How to Kill Your Assumptions and Learn from Your Mistakes ASAP

Can you solve this 6-piece ball puzzle without touching it?

6-piece ball puzzle

This question was posed at a funfair event. While one may rely on visual thinking to solve it, I would argue that one could learn to solve it faster by physically manipulating the puzzle.

Thinking or doing come first

This game has sparked my curiosity about a question: should we attempt to solve the problem by ‘thinking’ of the solution first, or should we ‘play’ with it first to facilitate quicker learning? With this question in mind, I propose a hypothetical approach to rapid learning based on personal experience, one that involves taking focused action first without delving too deeply into initial analysis.

Focused action without thinking

This approach was inspired by my experiences during my university days at art school. I recall a particular drawing class where, on the first day, we embarked on a lesson in life drawing. However, the approach was unconventional. Instead of glancing between the object and our paper, we were told to focus solely on the object while drawing, without ever looking down at our paper.

Focus solely on the object while drawing, without ever looking down at our paper. Image Credit : Midjourney

This exercise aimed to train us to draw with our eyes, without preconceptions about what would manifest on the drawing paper. As a result, we became deeply engrossed in observing the subject itself, rather than concerning ourselves with how it should be represented on the page.

Conclusion and question

As we progressed through the exercise, I noticed a shift in my mindset. Instead of worrying about making mistakes or achieving perfection, I began to embrace the process of exploration. This involved challenging my assumptions early on and learning from my mistakes which I made in the very early stages.

Following this initial lesson, we proceeded to engage in reflection and attend a lecture on drawing fundamentals. Interestingly, the alteration in sequence, prioritising action before thought, seemed to improve my understanding of the subject matter.

Overall, it’s an approach I’ve applied to various aspects of my learning journey, and perhaps we can apply it to designing our lives as well.

What if it were possible to prototype life’s choices

As humans, we often cannot foresee the consequences of our choices until we have lived through them. In the realm of technology, where the creation of prototypes for intricate experiences is immersive and accessible, it might enables us to face and learn from life’s consequences with minimal risk, and the potential to reset with the push of a button.

Source Code (2011)Movie : The protagonist repeatedly finds himself reliving the same 8 minutes, attempting to prevent a terrorist attack by identifying the perpetrator. This continuous cycle of reliving the same moments underscores the theme of repeating life choices and the impact they can have.

In this envisioned future, where life’s choices can be prototyped or corrected, the concept of ‘killing your assumption’ may be taken literally in the [second] life.

Apple Vision Pro —The possibility of a prototyped life.

References and Notes

• https://medium.com/@choy_edith/the-potential-of-role-playing-and-forum-theatre-in-learning-e9c777199a2
  “The connection between choice and consequence: As an educator, I believe that certain consequences need to be experienced. Students are at a developmental age and both educators and parents could wish to shelter them from the full brunt of the consequences of their actions, as they are still learning. I can appreciate this perspective, but some consequence should still be felt. Students are not prepared for the real world when they are shielded completely from the consequences of their actions. Often, humans may not be able to perceive the consequences of their choices until it has been lived out. Forum theatre provides a simulated reality where the relationship between choice and consequence can be safely, thoughtfully and reflectively enacted.”
• “He who drafts first, wins”
• https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFj9emDX/
  “If you’re dealing with an ambiguous idea and don’t know how to start, the fastest method is to write down something specific about the problem and then seek feedback on it. This is much quicker than trying to gather everyone’s input before you start drafting and also much faster than writing a vague document and asking others to fill in the details. The reason for this is that it’s in human nature to love correcting others; thus, this is an effective way to leverage that tendency.” —I like this method because it effectively challenges assumptions and encourage collaboration among the team. And I stumbled upon the term ‘Straw Man’ prototype, which fits perfectly into this context.
• A “Straw Man” prototype — A straw man is a basic, early version of a solution created with limited information and ideas that aren’t fully developed yet. It’s simple but helps everyone understand the initial idea. The goal is to attack it, improve or replace it with a better solution after discussing and working on it together.
• Test Driven Development — To be researched.

First Pancake Principle

I love this analogy for how it brings the notion to life in a amusing way that a child could easily understand.

“The first pancake will always be a mess. It will most likely end up burnt on the outside and undercooked on the inside because until you make the first pancake you don’t know if the heat is too high or too low.”

 

“You cannot mess up the first pancake because it’s not supposed to be good. It’s a sacrifice to the pancake gods to ensure the rest of the batch comes out.”

The First Pancake Principle

Update: 3rd March 2024

“Think about the first language you learn as a child. More importantly, think about how you learned it. You were a baby when you first started speaking, even though you spoke the language correctly. You were allowed to make mistakes. And the more mistakes you made, the more your parents smiled.” — Victor Wooten

Presents a certain irony in how attitudes towards mistakes change as one grows, yet it also demonstrates how mistakes can be embraced with genuine warmth.