the whys.” “As you practice it and develop the skill, you have to commit to getting better, and that means knowing and accepting your current level.” “The world is full of things that anyone can love. Writing is one of them.” “These things don't happen because they spill out of your pen or your keyboard. It takes an awful lot of work.” From Great Minds “Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” — John Wooden “Because I think I'm making progress.” — Pablo Casals “It usually takes me about three weeks to write a good impromptu speech.” — Mark Twain “A good book needs a good opening and a good ending, and the two need to be as close together as possible.” — Mark Twain What If? What if Christopher Columbus kept three different sets of ship logs — and the route history records isn't the route he actually sailed? This episode is supported by Vantage Point's Executive Sponsor, Stephen Bozer, SVP of Human Health at Flavine. Major Sponsor: Bergen Volunteers, neighbors helping neighbors across 70 Bergen County towns since 1966. Major Sponsor: Kardam Consulting, specialized pharmaceutical advisory, founded by George Svokos. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

  8. Jul 20

    Jevons Paradox: Perhaps Not a Paradox After All

    Vantage Point - the podcast for critical thinkers. Why making something more efficient makes us use more of it — and what that means for AI. In this episode A definition and a hard look at the episode's theme, plus 10 of Eli's aphorisms, Harold Geneen, George Bernard Shaw, Thomas J. Watson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from great minds. Eli’s Aphorisms “When something becomes more efficient to use, people often use more of it, not less.” “Decreased cost could lead to higher revenues.” “Every human discovery or invention has brought with it the conflict between could we and should we.” “With AI, the question is no longer could we or should we, but how far and how fast will it all happen?” “The certainty here is human nature.” “Readiness is more important than experience.” “As we evolve, we become more ego self-serving and conscious of it.” “Three parts of our psyches are in constant conflict.” “Examining the intramurals within the human psyche doesn't resolve the conflicts, but it does explain them.” “Could we gives way to should we, both as individuals and as members of a larger society.” From Great Minds “Leadership can never be taught. It can only be learned.” — Harold Geneen “It's a good idea from time to time to hang a question mark on things we have long taken for granted.” — George Bernard Shaw “If you want to do excellent work, you can begin right now by deciding to do excellent work.” — Thomas J. Watson “While the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate, he becomes a mathematical certainty.” — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle This episode is supported by Vantage Point's Executive Sponsor, Stephen Bozer, SVP of Human Health at Flavine. Major Sponsor: Bergen Volunteers, neighbors helping neighbors across 70 Bergen County towns since 1966. Major Sponsor: Kardam Consulting, specialized pharmaceutical advisory, founded by George Svokos. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. More at eliamdur.com.

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About

This is … VANTAGE POINT The podcast for critical thinkers. Where we make sense of – and excel in – our lives, our jobs, and our world. We’re not political, just critical. **************** Thanks for joining in the first of our inaugural episodes. I’m your host, Eli Amdur. VANTAGE POINT, the podcast for critical thinkers, will bring you: 1. One major commentary. 2. Timely, relevant observations and advice. 3. Eli’s aphorisms – short, pithy, and insightful. 4. Thoughts from great minds in history – and a question to ponder. 5. “What if?” Exciting contemporary ideas. Additionally, from time to time we’ll interview exciting thought leaders from many fields. VANTAGE POINT has one objective: To help make you better, more competitive, and more fulfilled by constantly improving your critical thinking.

Information

  • Creator
    Eli Amdur
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Vantage Point with Eli Amdur
  • Show Website
    Vantage Point with Eli Amdur