Meeting a big picture guru

I was a middle manager with a business school education working for AT&T in the late 80s and early 90s, based in Wilmington, Delaware and working primarily in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. I worked for AT&T's now-defunct computer systems unit. I was frustrated at our inability as a corporation to accomplish some simple tasks—deliver the right equipment on time, generate an accurate invoice, or agree on an effective marketing strategy, among other challenges.

It was in that context that I opened the Wall Street Journal one day—June 4, 1990—and fell upon an interview with Dr. Deming. What grabbed me was the title: Deming's Demons: The management guru thinks U.S. Corporations are crushing their worker incentive. As I read further, Deming's comments struck me as somewhat shocking, contrarian, even curmudgeonly. I was intrigued. Here was a plain-talking, no-nonsense management guru saying essentially that almost everything we do in American organizations is wrong-headed.

Among other revolutionary ideas, Deming believed that:

• In negotiation and relationship, whether among people, departments, organizations or countries "if you defend your rights, you're licked".
• The grading or ranking of people and "management by objectives" were destructive practices.
• The use of monetary incentives was ill-advised, "pay is not a motivator." The reward was in the work itself.

Furthermore Deming did not believe that competitive markets solve problems, i.e. that deregulation or privatization improves a system.

Yet unlike other management consultants or philosophers with contrarian ideas he had very strong credentials. After all, he had been the single most important external influence in the Japanese economy in the latter half of the 20^th century.

I later watched his interviews, particularly one produced in 1991 and aired on PBS called The Deming of America. I bought (and read) his books, and eventually met him—briefly—at one of his very last seminars on Quality and Competitive Position, in late 1992. When I met Dr. Deming I was struck by his warm, cordial manner—contrast to his prickly public persona. Deming died in December 1993.

I believe Deming will continue to have a profound impact on those who study his work and thinking. In my mind he possesses all of the characteristics of a genuine and fully qualified guide, teacher or mentor outlined in a previous post. He is one of only a few management philosophers I have met whose interest and motivation seem to fully transcend any concern for personal gain or reputation.

In the weeks ahead I will share some of Deming's big picture teaching on knowledge, systems and variation, and what these teachings mean for us at work, in our communities and in our personal lives.

Re-discovering Deming: Big Picture Guru?

(C) Copyright 2011, Erik Johansson All rights reserved

William Edwards Deming (1900-1993), Ph.D., was an American leadership and management philosopher whose thinking profoundly influenced the Japanese after WW II. Originally trained as a scientist, he worked for Western Electric alongside renowned engineer and statistician Walter Shewhart. He later worked for the US Census Bureau, where he himself became a renowned statistician. After World War II he was assigned to the rebuilding effort in Japan, where he had opportunity to introduce some of Shewhart’s ideas on management, systems and variation to the Japanese. Through his efforts Japan was able to develop vastly improved quality and consistency in its products and services, and accelerate its recovery after the devastation of the war. Deming probably had more impact upon Japanese manufacturing and business than any other individual not of Japanese heritage. Beginning in 1960 and to this day one of the highest honors awarded to Japanese organizations is called the Deming Prize.

It is important to note that Deming did not export American thinking and practice; he exposed Japanese managers to his own philosophy of management. Through this philosophy he helped create the “Japanese post-war economic miracle” that saw Japanese quality and productivity soar, particularly in the years 1950 to 1980.

Late in life – beginning about 1980, as Deming turned 80 – he was ‘discovered’ by western mainstream media and business press. At the time, western economies were experiencing a major downturn. In manufacturing particularly North American and European companies were lagging far behind the Japanese in quality. Several notable firms, including the Ford Motor Company, turned to Deming for help. Deming did what he could to help these firms and others through seminars, writing and consulting. He summarized his main points and outlined a system of profound knowledge that can be applied in any organization, and in everyday life.

The challenge then, as now, is that Deming’s ideas require big picture learning – and a radical shift in thinking – that is difficult for many Westerners to accomplish. Examples of this shift:

• Creating constancy of purpose (the 1st of Deming’s ’14 Points’). Many organizations (andindividuals) lack clarity and constancy of purpose. We meander without clear aim, or goals that shift from year to year.

• Focusing on optimizing the whole – the system – rather than benefits to particular individuals, individual parts, or individual groups. The challenge with this perspective is that some people will need to give up something – rewards, reputation, power, for example – in order that the greatest number can benefit.

• More emphasis on the how than the what, particularly how to accomplish improvements to the system rather than what goals or measured objectives we need to meet this month, quarter or year. Many organizations emphasize on (mostly short-term) results, and measure objectives down to the individual level, without much idea on how to accomplish those objectives.

There is also a degree of selflessness implicit in Deming’s points that may be relatively rare among Western managers and workers.

Deming seemed driven by one aim: to stimulate and propagate deep thinking and profound knowledge, to help all of us become better leaders, managers, workers, citizens and people.

He had a profound impact on my thinking about leadership, management, and work.

Next post: How I met Dr. Deming.

Examples of Big Picture Learning

Over the past few weeks we have looked at what I am calling big picture learning—that which enables us to interpret and effectively manage the most persistent and difficult problems in our lives, individually and collectively.

We’ve looked at what it is, and its benefits.

Here are some examples of big picture learning in action:

(1) Rethinking education. In this engaging animated talk, Dr. Ken Robinson offers a provocative perspective on modern education in the western world[1]. He presents hypotheses about what is valued, rewarded, and produced by our education system. Robinson helps us stand back and consider why we educate the way we do, including when and how these ideas originated, and how our present education system may stifle creative expression—and creative problem solving. Robinson’s presentation stimulates big picture learning because it prompts us to ask basic questions, in this case about something with which we have familiarity: What is its aim? Is this what we want? If not, what do we want and why? How would we know that we are meeting our goal(s)?

 (2) Understanding variation. In Out of the Crisis Dr. W. Edwards Deming highlights the importance of understanding variation in systems. Systems are everywhere—globally, nationally, regionally, at work, at school, in our communities, in our families, even in our own bodies. At yet very few of us have a basic understanding of systems. We may know what we want or expect of various systems—we want the bus to arrive on time, our immune system to function effectively, or our local economy to provide good jobs and living conditions. Yet when things don’t work the way we want or expect we get upset, with no idea of how to improve the system. Once we engage in big picture learning about systems, and variation, the fog will begin to lift and we will have a better understanding of how to understand and possibly improve the systems in our lives. And, when it comes to understanding variation we all make two mistakes on a regular basis. This will be a topic of a future blog.

(3) Community interest. I recently attended a meeting of the community association for my neighborhood. On two or three occasions members seemed to be taking positions based primarily on self-interest. Nicole, our community association chairperson, was very clear as she handled these comments: “It’s about all of us, not just what benefits or does not benefit any particular individual or family.” In my view our chairwoman clearly understood the aim of the association: to bring benefit to the community as a whole. She was also clear that self-interest interferes with that aim. One of the maxims of big picture learning is that we need to reduce and ultimately eliminate self-interest if we are to produce the best possible result for the system as a whole.

In all three of these examples we are being encouraged to ask “What is the aim, and what are the desired outputs, of this particular system?

 

In each case, we engage in big picture learning through:

• looking at the whole, not just individual or subgroup actions, effects and benefits;

• clarifying the aim or purpose of the system, e.g. “What’s the end game here?”, or “What are we trying to accomplish?”; and

• encouraging selflessness, a willingness to give up personal comfort or gains in resources, reputation or recognition for the benefit of all.

In upcoming posts we will explore these and other themes in more depth, particularly systems thinking and variation.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

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The Benefits of Big Picture Learning

With the best of intentions and best efforts, managing by results is, in effect, exactly the same, as Dr. Myron Tribus put it, while driving your automobile, keeping your eye on the rear view mirror, what would happen?

W.E. Deming:

Sure we have to solve problems. Certainly stamp out the fire. Stamp out the fire and get nowhere. Stamp out the fires puts us back to where we were in the first place. Taking action on the basis of results without theory of knowledge, without theory of variation, without knowledge about a system. Anything goes wrong, do something about it, overreacting; acting without knowledge, the effect is to make things worse. With the best of intentions and best efforts, managing by results is, in effect, exactly the same, as Dr. Myron Tribus put it, while driving your automobile, keeping your eye on the rear view mirror, what would happen? And that's what management by results is, keeping your eye on results. (1)

Dr. W. Edwards Deming was the American statistician, philosopher and management theorist instrumental in rebuilding Japan after World War II, helping transform that country into an economic superpower.

This quote illustrates Deming’s view that most of us, faced with almost any kind of problem, will tend to “stamp out the fire” without inquiry into root cause or causes.

In other words, we tend to act without wisdom. Yet, as discussed in the previous post, big picture challenges require solutions from another level.

Today’s post will focus on the benefits of big picture learning.

Why would, or why should, an individual – or an organization – invest time and money studying and understanding systems, theories of knowledge and variation, and other aspects of big picture learning?

Or we can ask, what will happen if we don’t invest resources in big picture learning?

Two results: (1) more of the same systemic problems that face us now, and (2) new systemic problems bringing additional suffering.

Unless we stand back and look at the greater – actually, greatest – good, we are likely to remain in a world where, for example…

• Individuals suffer from anxiety, sickness and loss; 
• Organizations experience lack of purpose, inner conflict and economic failure; and
• Communities, regions and nations endure crimes, poverty and war.

Without big picture thinking, we tend to experience events as problems. And, we tend to put energy into ‘quick fixes’ with a mistaken belief that we have ‘solved the problem’. Most of the time, however, these problems are in fact symptoms of deeper, systemic issues.

As Deming and others point out we make matters worse through this uninformed approach. Each of us can therefore benefit immeasurably through the vision and direction that comes from systems thinking—liberating ourselves from such chronic problems.

Many may think at this point “That’s nice but I do not have the ability to tackle this sort of learning.” Or “I’ll leave these big questions and problems to somebody else with the smarts to handle them.”

No. Systems – biological/ecological, sociological, economic/geographic and so forth – are everywhere, so much so that one person, or some elite group of profound thinkers, cannot possibly tackle them all.

Furthermore, each one of us is deeply entwined in systems that are unique to you or to your close communities. Just look at your body (a system), your family (another system), or your local community (yet another).

Thinking that we should leave big picture learning to others just doesn’t make sense. Each of us, to the extent of our abilities can and ideally should try to adopt big picture thinking and learning.

Among other benefits, by engaging in big picture learning you will: 

• Gain wisdom that will guide you to the most beneficial decisions. You will gain a deeper understanding of cause and effect, able to remove the root causes of your most intractable ‘problems’.

• Gain your own personal system of profound knowledge, including a theory of knowledge that will help you make sense of your world. 

• Become more effective, and grow your circle of influence(2). As you grow in understanding of the systems around you, you will make increasingly better choices, decisions and recommendations, bringing lasting improvement in your own life and in the lives of those around you. 

• Become more employable. As you demonstrate an ability to solve difficult problems, your services will be in more demand. 

• Attain clarity of thinking, and message. With clarity of thinking and message you will probably gain a happier, more peaceful state of mind, which may in turn lead to healthier choices, and longer life.

Next week: examples of big picture thinking.

[1] The Deming of America, Documentary broadcast on the PBS network (1991)

[2] https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit1.php

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What is Big Picture Learning?

(C) Copyright 2011, Erik Johansson All rights reserved

To paraphrase Albert Einstein, we cannot solve the problems we face at the same level where they were created.

Or, to quote the renowned statistician and management philosopher Dr. W. Edwards Deming,

A system cannot understand itself. The transformation requires a view from outside.

Many esteemed thinkers have expressed the realization that big picture challenges—war, poverty and mental illness, to name three—require solutions from another level.

I suggest that to generate such big picture solutions we need big picture learning.

To engage in this level of learning and problem solving we do not require advanced university degrees, nor do we need to hold high-level positions in business or government.

We simply need an interest, an open mind, some ability to absorb new ideas, and a willingness to apply effort.

The purpose of this series is to explore some of the thinking that supports such ‘big learning’.

In the previous post I defined big picture learning as…

…that which enables us to interpret and effectively manage the most persistent and difficult problems in our lives, individually and collectively.

Many of us have resigned ourself to ignore or simply endure difficult problems, and the suffering they bring, because we do not believe they can be solved.

Yet with effort and application big picture learning will provide the tools to reduce and eventually eliminate these seemingly intractable personal, organizational and global problems.

It can only accomplish this aim if many of us examine, modify and adopt a new view of the world and our place in it. Big picture learning is not just for a select few. It is for everybody.

To engage in big picture learning it may be helpful to adopt a mind of scientific inquiry.

You may recall studying the scientific method  at some point. What I will lay out over the next several weeks (or months) is a set of hypotheses  that attempt to explain observed phenomena, and to use these hypotheses as the basis for big picture learning.

These hypotheses may one day form the basis of a general theory for positive change in the human condition. It will hopefully serve as a blueprint for further inquiry, thought and research.

You do not have to accept any of these hypotheses, and as I said in the previous post I welcome constructive suggestions, comments and questions.

I am hoping, with your help, that we can shape a new curriculum, and a new paradigm for positive change.

This new curriculum will feature several elements, each containing one or more central hypotheses. Among the topics:

§  Preparing for big picture learning

§  Constructing a theoretical world view

§  A view of leaders as servants



§  Systems thinking

§  Understanding variation

§  Understanding psychology

§  Understanding cause and effect

§  The wheel of life



§  A view of self and others

§  A view of phenomena in general

§  Contemplating life purpose and meaning

I look forward to discussion. Next post: contemplating the benefits of big picture learning.



© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.





Big Picture Learning



(C) Copyright 2011, Erik Johansson All rights reserved

Over the past few months this space has been dedicated to our progress and eventual success as great learners.  We’ve examined what it means to be a great learner, why we would want to be one, and how we can become one. More specifically we’ve looked at how to generate motivation for learning, how to prepare ourselves for learning, and specific techniques for realizing our full learning potential.

Today the focus shifts to curriculum, specifically to what I’m calling ‘big picture learning’. Here’s a working definition:

Big picture learning is that which enables us to interpret and effectively manage the most persistent and difficult problems in our lives, individually and collectively.

So what are some of those intractable problems? At the personal level that list may include:

§  Sadness or depression when you are separated from things you like

§  Irritation or anger when you encounter things you do not like

§  Anxiety about money or resources

§  Physical or mental sickness

§  Fears of ageing or death

§  Failing to satisfy desires

§  Dishonesty

At our place of work we may encounter:

§  Unclear methods

§  Unexpected layoffs

§  Poor working relationships

§  Poor or non-existent training

§  Lack of clear or consistent purpose

§  Failure to remove barriers to effective performance

§  Failure to anticipate the needs or desires of customers

In our local community, region or nation problems may include:

§  Crimes of various types – theft, assault, murder and so forth

§  Failure to effectively balance the needs of various groups

§  Deterioration of infrastructure

Nationally or globally we observe the following problems[1]:

§  War

§  Famine

§  Poverty

§  Disease

§  Economic failure of organizations – or governments

Big picture learning can help with all of these problems – personal, organizational, community, regional, national and even global.

We may think that learning focused on a ‘big picture’ is for high-ranking corporate or political leaders. Although big picture learning may be very useful to such people, it is intended for everybody, no matter what their personal circumstances.

With motivation and effective methods we can all learn this curriculum. We do not need to occupy high-level positions. We can, for example, lead by example in our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities large or small.

Here are some of the topics I will explore here in the weeks ahead:

§  What is big picture learning?

§  Why does it matter?

§  Preparing for big picture learning

§  Exploring cause and effect

§  Distinguishing ‘problem’, ‘symptom’ and ‘root cause’

§  The big picture curriculum

§  A theory of knowledge

§  Servant leadership

§  Systems thinking

§  Understanding variation

§  Understanding psychology

I hope to build on the work of several esteemed theorists and practitioners, particularly Robert Greenleaf and W. Edwards Deming.

I intend to borrow as well from eastern philosophy, in particularly from the writings of Tibetan guru and meditation master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

I hope you will enjoy this series. I know I will!

PS Please note that this is very much a work in process. I will welcome any and all constructive suggestions and comments!

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

[1] Some of these ‘problems’ may be more accurately be described as ‘symptoms’ but for simplicity’s sake I am labeling them here as ‘problems’.

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Dedication

I sincerely hope that some of what I have written over the past two months will be helpful to you, and that the 10-step model outlined in this recent series of posts provides you with a useful framework.

Of course there is no guarantee that by following these practices that you will become a great learner, at least not immediately, or even that you will experience all of the benefits outlined above.

I am nevertheless convinced that if you engage in these practices sincerely you will note progress in your life, and an increasing sense of fulfillment. You will eventually become a great learner, and experience all of the benefits outlined above.

I dedicate this series of posts and this blog to your happiness. May your life be long and may all the conditions appear so that you have the opportunity to meet, study and practice the most beneficial guide, teacher, mentor or coach and teachings imaginable, and may you progress swiftly along your learning path, with great success.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

Transforming adversity

One of the most important lessons that guides, mentors and teachers can offer students is how to understand that ‘failure’ can be a good thing.

No one likes to fail but so-called failures carry substantial information about performance and provide the opportunity to become a great learner.

If you view your learning as a life-long path you may already know how to turn such adversity to your advantage. It is easier said than done, but if you can take those ‘negative’ experiences and use them as powerful learning experiences you will find yourself catapulted forward in your realizations and personal growth.

In this step you re-evaluate past beliefs and experiences which you previously understood one way (typically as negative or harmful) and now understand another way (typically, as positive or beneficial). To ‘re-frame’ you think about adverse conditions, failures and mistakes in a way that helps you continue learning.

In the words of meditation master Kelsang Gyatso:

“Our problems are opportunities to observe and contemplate the law of actions and their effects. They are opportunities to contemplate suffering and its causes, and to practice patience and joyful perseverance.”[1] (my italics)

Dr. Jacqueline Leighton mentions an interesting case of transforming adversities:

In her book Basic Black Cathie Black tells the story of decisions she made in the wake of the collapse of her marriage. She decided she needed a change in environment. Even though she had a great career at Ms. Magazine in New York City, she decided to take a job in San Francisco for a new magazine being unveiled by Francis Ford Coppola. She carefully studied the move and the plans for the new magazine. Everything seemed right. She uprooted herself, moved all of her belongings and established herself in San Francisco. Three months later the magazine failed. She went back to Ms. Magazine.

When asked some time later whether she thought the move to San Francisco had been a mistake she replied that it had not been a mistake at all. She had made valuable contacts while in San Francisco and she was able to negotiate a better job when she returned to New York City. The moral of this story is that she could have berated herself for taking a risk but instead she recognized that failure was part of pursuing her passion, and substantially advanced her understanding of the world of publishing.

I once told a friend, who happens to be a Buddhist monk, all about the collapse of my own marriage in the early 1990s. I described the horrendous decision, the anguish it caused for all around me, and the long litigious fight over money.

He responded, “How wonderful!”

At first I laughed, amused by this young monk’s audacity and then, upon reflection realized that this experience really was ‘wonderful’, because of the catalytic positive effect it had in my life. That experience helped me generate the motivation and engage in all the activities I have outlined here.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

[1] Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune

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Taking risks

If it hasn’t already happened there will be a point in your learning where you will need to take a personal risk.

These are the moments, as the Star Wars character Yoda might say, “Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.”

By taking such risks you will almost certainly grow in confidence and capability.

This happened for me a few years ago when a colleague asked me to teach a class on a topic for which I had some familiarity, but had not yet fully mastered the material. I was concerned that I might present it in the wrong way, say the wrong thing, and disappoint the students because of my lack of knowledge. I thought, “I am not ready”. I was nervous.

The result: it was fine. Yes I may have seemed a bit awkward during the teaching, but because I had to take this risk, my understanding and deep appreciation for the material grew, as did my confidence.

There is always the possibility that by taking a risk you will in fact fail to meet the goal, let somebody down, or show to yourself and others that you have not mastered the task or the material.

Remember that such ‘failure’ is an essential part of learning, and that persistence and perseverance are essential ingredients in attaining your life goals—more on this in the next post.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

Applying Joyful Effort

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been outlining the characteristics of a great learner. These are also the steps that each of us can follow to become a great learner.

Even if we accomplish each of the steps we will inevitably encounter some discouragement and other obstacles. We will realize that we need to find paths through or around these obstacles. We may even find that we need to push a little – or a lot – harder than we ever thought necessary to advance our learning journey.

I was once in a study program where the class was more focused on socializing than on making progress in our learning. The teacher was very affable, and the classes were very enjoyable, but there was almost no pressure to learn or perform.

Then I had to move to another city and had to leave the study program. I looked and found something similar in my new city and signed up. I was expecting a similar, low-key, low pressure environment. As soon as I started with the new class however I realized that the expectations were much higher, and that I would need to work a lot harder to make progress.

I became discouraged. After some reflection I went back to the learning steps outlined above, right back to generating motivation, then slowly began to apply effort to the materials. In the end it became a joyful process as I realized that my grasp of the material, and ability to participate, were improving.

Another way to characterize joyful effort might be happy, deliberate practice, something that all great learners do. Quoting Dr. Leighton,

Deliberate practice is about hard work and lots of motivation to engage in hard work. There’s no escaping it. In fact, K. Anders Ericsson, a pioneer and

groundbreaking researcher in the area of expertise said the following: “A century of laboratory research has revealed that learning is most effective when it includes focused goals, such as improving a specific aspect of performance; feedback that compares the actual to the desired performance; and opportunities for repetition, so the desired level of performance can be achieved.”

Then quoting from The New Yorker magazine, Dr. Leighton continues:

What do Wayne Gretzky, Yo-Yo Ma, and renowned brain surgeon Charlie Wilson have in common? A: They all practice over and over again, until they iron out even the smallest imperfections. Perhaps you were hoping that there was something more mysterious about the way in which high-level performers achieved their excellence in learning. On the one hand, that they practice until they get it right is strangely comforting because it is so accessible to all of us. On the other hand, it’s strangely discomforting that it is in fact so accessible to all of us. We cannot make excuses.

Next I’ll look at an interesting aspect of the learning path: taking risks.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

Reflection, contemplation and meditation





Every pure understanding depends upon meditation.

Successful meditation depends on receiving correct instructions.[1]

Now we get to the steps where many of us step off the learning train, so if you’re still on board and engaged in a learning program at this point, congratulations!

Reflection, contemplation or meditation are powerful methods for deepening our understanding, and advancing our learning.

Reflection and contemplation in this context have similar meanings: calm, lengthy, intense consideration of any object of attention, often in relationship to other objects.

Similarly, meditation is generally defined as sustained focus on an object of attention. A more powerful definition asserts that meditation is a sustained focus on a virtuous object of attention, e.g. the thought “I am determined to become a doctor so that I can help others lead long, healthy lives.”

Again paraphrasing Dr. Jacqueline Leighton:

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Dr. Howard Gardner has studied the lives of extraordinary individuals such as

Einstein and Mozart and found that these extraordinary individuals spent a tremendous amount of time reflecting on how to meet their goals. At the classroom level, researchers such as Dr. Phil Winne from Simon Fraser University have studied students who engage in self-regulation or meta-cognitive behaviours which are very similar in quality to reflection or meditation. The ability to think about how you think, learn, and perform is very useful to helping individuals understand how to improve their learning and performance and incorporate what their mentors tell them into techniques to get better at what they do.

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By engaging in reflection or meditation we deepen our understanding and may even experience a whole new idea, or realization, that transcends our prior understanding. Many ‘aha’ moments have arisen in history in many different fields, directly through this practice.

Meditation is a learnable skill. It depends on many of the preparatory practices mentioned in an earlier blog. I recommend seeking out a qualified teacher so that your reflection, contemplation or meditation – whatever you choose to call it – can be sustained and successful.

Next we will look at the application of joyful effort.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.

[1] Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Generating deep curiosity about the materials, and the teachings

You may have noticed that great and enthusiastic learners like to ask a lot of questions. If you have generated motivation for learning, found the right coach, mentor or teacher, engaged in a program that will help you meet your life goals, and developed respect for the teacher and the materials, generating deep curiosity will not be difficult.

Many study programs encourage discussion, challenges and even debate. There is a long standing practice of discussion and friendly debate in several Buddhist traditions. Students question and challenge ideas, just as students of arts or science might discuss different theories and hypotheses.

Friendly questioning or challenging is not intended to demean or belittle the teachings or teacher, but rather to extract the greatest possible learning value from them. We question for deeper understanding. If after repeated questioning the answer is still not satisfactory, try to set it aside so that you can remain open to other ideas.

Or, if something is intellectually unfathomable but open to behavioural testing, try an experiment. I have had this experience a few times over the past few years. Rather than reject an idea outright, look at the suggestion from your coach, mentor or teacher and ask yourself, “Can I put this into practice?”

If the answer is “yes”, then try it on a sustained basis, or for however long it takes to experience the effects, and see what happens.

In my spiritual practice, for example, there are ideas that many find intellectually challenging. One of my early teachers suggested that rather than rejecting these ideas or views outright, we should try to contemplate the consequences and benefits of holding the view, meditate as though we firmly believe it, and then head out into the world with this new outlook firmly planted in our mind.

In other words, we experiment and see what happens. The same is true for what we might do if we are training as an athlete, or testing a scientific hypothesis.

So I did what my teacher suggested. In one case I tested the view that every living being I meet is. Everybody. The auto mechanic. The cashier at the supermarket. All of the people in front of me in the line at the supermarket. The guy down the hall at the office. My brothers. The guys digging up my street. My sister. My sons. My girlfriend. My father.

I began to see the benefit and my interest in and motivation for the teachings grew. I still cannot fully fathom the idea, but I no longer dismiss it out of hand.

I opened up to the possibility that there may be another way of looking at experience, and that there may be instances where what is “true” is not necessarily provable through logic or scientific observation.

To quote Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson again, “sometimes you actually do have to make stuff up that might be true, so that you can organize a research plan to find out whether or not it is… this is the creativity of discovery…”

Next: reflection, contemplation and meditation.

-David Luke, Senior Consultant at FocusFit (2007) Inc.

© 2011 D. G. Luke and FocusFit (2007) Inc.