Hi Stephen and At,
I think i read in Weick's Social Psychology of Organizing, a book which i
unfortunately lost, something about a GAS-clock: imagine a clock with on
its dial at the twelve o'clock position the word GENERAL, at four ACCURATE
and at eight SIMPLE. This is what we require of our idea's: General
(having universal thruths), Accurate (being precise in their causal
relations), Simple (Easy to understand and to learn). Writing this, i
think there should be a fourth one, related to ETHICAL, expressing values,
feelings and norms. (See, this is how mutating ideas work). So please
mentally rebuild the clock, having four positions.
The hand on the clock cannot point at all three (now four) at the same
time (!). And even if i introduced a second hand, the first would be big,
the second one small. So we're always having to make choices: express
something Simple and General, like Learning is Creating, EXOR
(exclusive-or: you can not have your cake and eat it) express something
Simple and Accurate, like the LO-list has 2000-something (Rick?)
subscribers who create an ideal learning environment EXOR express
something Simple and Ethical, like learning is good for creating
understanding between people and organisations EXOR General and Accurate,
like this message (which was intended simple, but grows and grows into
ever refined accuracies).
So i most of the times notice a drive, a force, after some time, to move
away from the present position, so a general and simple observation will
lead to a movement towards more accurate (and less simple or general)
ideas and vice versa. This is a kind of action equals reaction of the
mind. This mental force, i experience as, ... well, .. i won't go into
that ...
> At de Lange wrote:
>
> >If "to learn is to create" is a mental model and not a profound truth of
> >the highest order, then, as far as I can see it, humankind is doomed to
> >extinction.
>
> Then I suppose I better make sure I have clean underwear for the
> hereafter. Are there other profound truths I missed, or is At's the only
> one? I thought I also learned sometime on my journey a few profound
> lessons in the following list. How are these less profound truths than
> At's? What makes them less profound? And, how do they relate less to the
> end of humankind than his?
>
> To Create is to Learn?
> It is Better to have loved and lost, then never haved loved at all?
> Honor thy Mother and Father?
> Return things that aren't yours?
> Just Do It?
> When at First You don't succeed, try, try again?
> Have Milk with cookies?
> Apologize when you do something wrong to someone?
> Treat Others As You would have them treat you?
>
> On a day-to-day basis, I have to confess, I am much more worried about
> staying true to these truths than I am the coming bifurcation. And I
> would be interested in knowing more about when that will happen, or, at
> least, what it means. (Sounds like all on earth will be divided, such as
> those who will live in harmony and those who support the Yankees)
As we say in Holland: "'t kan verkeeren", Bredero.
Take keer,
Jan Lelie
-- Drs J.C. Lelie CPIM (Jan) janlelie@wxs.nl LOGISENS - Sparring Partner in Logistical Development - + (31) 70 3243475 Fax: idem GSM: + (31) 654685114Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>