Feeling lost, overwhelmed and confused?
You should do more research.
Gather more data.
Filter, sort, and combine info.
Eventually, a wise answer will appear.
TRUE or FALSE?
𧡠The answer may surprise you ‡οΈ
You should do more research.
Gather more data.
Filter, sort, and combine info.
Eventually, a wise answer will appear.
TRUE or FALSE?
𧡠The answer may surprise you ‡οΈ
1/ In my survey from a while back...
90.2% agreed:
Data helps make sense of situations
90.2% agreed:
Data helps make sense of situations
2/ And with my opening... it seems logical.
The mind is an assembly line, right?!
β’ Our senses picks up data.
β’ We refine, process, and combine it.
β’Β Insights and conclusions come out.
As simple as 1, 2, 3.
The mind is an assembly line, right?!
β’ Our senses picks up data.
β’ We refine, process, and combine it.
β’Β Insights and conclusions come out.
As simple as 1, 2, 3.
3/ But as we talked about in my thread on Puzzles vs. Mysteries...
We know that getting more data only works when you know EXACTLY what you're looking for.
(I.E. a puzzle.)
We know that getting more data only works when you know EXACTLY what you're looking for.
(I.E. a puzzle.)
4/ With puzzles --
You know there a only so many pieces...
If you collected the right ones, put them in the right place, and connected the dots...
You would solve the puzzle! Great!
But that's not how real life works.
You know there a only so many pieces...
If you collected the right ones, put them in the right place, and connected the dots...
You would solve the puzzle! Great!
But that's not how real life works.
5/ Real life is more like if you get 10 puzzles, dump all the pieces on the table, mix it all up, and throw away the boxes.
No picture(s) to reference.
Now go solve it.
So now the questions become...
No picture(s) to reference.
Now go solve it.
So now the questions become...
6/ What's the picture I'm trying to make?
Which pieces go together?
Do the pieces in my hands even belong to the same set?
Which pieces go together?
Do the pieces in my hands even belong to the same set?
7/ That's real life.
There are layers of different forces acting on us... each with their own agenda... each feeding us data.
There's no "right" solution. You pick up the different pieces and you hope, eventually, you can make a picture.
There are layers of different forces acting on us... each with their own agenda... each feeding us data.
There's no "right" solution. You pick up the different pieces and you hope, eventually, you can make a picture.
8/ What's more --
The more pieces you pick up, the more confused you get... b/c each piece creates new connections with other pieces... but you're still not sure if all your pieces work together.
The more pieces you pick up, the more confused you get... b/c each piece creates new connections with other pieces... but you're still not sure if all your pieces work together.
9/ So how do you navigate the chaos?
How do you go through life when there are so many ambiguities, uncertainties, and a huge chunk of irrelevant data on your hard drive?
In one word: stories.
How do you go through life when there are so many ambiguities, uncertainties, and a huge chunk of irrelevant data on your hard drive?
In one word: stories.
10/ Hey, like this so far?
I write about human behavior, marketing, and storytelling in my weekly newsletter: osmosis.dev
It comes every Tuesday at 9:30AM Pacific. Check it out:
I write about human behavior, marketing, and storytelling in my weekly newsletter: osmosis.dev
It comes every Tuesday at 9:30AM Pacific. Check it out:
11/ To be more detailed...
β’ Pick a narrative
β’ Try to solve it using said story
β’ If too many anomalies/plot holes show up...
β’ Pick a different narrative
β’ Test to see if it "works"
β’ Pick a narrative
β’ Try to solve it using said story
β’ If too many anomalies/plot holes show up...
β’ Pick a different narrative
β’ Test to see if it "works"
12/ This is not unlike my thread on jumping to conclusions.
You WANT to do that.
You WANT to have hypotheses, test them, and try new ones until you find something that works.
You WANT to do that.
You WANT to have hypotheses, test them, and try new ones until you find something that works.
13/ You see...
"Research" is passively collecting data. This is the trap a lot of self-help junkies fall into.
They read another book. Study another course. Join another cohort.
There's always more to learn.
"Research" is passively collecting data. This is the trap a lot of self-help junkies fall into.
They read another book. Study another course. Join another cohort.
There's always more to learn.
14/ And there is!
Any valuable skill in the 21st century requires a lifetime of learning:
β’ Programming
β’ Video Editing
β’ Copywriting
β’ Storytelling
β’ Marketing
β’ Scaling
β’ Design
β’ Sales
And there are endless books, courses, seminars to consume.
Any valuable skill in the 21st century requires a lifetime of learning:
β’ Programming
β’ Video Editing
β’ Copywriting
β’ Storytelling
β’ Marketing
β’ Scaling
β’ Design
β’ Sales
And there are endless books, courses, seminars to consume.
15/ But consumption is passive.
What's active?
Implementation. Testing. Refining.
You pick a frame (or story), and you try to see if the data you've gathered fits.
What's active?
Implementation. Testing. Refining.
You pick a frame (or story), and you try to see if the data you've gathered fits.
16/ If it does, you get a fuller picture. Things start working. Flywheel happens.
If it doesn't fit, you'll have found a boundary or limit.
Time to change the framework or story. Try something else. How do you overcome the obstacle?
If it doesn't fit, you'll have found a boundary or limit.
Time to change the framework or story. Try something else. How do you overcome the obstacle?
17/ Nobody likes making mistakes... or wasting time... or embarrassing oneself.
I get it.
But there's also no one "magical solution" to solving life's biggest problems... (despite what copywriters like me promise you).
I get it.
But there's also no one "magical solution" to solving life's biggest problems... (despite what copywriters like me promise you).
18/ Life is a series of experiments.
You can get guides and mentors and learn from the mistakes of others...
But until you make those same mistakes yourself and feel that emotional weight of "I fucked up"...
You don't truly learn.
You can get guides and mentors and learn from the mistakes of others...
But until you make those same mistakes yourself and feel that emotional weight of "I fucked up"...
You don't truly learn.
19/ This thread is part of a 10-part series on decision making based on "Streetlights and Shadows" (2009) by @KleInsight
If you liked it...
1) Follow me @colinyjchung for more threads like this
2) RT the first tweet to help others self-reflect more accurately.
If you liked it...
1) Follow me @colinyjchung for more threads like this
2) RT the first tweet to help others self-reflect more accurately.
20/ TL:DR
Passively collecting more and more data is a trap.
Gather just enough to create a hypothesis you can test. Test it.
Did it work?
If so, keep optimzing.
If not, try a new hypothesis.
Passively collecting more and more data is a trap.
Gather just enough to create a hypothesis you can test. Test it.
Did it work?
If so, keep optimzing.
If not, try a new hypothesis.
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