2: See and hear with the mind of a child

If experiencing the world firsthand is about wisdom, then being open to what that world tells you requires cultivating the un-wise mind of a child: open, curious, fun-loving. 

Being open and curious takes practice. 

Having an open mind requires one to suspend (or at least defer) judgment.  This is an acquired skill. 

Curiosity must be fed: when asked by a classmate of mine how we should best spend our time preparing ourselves for a life spent designing stuff, the great design guru Sara Little Turnbull said, "Great designers are great readers."  In other words, you must feed your curiosity, because it grows stronger as it is fed, and the cognitive foundation set by that curiosity is what enables one to recognize patterns and make connections across disparate elements of complex systems.

Having fun (especially as you work) requires energy and time.  But it’s worth it: fun shows ways forward other than the drab grey of the mundane, and it can shake us out of the path of an obvious solution.

Without the mind of a child, one can’t see or act deeply.  We must see and hear with the mind of a child.

This is the second of 21 principles.  Please give me your feedback and ideas.

Comments

[colin]

I think this is my favorite of all your principles. I love them all, but this is the one that went I heard it I almost vaulted from my seat screaming "thank god I'm not alone". It such a powerful principle.

I love that you're sharing these with the world...it needs them :)

[Lamar Mundane]

You need to add that one of the things that inhibits people from seeing like a child is the fear of seeming like you don't know. Kids aren't afraid of looking like idiots. The harm of not knowing for adults is much greater.

[mbm]

For kids, you don't have to do big things to have big impact. They haven't been hardwired with that equation (yet). A funny word can set off peals of laughter that continue to bubble up over the course of a day. A big, organized, fun 'experience' can be forgotten as soon as it is over. It's simply about what is delightful and what works. That is a valuable perspective.

[Account Deleted]

I think this is my favorite of all your principles. I love them all, but this is the one that went I heard it I almost vaulted from my seat screaming "thank god I'm not alone". It such a powerful principle.

I love that you're sharing these with the world...it needs them :)gaia gold
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[Account Deleted]

In other words, you must feed your curiosity, because it grows stronger as it is fed, and the cognitive foundation set by that curiosity is what enables one to recognize patterns and make connections across disparate elements of complex systems.
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[TinalouiseUK]

Wonderful article... the first of yours I have read and I look forward to discovering more :)

I get to spend plenty of time in the company of my 5 year old granddaughter and love viewing the world through her eyes.

Letting things be more than they are designed to be, is indeed a gift that young eyes have - she is ingenius (and her delivery - a delight).

Namaste,
Tina Louise

[dosoftisland@hotmail.com]

Yeah, I agree with you. We only can know what they want when understand them from their angle.