Who’d Have Thought?
Episode 1: Gaining insights can be painful by Frank Krause Senior Partner, Staufen AG
Why it is so difficult to change ourselves and others is a phenomenon that neurobiologists and psychologists can now explain.
Learning means allowing our own patterns of interpretation to change – in other words, attempting to answer unanswered questions. This lets us discover something about a fact we used to see from a different perspective. To put it differently: it turns out that we were mistaken about something.
But who likes making mistakes?
A narcissistic psyche perceives this experience as an insult: no one enjoys having to step outside the cozy security of their own interpretations. Asking yourself tough questions eats away at your fundamental convictions. This kind of self-questioning is frequently cited as being effective, yet it is practiced just as infrequently. It calls for a particular resource that is available to all of us in equal measure, even though we all use it in such different ways: time. Formulating a good question with the intention of gaining new insight is something that can’t be done in the midst of everyday business. To do that, you need to have the opportunity to reflect, look at a situation confidently, and acknowledge errors in judgement. And even if the outcome of our learning gives us a feeling of happiness, actually gaining new insight is a painful process.
But how often do we put ourselves through that?
We succeed when we understand that working hard and constant input resulting in short-term instability cannot be the key to success – unless of course we want our business activities to end up as a one-hit wonder. Constantly alternating between change and reflection – regular tension and relaxation – lets us learn more effectively. We need time for ourselves and the patience to re-think how we see the world.
we need time for ourselves and the patience to re-think how we see the world.
Frank krause, senior partner, staufen.ag
