Try an Expirement
At some level we all understand the concept that experience is a good teacher and that some things can only be truly learned or understood though personal experience. Yet we often strive to figure out our lives (careers, relationships) or solve our problems at a strictly intellectual level and downplay or ignore the importance of experimentation – the “learn by trying/doing” part of the equation. We cling to the idea that we should be able to simply “figure things out” by mulling things over, applying logic, and mentally weighing alternatives, and thus we become armchair examiners of, and theorists about, our lives. Relying on thought is a natural human tendency but why do we do this? Is there a better way?
Why do we gravitate toward intellectual analysis?
Intellectual analysis certainly has its advantages; for example:
- It is invisible
- It’s efficient
- It often works
What is the problem with simply relying on intellectual analysis?
- Humans are not good predictors of their future feelings
- “Because predictions about the future are made in the present they are inevitably influenced by the present. The way we feel right now (‘I’m so hungry’) and the way we think right now (‘The big speakers sound better than the little ones’) exert an usually strong influence on the way we think we’ll feel later. Because time is such a slippery concept, we tend to imagine the future as the present with a twist, thus our imagined tomorrows inevitably look like slightly twisted versions of today. The reality of the moment is so palpable and powerful that it holds imagination in a tight orbit from which it never fully escapes. ... We fail to recognize that our future selves won’t see the world the way we see it now.”
- Our thinking processes are constrained by our upbringing, assumptions, and beliefs
- There are too many variables
Every action you take creates a dynamic that leads to further actions and reactions. When you take an action it does not have one simple effect – rather it begins a process or creates an environment that can have vast and unanticipated consequences. Each step you take branches you onto a different path, opening up new possibilities for future actions and interactions.
Why do we resist experimenting?
There are lots of reasons that we resist experimenting – here are three of the most powerful ones:
- We dislike chaos
- We fear our own negative judgment
- We fear the judgment of others
Is there another way?
Intellectual assessment is here to stay and so it should be. But experimentation is an equally valuable but underused tool that you can learn to embrace and use to your advantage if you can do the following:
- Shift your perspective
- Trust your judgment
- Learn to conduct fast, low-risk experiments
- Let go of the impulse to label your outcomes
How would your life be different if some of your primary life goals were simply to learn and grow and to explore the big questions like, “Who am I?” “How do I think?” “Why do I do things?” “What do I like?” “How do I fit in this world?” “Where can I bring the most value?” When learning is considered a valuable pursuit in itself, at least on a par with acquiring “things”, then experimentation become a natural part of the process rather than something to be feared and avoided. Remember that experiments provide you something very valuable – feedback – and you can learn much from both positive and negative feedback.
If you learn to pay close attention to your internal reactions you can hone a sense of intuition as to whether a particular situation is one that you can comfortably “think through” or rely on the input of others, or whether it is one you need to experience for yourself. The more you listen to your hunches and act on them the more you strengthen your intuition.
Not all experiments take a long time to conduct or have potentially serious consequences. It is important to learn how to conduct fast, low-risk experiments. If you find yourself in a situation where your intuition tells you that you need to try something out for yourself, then figure out how you can structure your actions to get the answers you need quickly and easily. Sometimes a key to unleashing your creativity in this area is to remember the following: Nothing will happen to you against your will. Applying for a job is not the same thing as accepting a job. Taking a job is not the same thing as promising that you will stay at that job for the rest of your life. Experimenting is not the same thing as committing – it is the data gathering phase – the pre-curser to committing.
If you can accept the concept that learning about yourself and how you fit in the world is of value in and of itself, then there are no bad outcomes. Every experiment has an outcome that brings new valuable information that you did not have before hand. Try taking on the perspective of an interested observer – “Oh that was interesting! That teaches me xyz and I can certainly use that information as I move forward.” Labeling outcomes of your experiments as “good,” “bad,” or “foolish” can often be counterproductive.
Using your brain to think though a problem or situation is only one alternative in a given situation. You expand your toolset and greatly contribute to your personal and professional development if you are able to also embrace the tool of experimentation. When you experiment you bring your thoughts into reality and allow your other senses (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling) to come into play and contribute to your eventual decision making. You can benefit by making important decisions based on outcomes not on conjecture and trusting your intuition as to which situations are the ones you need to explore experientially.