Our perspectives and worldviews are held powerfully in our minds. So, can we unlearn them to make way for a new type of learning? Apparently, yes! But, how can we unlearn the perspective that has been so deeply set into our mind during our formative years? Well, we need to expose ourselves to the positives of doing so, before we can be convinced.

One way to do this is to expose ourselves to systems thinking. Mind you, doing so will certainly open us up to our vulnerabilities. But then, this is the good bit…….if we do this, there is the chance that our vulnerabilities will no longer scare us and so their power will dissolve. If our vulnerabilities start to dissolve then maybe we will be more open to saying “I don’t know” or our fear of failing may be minimised. We might, then, escape from the reinforcing feedback loop of routine – comfort – complacency – reluctance to change – routine.

Self- reflection is a major part of systems thinking. The bonds in the feedback loop above are so strong they can be excruciatingly painful to break. However, once broken we gain the benefit of being able to shift our mindset to a place that gives enlightening new insight and allows us to take the fear out of embracing the complexity in which we are engulfed.