Facts
ATTRACT opportunities instead of pursuing them…
…using counter-intuitive thinking
Desirable goal…
…or limiting vantage point?
The one step in the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE that continues to intrigue me day-in, day-out is Step 6, Eclectic Education. It’s through diverse reading that I find gems like this.
I recently read a brief summary of Socrates’ life by Anthony Gottlieb. In this booklet the author offers four dramatically different perspectives on who Socrates was. These perspectives come from the writings of Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes and Aristotle. Gottlieb notes that each author’s account is shaded by the beliefs the author held. Plato was a profound advocate of reason, consequently his descriptions of Socrates emphasized Socrates’ reasoning.
Gottlieb goes on to say that while none of these accounts is entirely accurate, by blending the four we can get a reasonable sense of who Socrates was and what he believed.
In a similar fashion, the late Saul Alinsky in his book, Rules for Radicals, says “…judgment must be made in the context of the times the action occurred and not from any other chronological vantage point.”
The obvious questions these two books raise are “What are facts? Do they even exist? If so, how do we find them?” Based on these readings it seems that “fact” is a matter of perception. Since perception is always based on personal experience, any fact must then be specific to the individual’s or group’s experiences.
For those of you who prefer to make decisions based on “fact” this can be disconcerting. These authors are in essence saying that there is no single set of facts on which we can rely as the basis for our decisions. That flies in the face of our natural desire to discover “the facts.”
Should the lack of complete knowledge (facts) deter us from the exploration? Absolutely not! All scientific effort has as its goal the acquisition of knowledge about how things work. Yet, the reality is that the knowledge gained in scientific exploration always falls short of a complete answer – scientists never have all of the facts.
It’s counter-intuitive, but our desire for facts is limiting. If there were only one set of facts we’d lose the benefit of other peoples’ perspectives. With that in mind, our search for the facts must necessarily lead us to an exploration of the other party’s experience which, in turn, expands our knowledge – not of “the facts,” but of the vast array of possible interpretations of those facts.
The next time you find yourself inclined to search for the facts, pause a moment and remind yourself that what you’re really seeking is others’ interpretation of those facts. This approach will not only help you stand out in the crowd. It will make you INVALUABLE to those around you and, in the process, attract opportunities so that you don’t have to pursue them.
Attracting opportunities is only the beginning. Visit www.pricingforprofitbook.com to discover how to get compensated well for the value you provide. Enjoy!
If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com. Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.
Desirable goal…
…or limiting vantage point?
ATTRACT Opportunities Instead of Pursuing Them…
…Using Counter-Intuitive Thinking
The one step in the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE that continues to intrigue me day-in, day-out is Step 6, Eclectic Education. It’s through diverse reading that I find gems like this.
I recently read a brief summary of Socrates’ life by Anthony Gottlieb. In this booklet the author offers four dramatically different perspectives on who Socrates was. These perspectives come from the writings of Plato, Xenophon, Aristophanes and Aristotle. Gottlieb notes that each author’s account is shaded by the beliefs the author held. Plato was a profound advocate of reason, consequently his descriptions of Socrates emphasized Socrates’ reasoning.
Gottlieb goes on to say that while none of these accounts is entirely accurate, by blending the four we can get a reasonable sense of who Socrates was and what he believed.
In a similar fashion, the late Saul Alinsky in his book, Rules for Radicals, says “…judgment must be made in the context of the times the action occurred and not from any other chronological vantage point.”
The obvious questions these two books raise are “What are facts? Do they even exist? If so, how do we find them?” Based on these readings it seems that “fact” is a matter of perception. Since perception is always based on personal experience, any fact must then be specific to the individual’s or group’s experiences.
For those of you who prefer to make decisions based on “fact” this can be disconcerting. These authors are in essence saying that there is no single set of facts on which we can rely as the basis for our decisions. That flies in the face of our natural desire to discover “the facts.”
Should the lack of complete knowledge (facts) deter us from the exploration? Absolutely not! All scientific effort has as its goal the acquisition of knowledge about how things work. Yet, the reality is that the knowledge gained in scientific exploration always falls short of a complete answer – scientists never have all of the facts.
It’s counter-intuitive, but our desire for facts is limiting. If there were only one set of facts we’d lose the benefit of other peoples’ perspectives. With that in mind, our search for the facts must necessarily lead us to an exploration of the other party’s experience which, in turn, expands our knowledge – not of “the facts,” but of the vast array of possible interpretations of those facts.
The next time you find yourself inclined to search for the facts, pause a moment and remind yourself that what you’re really seeking is others’ interpretation of those facts. This approach will not only help you stand out in the crowd. It will make you INVALUABLE to those around you and, in the process, attract opportunities so that you don’t have to pursue them.
Attracting opportunities is only the beginning. Visit www.pricingforprofitbook.com to discover how to get compensated well for the value you provide. Enjoy!
If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com. Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.
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