Community Building 2.0: ask me about drL, the rotational-mob-grazing format for human interactions.
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Community Building 2.0: ask me about drL, the rotational-mob-grazing format for human interactions.
Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote: "thinking outside the (unnecessary) box" and "can do/there's always a way" thinking.
Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:
So, how do you think? what are your ways of thinking that give you energy?
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Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Thanks to Cindy for replying to this old thread and both her and Burra's thoughts about different thinking styles.
The hats model is fascinating, and I think dissecting thinking into "elements," as it were, is a useful tool. (Elements or sectors are again a permaculture design thing.) I think I might pull out this tool when I feel especially stuck, overwhelmed, blocked or such. (Others call permaculture a toolbox or tool shed of design ideas, so that fits, too!) Thanks for sharing it Joshua!
To answer your question though,
Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:
So, how do you think? what are your ways of thinking that give you energy?
I have a gazillion thoughts in reply.
Some are from hanging out with Paul, and some are from my own challenges with mental energy and focus. There are three main points I'd like to cover here - language, health, and collaboration.
language / communication
Paul uses engineer speak. The way he uses language is very specific. I have since learned that 80-95% of people are NOT specific with their language.
Most people (the 80-95% as I sometimes call them) use language that to an engineer, or a specific-language person, requires interpretation or a big load of inference to understand the meaning. It is such a "normal" way of communicating that most people don't even know it's happening, don't even notice it, and, I think, unfortunately, wouldn't be able to tell which thinking hat it came from.
Here are some examples:
"That happens ALL the time!" Logical fallacy there - in most cases, it does not happen ALL the time; it might happen MOST of the time. I think most people translate and get the inference that's it's MOST coupled with frustration.
"I'm going to ( do x )" - where the inference is that you should also ( do x ) or stop doing y so that I don't need to do x, or all other kinds of subtle, or not so subtle, messages instead of just saying 'please do not do y.'
There are more, of course, but I can't think of them right now. (Ha.)
When Paul, in particular, encounters a logical fallacy in a conversation, he can get stuck there, and needs to unravel it before the conversation can continue. Because building a conversation (or a thought experiment, troubleshooting, brainstorming, or innovative project steps) on a "red hat" or incorrect "white hat" statement, is a shaky foundation.
It can be SO draining to try to communicate with others who do not understand what their own statements mean in terms of literal word use, and often how they expect inferences to be understood. Combine this with interrupting, and that's when Paul can get over-the-top frustrated!
health / wellness
This is my bailiwick, and when you talk about increasing energy and reducing mental drain, I have a BIG list in this aspect. No matter what thought experiment, or thought process you'd like to use, if the brain cells can't fire correctly, it's no use. Kind of like trying to grow plants without anything for them to feed off of in the soil. I have struggled with many of these things and have learned how mushy my brain gets when my health isn't being supported.
sleep - good, adequate, deep sleep* nutrition - especially brain addling are anemia, B12 deficiency, excess iron health (no illness) - sinus infections have plagued me creating horrible mental fog, let alone how being in pain in general negatively affects short term memory, or other maladies food/digestion issues - allergies, intolerances, biome imbalance, these issues again can either add to or reduces mental clarity hormone balance - hormone disruptors are every where and thyroid issues are seemingly epidemic - brain fog from low thyroid is one of the worst things, in my experience activity/exercise - so many benefits here that it doesn't need further explanation
*When I was younger, I used to rob my sleep, a LOT, to do everything I wanted to do. Including putting the kids to bed, then taking lights outside to garden with! I think continued sleep deprivation is part of what fried my thyroid. So a word to the young(er): don't do what I did.
community / collaboration / people
As Joshua wrote about the "black hat" thinking as criticizing "useless" information in permaculture, I think the community, the support of other people is a critical component to thinking sustainability. It's like Paul's wheaton eco scale - everyone's on a different level or path, and it's better to recognize and encourage the good instead of shaking fingers at the bad.
In this case, I think the people care, the community, the polyculture of thought, if you will, is HUGE.
Having like-minded people, who may or may not be at a similar eco level, but are supportive, respectful and can communicate with a modicum of self-awareness about their language and thought processes, are the fertilizer to healthy thinking.
Ever feel energized after visiting with someone like that? Ever feel drained after visiting or discussing something with someone who's not like that? There's the rub.
Community is a huge part of what we're trying to build here at permies.com and wheaton labs, and Paul and I are constantly evaluating what works and doesn't work. Our mental capacities are crucial to keeping up the velocity of what we do, both Paul in his empire work and myself in my accounting work, let alone everything here at wheaton labs. We are keen on observation and accepting feedback. Avoiding mental drain is a constant battle, for both of us, and I think especially for me, so this definitely touched a nerve.
Community Building 2.0: ask me about drL, the rotational-mob-grazing format for human interactions.
Community Building 2.0: ask me about drL, the rotational-mob-grazing format for human interactions.
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