They either take Northern Ireland out of their thinking frame or delay investment, or their shareholders say why should you invest in a country where there is not the stability you would expect?

BBC: Northern Ireland's economic fears

Someone who slept through the year could be forgiven for thinking that nothing happened during the time frame since the nearly unchanged value belies a very volatile trading atmosphere.

FORBES: 2012 Outlook: U.S. Stocks Could Rise Next Year, But Might Be Bumpy

They drew upon their own frame of reference and, thinking back to DREAMers they know, declared that they were swell folks who were humble and idealistic and didn't feel entitled.

CNN: If I offended demanding DREAMers, I'm not sorry

This paradigm shift in thinking is quite empowering as it shifts the frame of reference from the self to how we can help others.

FORBES: Passion, Hobby, or Purpose?

David tried to imagine how it would feel to sleep and wake when you wanted to, to choose your life without thinking of anybody else, not to be broken into the hard frame of adult necessity.

NEWYORKER: The Swan

To help people shift their thinking and their behaviors, outline what will be different in each time frame and why.

FORBES: Are You a Strategy 10-Percenter?

"My reference frame was going to the Titanic 10 or 12 years ago, and thinking that was the deepest place I could ever imagine, " he recalled.

BBC: James Cameron back on surface after deepest ocean dive

While not an exact scientific measure, a sampling of U.S. doctrinal writings on IW could provide a useful frame of reference and possibly some context for comparison between Chinese and American thinking.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: What is IW?