#ThinkfullyHabit: Contradict yourself
How often do you find yourself torn between options, caught in a dilemma or pulled by competing ideas? If so, it may be that you are in what Jim Collins and Jerry Porras call the ‘tyranny of the OR’, where you find yourself choosing between two apparently contradictory strategies. They contrast this to the ‘genius of the AND’ which is recognising that ways forward may come from a combination of ideas. In their book ‘Built to Last’* they argue that the most successful are those who find ways to hold together a combination of ‘Andings’, instead of choosing between options.
“The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. ”
WHY?
We might resist the ‘genius of the AND’ due to the discomfort of holding opposing views and beliefs together. Psychologists call this ‘Cognitive Dissonance’; the psychological stress associated with ideas and actions that aren’t consistent with each other and it's often what drives us to try and resolve the contradictions to reduce the discomfort.
However, as Historian and Philosopher Yuval Noah Harari argues**, contradictions are inseparable parts of every human culture and he even suggests they are responsible for the creativity and dynamism of our species. He proposes that the “discord in our thoughts, ideas and values compel us to think, re-evaluate and criticise." Whereas, "consistency is the playground of dull minds.” As a result, tensions, conflicts and dilemmas are the triggers to much of our life and what it means to be human.
As such, instead of resolving contradictions too readily, we could try to see what ‘Andings’ there are in the midst of it. If that sounds easier said than done, then try this approach:
- Surface consistencies AND contradictions. It can be hard to recognise contradictions, so start first by recognising what is consistent in order to help see what’s not. Consistency is often the flip of contradiction.
- Clarify the contradictions. Make it as clear and explicit as possible what the opposing ideas actually are; what’s not sitting together very comfortably. It helps to pair the contradictions. There may be one pair or several.
- Accept the contradictions. Don’t try and change them. Resist the urge to evaluate the merits of the opposing ideas.
- Connect the contradictions. Take each pair of opposing ideas and try to make connections between them. Do this in a way that is driven by overcoming the contradiction and not driven by compromise. As far as possible aim to connect back as close as possible to the source of the contradiction.
In this way, there’s a chance we can avoid ignoring, justifying or compartmentalising the contradictions and instead make sense of them in order to understand if there’s a way forward without choosing between them.
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