From low resolution to high resolution concepts
If you've ever zoomed into a digital picture, you might've noticed that it begins to break down into individual pixels – little blocks of color that when viewed from a distance, come together to create an image. It's only when you look closely do you begin to see the details, and sometimes imperfections, of that image. This concept serves as an apt metaphor for how we process and apply information.
The Pixels of Thought
Imagine ideas as digital images. Some are low resolution, offering a broad overview, while others are high resolution, presenting intricate detail. Both have their value, depending on the context, but confusion arises when we treat a low-resolution idea as if it's high resolution.
- Low-resolution thinking is broad, encompassing, and general. It offers a surface-level understanding and is easily digestible. It's the kind of thinking that helps in quick decision-making, forming first impressions, or understanding a new concept at a glance. However, it lacks depth.
- High-resolution thinking, on the other hand, is detailed and nuanced. It considers all the intricacies of an idea, from the potential ramifications to the underlying principles that support it.
Jordan B Peterson's Illustration
The concept of low vs. high resolution is brilliantly illustrated by Jordan B Peterson: "idealism is a low res picture. When it's fuzzy, it's easy to have it fit everything. It's like a child drawing a helicopter. A couple of lines in an X, a circle, a stick and another circle and you can tell what it is. However, if you want it to fly, you will have to examine each part infinitely deeper to get a real understanding of what is needed to actually make it fly."
It's reminiscent of a child's drawing: simple, recognizable, but lacking the intricate details of the real thing. These illustrations offer a broad understanding but fail under scrutiny or practical application. They're the rough sketches of ideas.
The Peril of Low Resolution in Application
The danger arises when these low-resolution ideologies are accepted as foundational truths. While they can provide a decent starting point, their simplicity can lead to misconceptions or even disasters when put to practical use. It's the equivalent of navigating a city using a rudimentary map sketched on a napkin. The basic shapes are there, but the nuances of the roads, the shortcuts, the obstacles – they're missing.
In the realms of entrepreneurship and leadership, for example, a foundational principle might be to "lead with integrity." At low resolution, this seems straightforward. But what does "integrity" mean? How is it manifested? When is a leader perceived as having integrity, and when is he not? Delving into these questions and seeking their answers is the process of turning that low-res principle into a high-res actionable strategy.
The Discipline of Refinement
Much like the "First Principles" approach propagated by thinkers like Elon Musk, where complex ideas are broken down to their fundamental truths and then reconstructed, enhancing the resolution of an idea involves dissecting it, understanding its core, and then building upon that understanding.
To truly grasp a concept, we must resist the allure of the convenient low-res explanation. It's not enough to understand something superficially; we need to zoom in, explore its pixels, and understand how and why it's structured the way it is. This doesn't mean that every idea needs to be scrutinized to its core – but for foundational beliefs and principles that guide decision-making, it's essential.
Conclusion
In an era where information is abundant and attention spans are limited, the temptation to rely on low-resolution thinking is strong. But for those who wish to not only understand the world but also to navigate its complexities successfully, enhancing the resolution of their thought processes is imperative. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a student, a leader, or simply someone eager to understand the world a bit better – remember to occasionally zoom in.