I had lunch with a friend in Portland today. His world and mine are quite different, but we both enjoy our visits. This is a man who does not live his life on a superficial level. His unique combination of intellect and intuition stimulates my mind. One of the ways we are different is that the ends (the outcome or goal) is important to me, while as soon as he has conquered the means (the ability to accomplish something) the goal is inconsequential—the ball of gold is clay (Stephen Crane, A Man Saw a Ball of Gold).