| The definition of insanity is doing the same thing | | | | drawing of the horse have a tail? Remember, I |
| over and over and expecting different results. - | | | | told you to draw only what you see." |
| Benjamin Franklin | | | | I questioned the teacher afterward. She explained |
| I have always loved this quote! It delivers such a | | | | the student was NOT drawing what he saw but |
| powerful message in one simple sentence. The | | | | rather what he believed the horse looked like. |
| delivery is so simple, humorous, and in a context | | | | Simplistically, the drawing exercise was designed |
| we all can identify with. Interestingly, I think most | | | | as a tool for the child to discover a new way of |
| people get the literal meaning but miss it on a | | | | observing the horse to draw the picture more |
| deeper level. As a coach I would refine it to read: | | | | accurately. Without the discovery, any drawing |
| The definition of insanity is using the same | | | | would be consistently inaccurate. Put differently, |
| paradigm over and over and expecting different | | | | the child needed to change his mental model of a |
| results. | | | | horse to draw it accurately. In this instance, the |
| A paradigm is a set of beliefs, assumptions, | | | | teacher was shifting the child's paradigm. |
| concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a | | | | Children are constantly learning and discovering |
| way of viewing reality for the community that | | | | new paradigms. As we become older, the learning |
| shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline. A | | | | process slows down and we become dependent |
| paradigm shift is when you change to another | | | | on old or inherited paradigms without even |
| pattern (i.e., paradigm shift), and form a new | | | | realizing it. Attachment to these inaccurate or |
| underlying structure for viewing the past, present, | | | | inherited paradigms can resemble insanity. I'd like |
| or future. | | | | to illustrate by sharing an excerpt from a previous |
| I like to think of a paradigm as a mental model. | | | | newsletter on modalities: |
| Individually and culturally, we build them to | | | | Stacy had no conscious knowledge that her |
| accelerate learning, communications, and our | | | | modality was verbal processor (i.e., she thinks out |
| interaction with the world. In many respects they | | | | loud). She needs to say her thoughts out loud for |
| serve us well, so well, in fact, that we have come | | | | them to register. For example, Stacy has lost |
| to rely on them. As a coach, I find most people | | | | days, and sometimes weeks, searching for |
| are so dependent on them they are oblivious to | | | | misplaced keys. Now, she simply tells her daughter |
| them, even when existing paradigms are the very | | | | where she puts the keys upon her arrival home, |
| obstacle getting in their way. | | | | which is enough for her to remember where they |
| I'd like to share an experience to illustrate a | | | | are when she needs them. Imagine the relief in |
| paradigm through the innocent eyes of a child. | | | | learning that all she has to do is "say it to |
| I once witnessed an art teacher teaching a | | | | remember it." Stacy has used this modality to |
| first-grade class how to draw. A picture of just | | | | revolutionize her life. |
| the front of a horse was posted in the front of | | | | Prior to coaching, Stacey unknowingly was |
| the classroom. In other words, you could NOT | | | | dependent on a conventional wisdom paradigm |
| see the south end of the northbound horse. The | | | | that she just had to put her keys in the same |
| art teacher walked around the room, repeating to | | | | place every time she walked into the house. |
| the students, "Look at the picture and draw only | | | | Unconsciously, she repeatedly attempted to |
| what you can see." Sounds simple, right? | | | | resolve her struggles using the same paradigm by |
| After some time had passed, the art teacher | | | | trying various locations and reminders in an |
| approached one of the students. She asked him, | | | | attempt to condition herself to conform to |
| "Are you drawing just what you see?" | | | | dominate cultural paradigms. Failing repeatedly and |
| "Yes," the student replied. | | | | questioning her sanity, she came to coaching. |
| "Are you sure?" she asked. | | | | Success and sanity returned the moment Stacy |
| Again the student answered, "Yes." | | | | let go of her grip on her old paradigm in favor of |
| The teacher asked, "Can you see the tail of the | | | | a new paradigm that more accurately reflected |
| horse?" | | | | how she naturally does things. |
| The student was silent for a moment and then | | | | Like the art student finding success in drawing |
| said, "No." | | | | what he actually saw, Stacy's success was based |
| The teacher asked, "Then why does your | | | | on observing how she naturally worked. |