Thinking Whole, The Third Way
Part of the problem with Kahneman’s two-system model, as well as all the other models and concepts described in this book, is the inescapable fact that they are more descriptive than they are prescriptive. None of them end with anything close to a prescription for action such as – “so, in view of this theory, if you do A, you can expect outcome B; and here’s how you get there.”
Even Kahneman, whose claim to fame was in part that the work he and Tversky did, unlike prior models, actually involved experimentation, eventually conceded that those experiments were insufficiently rigorous to pass the test of statistical validity, much less approach the plausibility of clinical trials. This is most often the case in psychological and behavioral studies.
Standing on the Plateau
When it comes to theoreticians, what starts out as pure theory typically tends to remain pure theory. Even many assumptions we believe to be factual in physics are still no more than theory; until the day somebody figures out how to test and validate them. Even if we could conclusively prove the validity, accuracy, and actionability of every one of the theories described above, they are all still relegated to the plateau of decisioning.
Standing on that plateau, off in the distance, if you look very carefully through the mists, a peak rise towards the sky well above the plateau. Its top is not visible; yet it’s clear that there stands something, from the peak of which must be visible a universe of extraordinary vistas – expansive, inspiring, mysterious, and …waiting to be perceived. This might be the hiding place of Nassim’s black swan; even better, it just might be the high throne of enlightenment.
At the very least, it is the gateway to innovation, creativity, moments of genius, and even genius itself. Not all of the time, but at least once in a while when you need it most, wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool, a process, a system you could count on to take you up to that peak of creativity and genius? Wouldn’t it be nice to come back down from that peak of genius, each time you ascend it, with an actionable, substantive, beyond-brilliant solution to a problem for which your organization, or team is searching? Honestly, if you had a choice between discerning a potential black swan event before it happens or creating a black swan of your own that helps you achieve new levels of success – which would you choose?
Albert Einstein once said: “The most beautiful thing one can experience is the Mysterious.” To our mind, there is nothing quite so intellectually “beautiful” as experiencing, acknowledging, and making use of a moment of genius; especially when you know you can create the next one whenever you need it. The achievement of Invention, creativity, and genius is far more mysterious than mundane decisioning.
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