Comments on: Why Knowledge Games Work

By: Accidentally in Code » Science Teacher Talk: Information -> Meaning

Accidentally in Code » Science Teacher Talk: Information -> Meaning — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:18:13 +0000

[...] Great graphic on this original content here. [...]

By: EduBlog.NET v3 » Blog Archive » the universe of knowledge

EduBlog.NET v3 » Blog Archive » the universe of knowledge — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:52:26 +0000

[...] saw this piece of drawing via sunnibrown.com: [...]

By: Sunni

Sunni — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:22:28 +0000

Avril, thanks for your sweet comment. (And for the joke. I’ll remember that.) One of the challenges with presenting “play” in the workplace is exactly that: people perceive play to be all fun and games and they can sometimes dismiss its value. Which, as inventors, innovators, artists and children know, is folly. I hope Knowledge Games serves to legitimize playing at work. That is certainly one of our goals.

Cheers,
Sunni

By: Avril

Avril — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:48:28 +0000

Can’t wait for your book to come out, Sunni! I think we all need to play more. Besides being fun (which is worth a lot by itself), it’s the fastest avenue to our creative selves – as all kids and artists know! In the spirit of sharing tips, one of my favourite books on the subject is “Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art” by Stephen Nachmanovitch (http://bit.ly/8tSQRS). And on the subject of not taking ourselves too seriously, Ben Zander gives us Rule #6, as follows:

Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: “Peter,” he says, “kindly remember Rule Number 6,” whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws.

The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interupted yet again twenty minutes later by an hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: “Marie, please remember Rule Number 6.” Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology.

When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: “My dear friend, I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?”

“Very simple,” replies the resident prime minister. “Rule Number 6 is ‘Don’t take yourself so damn seriously.’”

“Ah,” says his visitor, “that is a fine rule.” After a moment of pondering, he inquires, “And what, may I ask, are the other rules?”

“There aren’t any.”

By: Sunni

Sunni — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:52:52 +0000

Thanks for the tip, Lisa! I can always use more practices to stop suffering from adultitis.

By: Lisa Braithwaite

Lisa Braithwaite — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:06:54 +0000

Sunni, I think you would enjoy Kim and Jason’s blog “Escape Adulthood,” if you haven’t already seen it. It’s about being childlike, not taking ourselves too seriously, embracing creativity and saving ourselves from “adultitis.” Check it out: http://kimandjason.com/blog/.

By: Sunni

Sunni — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:01:19 +0000

I had to throw some Landmark in there – it seems so applicable for so many things. Kind of like visual thinking! And more dentists should draw for their patients; it could take some of the fear of the unknown – “Oh, so you’re not drilling into my actual jaw. Thank god.” Thanks for the comment, Steve.

By: Steve Cherches

Steve Cherches — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:44:40 +0000

Great post Sunni. Delving into a little Landmark too?! Nice. I do love that “Universe of Knowledge” visual. I had forgotten about it.

By the way, I had a dentist appointment today. After he was done drilling my teeth for an exceptionally long time (OUCH!), I asked him what was going on. I was thrilled to see him grab a piece of paper and draw a visual of my tooth, the cavity, nerves, etc. If my dentist can vizthink, anyone can vizthink. (Hmmmm… seems like the title of a blog post.)

Thanks for continuing to help me think differently… Steve

By: Sunni

Sunni — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:26:08 +0000

And when we acknowledge that we don’t know sh*t about sh*t, I consider that a eureka moment. Because that’s when you’ll let your subconscious start to do the work. It’s sort of like yielding to the creative rather than bossing it around with our analysis. And that’s not to suggest that analysis doesn’t have its place, it’s just that I think we become more effective problem-solvers and people when we entertain possibilities outside of those we already know. And good point – much of those discoveries happen when we just starting DOING sh*t and then asking questions later. Thanks for the comment, Jess.

By: Jess

Jess — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:22:18 +0000

I try not to think about what I think about or know or do not know. I generally default to Socrates who said something like “All we know is that we know nothing” Which I often reduce to “We don’t know sh*t about sh*t.”

I solve problems by doing, and analyzing afterwords, as it seems to work out for the best in most cases. I guess my mind already knows what to do before it lets my conscious know that I know what to do. You know?