"Like a toddler shoving a square peg into a round hole, humans try to shoehorn the nonlinear into the linear. This results in a Bed of Procrustes-type situation, where long things are chopped down and short things are stretched beyond recognition."
Excellent analysis, Adam! Jean Piaget studied cognitive development in children. He described 2 core mechanisms: ASSIMILATION (change the world to fit our mental structures) and ACCOMMODATION (change our mental structures to fit the world). When dealing with complexity, we mostly default to OVER-assimilation. Problems follow.
I hated reading Piaget in grad school. As often happens, he turned out to be one of those "hard but brilliant" types. I bet you're running into some of that in your program!
My wife and I visited the beaches in June 1984 — 40 years after the landings. Obviously a shorter trip for us being in the UK but the ferry across from England to France was heaving with US former service personnel and their families. For some it was the first time back and clearly very moving — especially remembering lost comrades.
I fully agree that those on the front lines, in military or civilian endeavours, invariably do the richest sense making. Unfortunately that’s almost always disconnected from decision-making by the high ups so that when those decisions eventually work their way back to the front line, invariably they don’t make sense.
"Like a toddler shoving a square peg into a round hole, humans try to shoehorn the nonlinear into the linear. This results in a Bed of Procrustes-type situation, where long things are chopped down and short things are stretched beyond recognition."
Excellent analysis, Adam! Jean Piaget studied cognitive development in children. He described 2 core mechanisms: ASSIMILATION (change the world to fit our mental structures) and ACCOMMODATION (change our mental structures to fit the world). When dealing with complexity, we mostly default to OVER-assimilation. Problems follow.
I hated reading Piaget in grad school. As often happens, he turned out to be one of those "hard but brilliant" types. I bet you're running into some of that in your program!
My wife and I visited the beaches in June 1984 — 40 years after the landings. Obviously a shorter trip for us being in the UK but the ferry across from England to France was heaving with US former service personnel and their families. For some it was the first time back and clearly very moving — especially remembering lost comrades.
I fully agree that those on the front lines, in military or civilian endeavours, invariably do the richest sense making. Unfortunately that’s almost always disconnected from decision-making by the high ups so that when those decisions eventually work their way back to the front line, invariably they don’t make sense.
Right now I'm raising my children to obey so that I can then teach them how to disobey.
“"The King gave you a commission because he assumed you knew when to disobey an order."
The King sent JAG to threaten Generals who threatened the Lieutenant’s with “If you kill anyone I’ll put you in Jail.” Quoted as spoken.
The ARNG LT didn’t repeat that, but elsewhere a West Point Officer did, rather dismaying the Soldiers.
This is the truth of what exists, as opposed to … what once was…
But yes there’s many who do know how to disobey orders. Now… about the King… and his Jesters …