Apr 29, 2020 18:05:00

Claiming that it is meaningless to hear the 'secret of success' from a third party

One of the ways to know the secret of success is to understand the

mental model of what kind of situations and decisions were made by the people who actually succeeded. However, Singapore's entrepreneur Cedric Ching argues that 'trying to understand the mental model of a successful person' and 'getting it from a third party' are meaningless. I will.

The Mental Model Fallacy
https://commoncog.com/blog/the-mental-model-fallacy/

In order to understand the mental model of a successful person, Mr. Chin claims that 'listening to the words of the successful person' and 'practice' are important. For example, a person aiming to be a martial arts champion said, 'I'm spending time listening to commentators who explain the winning tips to become a martial arts champion,' People will find it silly, 'Chin said.

There are three reasons: 'First, you can't improve your martial arts without practicing, no matter how many words you learn, the second. However, it is very valuable to hear the experiences of strong players and how to practice.Thirdly, no matter how carefully you watch a good game, if you fail to practice, you will have the ability to win the game. No, ”says Chin.

Among them, Mr. Chin points out that what is bad is 'when I hear the experiences of successful people through a third party,' and the experiences I hear lack many important information. “It's very important to hear from successful people, not only in martial arts, but also in business, R & D, investment, decision-making, and life. It is important that you listen to, imitate your behavior, and reflect through trial and error. '

According to Chin, successful people have excellent mental models regardless of their fields. Therefore, learning the experiences and mental models of successful people from books and lectures is often thought to be the key to success in business and life.

However, 'learning a mental model with words does not really mean understanding the mental model of a successful person. It's like trying to read a book and learn how to ride a bike, which is the most valuable. Mental models cannot be expressed in words alone. It is important not only to understand words but also to put them into practice, 'said Chin.

Mental models are divided into two types: 'explicit knowledge' and 'implicit knowledge'. Mental models that are easy to convey in words are categorized as explicit knowledge, and mental models that are difficult to convey in words alone are categorized as implicit knowledge. Although 'explicit knowledge' can be explained by a third party, it is almost impossible for a third party to explain 'implicit knowledge'.

Chin claims that the most important part of the mental model is tacit knowledge, and understanding what 'successful people feel and behave' is particularly important in the mental model. Did. For example, with regard to a series of movements in which a skilled judo player throws a throwing technique, actions that the player intuitively and unconsciously judge, such as how to feel the opponent's gap, where to focus, how to deal with the opponent's counterattack Is mostly Knowledge that lies in intuition and unconsciousness is classified as implicit knowledge that is difficult to document.

The idea of dividing knowledge into explicit and implicit has existed in the field of philosophy thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks called explicit knowledge '

epistêmê ' for 'true wisdom' and implicit knowledge ' technê ' for 'technique'.

Moreover, although explicit and implicit knowledge are classified separately, they are very closely related. “When the successful person himself explained the explicit knowledge, he often explained it in a moving manner so that the listener was able to carry it out easily. It's an easy way to do it, and it's worth being told by the successful people themselves, 'said Chin.

For example, when teaching a child who has just begun to remove auxiliary wheels how to ride a bicycle, there are many people who explain how to ride by using words and supporting the child riding the bicycle so that they do not fall. The most effective teaching is that someone who knows how to ride a bicycle does not teach only how to ride a bicycle by words, but tries to get the knack by actually experiencing the flow of riding a bicycle. That's why.

'Explicit knowledge is just the tip of the iceberg, it only protrudes above the sea, and there is a huge block of implicit knowledge hidden under it. Implicit knowledge is hard to even convey to peers There is nothing to gain from listening to someone who is not a successful person, and the best way to learn a mental model is to imitate the behavior of successful people and reflect on them through trial and error. Don't rely on the commentary that people tell, ”Chin said, learning from the successful people was paramount.