“If information is all we need, everyone would have become billionaires, with perfect 6-pack abs,” says writer and entrepreneur Derek Sivers.
Information ≠ transformation.
We spend a lot of our time consuming information, in hopes that we can be transformed. What if we spend our time making attempts at transformation, and then, seek to fill the information gap, when we need it instead?
Gathering information is a safe bet. Attempts at transformation is almost always risky. Because we might fall flat on our face. But I think it’s worth it.
In describing the work of therapy, German psychiatrist Frieda Fromm-Reichmann “The patient does not need an interpretation, but a new experience.”
Therapists need to try things out and shape new experiences, and learn from them after the fact. In order words, we need to design our therapy office to become mini-labs, mimicking nature but learning through adaptation, one client at time.
Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.
~ Juvenal (Roman poet, A.D. 60–130)
Sources has it that Pablo Picasso said this, “Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.”
If we need more information, more answers, all we need to do is turn to the Web. But what really need more of is better questions. Questions that put us on a quest for personal transformation.
Let’s start by asking ourselves a question: Why does our existing training does not reliably lead to better performing therapists? I suspect one of them is related to the fact that we have over-emphasised on content knowledge, and less on relational knowledge (see this post, Three Types of Knowledge).
Watch this video for an illuminating example.
Now go for a ride. (Wanna go faster? See this post).
This is a wonderful post! I’m currently working in supervision with “going from information to process”. Your post gives me even more inspiration to work on!
Thank Gun-Eva! More to come.