We are so smart, we overcomplicate things. Making it more complex can help us understand, however for action, simplicity is necessary. Most goals or desires we have in life have more complexity than readily apparent. We are physical, social, emotional, spiritual dynamic, interrelated beings. Things continually change because as anything changes, everything changes. For this reason, and many others, John Kay convincingly explains why the interactive, oblique process, what he calls obliquity, is a more effective method. Obliquity is  being deliberately indirect.

John Kay discusses it in his book of the same name and the TED Talk, Obliquity: How Complex Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly below.

Oblique approaches are regularly used. Effective methods focus on building a better process so the product will take care of itself. For example, rather than going directly at health, which is complex, Antonovsky demonstrated with his salutogenesis model the focus should be on building meaning, manageability and comprehensibility and then health will be the subsequent consequence.

This approach also supports the paneugenesis process because working to develop  Precursors are indirect factors necessary to realize Idealized Outcomes. In other words, the paneugenesis process is an example of using indirect methods to achieve complex goals.

In support of the idea of obliquity, James Clear shared this:

“Friendship happens on the way to something else If you “try to meet new people” it feels weird and forced. The more you aim for friendship, the more it eludes you.But if you aim to learn or achieve something with others, friendship happens naturally during the shared pursuit.”

James Clear 9-9-2021 Newsletter

Be Well’r,
Craig Becker

Be selfish, selfless, & synergistic so everyone and everything benefits!

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Contact me: BeWellr@gmail.com