“I believe I've successfully condensed "The Matter with Things" By Iain McGilchrist into under 1,000 words, making it easy for everyone to take practical action while preserving Iain’s core message” Jon Thorne - founder of SkillsofWow.org
It appears rational, perhaps even somewhat mechanical, to suggest that many mistakes stem from human error and that embracing a more machine-like mindset could assist in resolving our problems. On the other hand, there is a perspective that views human error as a consequence of excessive dependence on this machine-mindedness, causing us to miss elements that lie beyond the machine's capabilities. To address human error effectively, we might also consider stepping back from our machine-mindedness to nurture our humanity.
Since we are not machines, stepping out of machine-mindedness allows our humanity and our wowness to shine through in both our thoughts and actions. Coaching someone to step out of machine-mindedness involves guiding them away from fixating solely on closing the space between assembled parts and synchronizing them into an efficient machine. It’s about helping them realize that just because one step in a particular direction produced a positive outcome, it doesn’t guarantee that subsequent steps in the same direction will yield similar results. It is perfectly acceptable to take actions that may not directly result in achieving higher standards. We begin to view what were once mere components of our system as integral parts of a lively, fluid, interconnected ecosystem. We navigate in zig-zags, discover shortcuts, and embrace non-linear creative leaps. We explore the intricacies of relationships and the complex network that binds everything together. We navigate around obstacles to uncover insights that may have previously eluded us. By celebrating our individuality, we create experiences that reveal fresh perspectives, sparking moments of wonder that prompt us to question why we hadn’t seen them before. These instances evoke a sense of awe—our Wowness. As we step out of machine-mindedness we feel, connect, explore, and discover. We learn to identify when a machine-mindedness is suitable and when it is not, allowing us to step out of it.
To fully embrace our humanity, our Wowness, and explore a world beyond our systems, processes, and machines
We provide opportunities to break the spell of machine-mindedness
It is clear that merely optimizing our current systems, processes, and machines is not enough to address the challenges we face today. We promote experiences to step out of machine-mindedness.
Stepping out of machine-mindedness allows us to appreciate individual worth beyond just our roles in a system. Coaching fosters the realization that our actions can lead to different results, encouraging us to see life as a vibrant ecosystem. We navigate in zig-zags, taking non-linear leaps of creativity, exploring relationships, and embracing our uniqueness, all of which lead to those remarkable moments of "Wowness." By stepping out of machine-mindedness, we bring our humanity to the forefront of our thoughts and actions. We become adept at recognizing when machine-mindedness is unsuitable and consciously step away from it.
Fear activates our machine-mindedness, pushing us to steer clear of mistakes. We carefully gather and piece together data, much like constructing with LEGO, to build our confidence and minimize errors. This increase in self-assurance fosters a need to dominate our surroundings. Individuals who express alternative opinions or challenge authority are often seen as negative influences. We tend to overlook data that indicates our current approach is ineffective. By doing so, we confine ourselves and those we aim to manage within a machine-mindedness, driven by the fear of failure, leading us to persist in actions that aren’t working. Meanwhile, we should be stepping outside of our machine-mindedness to embrace our humanity to craft those moments of discovery when we recognize something we didn't expect to see—our “wow” moments. We face uncertainty by embracing our Wowness.
Being socialized to maintain the happiness of our leaders—whether they are parents, teachers, coaches, or bosses—often leads us to internalize high standards they set for us. This pressure frequently results in a machine-mindedness to meet those expectations. We bring together what is required and synchronize them to meet standards. We fix and substitute substandard components. Falling short of these standards can result in feelings of personal inadequacy and a sense of letting down our leaders. However, the quality of our relationships holds far greater significance than simply operating as flawless machines to achieve these standards. This is why it's essential to occasionally break free from our machine-mindedness and celebrate our humanity and individuality, our wowness, to thrive in an increasingly Artificial Intelligence-driven world.
Exams are intended to assess students' ability to collect bits of information and convert them into standardized responses. This resembles the functionality of AI. Consequently, AI can assist with homework and even grade assignments. This suggests that merely holding qualifications may not be enough to fend off competition for jobs that AI can handle. Securing desirable positions will require us to step outside the machine-mindedness we need for exams to embrace our humanity and uniqueness, showcasing our ability to perform tasks that AI cannot.
​Just because taking one step in a particular direction yields positive results, it doesn't guarantee that taking additional steps in the same direction will produce similar outcomes. To be neurodivergent is to zig-zag, find shortcuts, and make non-linear creative leaps. These are skills where AI falls short. The neurodivergent might have the skills to out think AI.
By giving ourselves time to step away from a machine mindedness, where we view our bodies as LEGO-like components to be assembled into a machine, we can see the intricate web of relationships and connections between all parts of our bodies and begin to understand our health as whole. This perspective enables us to adjust the timing and spacing of these relationships to tackle our challenges with moments of inspiration and wonder. We craft Wow moments. We are not machines
Traditional sports coaching focuses on guiding players to develop their individual skills in order to achieve peak performance at high speeds while flawlessly executing their roles within a system. Essentially, it’s about coaches and players using machined-mindedness to construct a well-oiled machine of sporting excellence. Coaching players to step outside machine-mindedness involves guiding them away from a narrow focus on merely closing the gaps in spacing and timing between skills for quick execution. Essentially, this means encouraging them to slow down and incorporate more spacing and timing within their skill components. It's about helping players understand that while one step in a specific direction may lead to a positive outcome, it doesn’t necessarily ensure that following steps in the same direction will produce similar results. The goal is to make players comfortable with taking actions that might not directly lead to higher performance standards. As a result, players begin to show up in the right place at the right time for each other, appreciating one another beyond their individual roles within a system. They come to enjoy the unexpected outcomes of their actions, relishing the zigzag movements and nonlinear leaps in their capabilities, wow moments. They thrive in a vibrant ecosystem characterized by shared humanity and collective Wowness, all achieved by stepping away from machine-mindedness.
We provide opportunities to break the spell of your machine-mindedness
To fully embrace our humanity, our Wowness, and explore a world beyond our systems, processes, and machines
Play basketball to break the spell of machine-mindedness
No matter your skill level, join us for a game of basketball to break the spell of machine-mindedness to share in our humanity and our Wowness.
Wednesday @ St Albans
5 - 6pm Neurodivergent kids 6+
6 - 7pm Adult beginners 16+
Thursdays
8.30pm to 9.30 pm League-level @ Hemel
Sunday - Bushey half court
6 to 7pm all-ability, younger teenagers, mixed
7 - 8pm all-ability adults
Cafe Wow
We engage in conversations to step outside machine-mindedness. This allows us to embrace our humanity and our Wowness. Our aim is to create solutions that surpass the limitations of our systems, processes, and machines.
This weeks community sessions
Sun, 06 OctBushey06 Oct 2024, 18:00 – 19:00Bushey, Aldenham Rd, Bushey WD23 2TD, UK
Sun, 06 OctBushey06 Oct 2024, 19:00 – 20:00Bushey, Aldenham Rd, Bushey WD23 2TD, UK
SkillsofWow.org is the governing body for those who coach the skills of Wow.