Synthesizing "new" models
Muse #207 - ways to novel reductionism's
I have been mulling with the question of what to do with knowledge and patterns one has acquired. The standard answer is to sell the soul to the devil and do “work” - some kind of application of such knowledge, skills, patterns, and experiences for some utility. However, I have this strong inhibition to use any model, framework, or singular patterns to do my work. I am at the stage of my life to see what I can synthesize from my years of “stuff” in a model that could be used by me (or others if they are able to find any utility from it)
My just completed read gave me several ideas to start such development work. This book by Howard Gardner is “Five minds for the future”. Howard is the creator of the theory of “Multiple Intelligences (MI)” rather than looking at humans through just a cognitive (IQ) lens or an EQ lens for instance. Gardner’s work though not peer-reviewed or researched through detailed studies resonated deeply with me when I look at myself through these multitudes of lenses. But that is for another day.
Gardner in his Five minds talks about:
The disciplined mind, to learn at least one profession, as well as the major thinking (science, math, history, etc.) behind it
The synthesizing mind, to organize the massive amounts of information and communicate effectively to others
The creating mind, to revel in unasked questions - and uncover new phenomena and insightful apt answers
The respectful mind, to appreciate the differences between human beings - and understand and work with all persons
The ethical mind, to fulfill one's responsibilities as both a worker and a citizen
My focus is more on his “synthesizing mind” which expands on ways to build models. The various types of synthesis he talks about include narratives; taxonomies; complex concepts; rules and aphorisms; powerful metaphors, images, and themes; theories; and metatheories. My focus would be on creating some experiments on each or several of these categories over a period of time.
Of course, the testing of the utility of any model is in its use. So, therefore I have to ship them for scrutiny and such a draft might evolve into something useful over time. Or not. But the joy is “the trying” and that is all that matters to me now.
To 1st Jan 2050: 11,366 days to go.
— 11,367 days to go. https://www.1littleanthro.com/p/11367-days-to-go