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虽说无一物，尘埃处处盖。未经勤拂拭，何知镜非台？

6.30.2013

A study: Boyd's conceptual spiral 



Key point:
The OODA loop: observation, orientation, decision, action.

Our reality is uncertain, ever-changing and unpredictable. The systems that we utilize to make sense of the world are in themselves imperfect, and thus generate imperfect information (mismatches) that keeps the world uncertain, ever-changing and unpredictable.

The conceptual spiral is one where we the processes of orientation, mismatches, synthesis/analysis*, reorientation, mismatches… is repeated so that we can comprehend, cope with, shape and be shaped by the world.
* In Boyd’s definition, analysis: reaching across many perspectives and pulling them apart.
Synthesis: intuitively looking for those parts of the disassembled perspectives with naturally interconnect with one another to form a higher order, more general elaboration of what is taking place.

In the framework of the OODA loop, we first have an idea of how the world is (Orientation). Based on that idea, we make Decisions and Act on those decisions. However, if those decisions do not bring about success, there has to be a mismatch, i.e. the theory we have based our decisions and actions upon is flawed. We have to Observe (and conduct synthesis/analysis) to reOrientate (form a new idea).

Thoughts:
At first glance what Boyd is saying seems to be common sense: is it not something that we are all already doing? Yet therein lies the strength of the concept: he is not suggesting a new way to do things, but is taking something that we already do (or in fact, have to do to improve ourselves) and suggesting that we apply it intentionally and systematically. Each cycle of the OODA loop brings progress; a better reorientation which results in a better outcome is progress in itself, but even if one forms a wrong reorientation which results in a poorer outcome, one has profited since during the next cycle, one has more information about what does not work. An intentional and systematic push for further cycles will produce more personal growth than stagnating at a “good enough” point.

Posted by: ming yi / 1:36 下午
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