Insights for the day 08/12

The Survival Manual -

The session today started with a discussion on how to build an indept understanding on the subject in discussion. How is it that one can (or in a group) achieve breadth and depth of understanding.

The key lies in probing, in poking the point of discussion from all directions by asking questions. Every question answered will lead to multiple other ideas and observations. Each of which could be probed further until such time that the breadth and depth of the topic is measured. More so in a group discussion.

So how is it really done?

Dont let go of any idea or observation. Explore it further to generate related questions. Keep the though process open by asking open-ended questoins.

One should start by taking a overview of the discussion / topic. Whats going on here? What underlying message is emerging.

At first the answer may be vague and broad and thats healthy for developing a broader undestanding about the topic. Each idea generated here needs to be probed further untill the depth is exhausted. Asking questions like Who? When? Where ? How? and Why? and asking questions like Who not? When not? Where not? How not? and Why not? will add much more dimension to the though process. An indepth discussion on these thoughs will in most cases paint a picture in your mind. Try to read the patterns from this picture. Try and generalize these patterns it and you may end up developing a theorey that could be replicated in other situations too.

This is a constructive method in maddness to the expand the thinking process.