quadrants for thinking "why"
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"Why?" is the most important question to ask before What or How. There are four aspects to answer Why.TRANSCRIPT
2013.3.20 1Tad Takenaka 2013
Quadrants for Thinking
“WHY”
Tadashi Takenaka
Kyoto, Japan
2013.3.20 Tad Takenaka 2013 2
Preface
The idea of Quadrants for thinking is inspired
by “TOCfE” work shop by Mrs. Kathy Suerken on
August 16th -19th, 2011 in Kyoto. The following
three thinking tools were presented at the class as
well as CLR, categories of legitimate reservation:
- Branch
- Cloud
- Ambitious target tree
WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?
WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?2013.3.20 Tad Takenaka 2013 3
The three tools are based on cause - effect
relationship, or simply based on answers to “Why
did it happen?”, “Why can you say so?”
Branch – puts you in the picture by providing
logical relationships between the facts or opinions.
Cloud – analyzes each needs and common
objective in the structure of a conflict of wants.
Ambitious target tree – finds obstacles before
setting intermediate objectives to achieve a target.
WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?2013.3.20 Tad Takenaka 2013 4
I noticed that objectives, obstacles, causes,
and reasons are related each other and are all
necessary to think critically.
This article introduces the relationship and
structure of answers to “Why”, namely four aspects
of “Because” divided by a time axis and a border
of the inner mind and the outer world.
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WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?
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Quadrants for thinking “WHY”
Inner mind
Outer world
Objectives,Needs
Obstacles,Uncertainty
Lesson,Hypotheses
Experience,Knowledge
Past Future
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Features of Thinking Quadrants
The thinking quadrants make a clockwise
cycle: Objective – Obstacle – Experience – Lesson,
then setting a new objective in the next turn.
As growing up, we spread the quadrants
deeper in the inner mind and broader in the outer
world.
Each quadrant is a piece of chain, which could
be a constraint when we think comprehensively. It
should be a good idea to improve thinking ability
keeping the balance of the four quadrants.
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Thinking cycle
Inner mind
Outer world
1.Objectives
2.Obstacles
4.Lesson
3.Experience
Past Future
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Be ambitious
We all face obstacles in
achieving objectives.
We imagine or deduct to pick
out risks and chances from the sea
of uncertainty and try to find how
to overcome the obstacles.
Big ambitious / Big hurdles.
1. Objectives
2. Obstacles
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Fighting spirit
After fighting against difficulties, we get a
result or at least some reactions.
It depends on your view of the world (criteria
and assumptions)whether your action or effort has
resulted in success or in failure.
2.Obstacles3.Experience
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Learn a lesson
We learn a lesson from the
outer world through experience
of ourselves and others.
We use our recognition and
induction capability to form a
better hypothesis.
The most important life
lesson would be “Failure
teaches success.”
3. Experience
4. Lesson
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Find hope
Based on what we have learned, we set a new
goal, hoping a better life and a better world.
The vector/magnitude and direction of setting
goals depends on our sense of values, mission, or
whatever you may call the aim as human beings.
4. Lesson 1. Objectives
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Aim
Think
Action
Objectives
Obstacles
Lesson
Experience
Mission, Value, Vision
What to do, How to do
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Way of thinking
Inner mind: belief–opinion basis, speculative,
meditative, integrated, metaphysical
Outer world: observational fact basis, analytical,
scientific, physical
Objectives
Obstacles
Lesson
Experience
Time
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Example: Winter playground
Objectives:Lead a healthy and
wealthy life
Obstacles:No work while nursing your child sick in bed
Hypothesis:Lower temperature,
weaker immune response
Experience:Sweat cools the body too much after playing around wearing a coat
Not put a coat on your child
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Strategy
Thinking quadrants give you a consistent and
universal strategy before you decide what to do.
Objectives
Risks and Chances
Hypothesis
Experience, Knowledge
What to do, How to do
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Example: War
Objectives:Homeland security
Risks and Chances:Enemy invasion
Hypothesis:Winnable force
Experience:Diplomatic failure
Attack the enemy
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Versatile frame for thinking
Time axis and inner/outer axis are useful for
analyzing various thinking fields like personal,
business, social, biological issues, etc.
Each quadrant may contain various ideas or
concept from elementary level to matured and
optimized level of thinking.
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Versatility
Objectives, Visions, Purposes, Goal,
Target, Efficiency, Security, Solidarity
Obstacles, Risks and Chances, Uncertainty, Absurdity, Surprises
Lesson, Morality, Hypothesis, Theory, Perceived notion,
Instinctive
Experience, Knowledge, Success
and failure
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Constraints
Each quadrant is a piece of thinking chain. A
wrong or immature quadrant could distort or bias
rational thinking. Assumption to attribute everything
to a personal effort leads to miss out on kaizen.
The thinking cycle might stop or even reverse
by many factors for example; physical conditions,
mental shrink at failure, thick shell of past success,
burn-out syndrome, etc.
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Constraints
Evil passions, Likes and dislikes, Egotism,
Own interests
Excuses, Evasion, Few allowances,
Cover-up
Mere assumption, Limited premise,
Shoulds and Musts, The laws of jungle
Shrink at failure, Waver between hope and despair at every
event
rational thinking
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Grow up
In childhood, you live in the center of a fantasy
world.
As you grow up, you spread your field of thinking.
Meanwhile, you increase the characters who you
put on the stage of your mind and put yourself in
his/her shoes.
In due course, you become open-minded, think
about the past and future roll in the society, and
strengthen your faith by spiraling up your thinking
quadrants.
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Grow up: Child
You are in the center of the world and see the
surroundings from only your point of view.
Fun, Challenges,Adolescence
Dangers, Chances
Fantasy (believe St. Claus), Need more
lessons
Under the care and protection of family
and society
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Grow up: Adult
You put yourself in other people’s shoes and
share your thought or faith with others
Social purposes, Common interests
Chances and risks,
Innate goodness, Realistic teachings,
Modesty
Our culture and history
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End
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First presentation in Japanese:
January 22, 2012 at TOCfE Japan Conference,
Tokyo
Recent presentation in Japanese:
November 19.2012 at TOCfE Japan sectional
meeting, Osaka
Updated and translation to English:
March 20, 2013 on Slideshare
(https://www.facebook.com/2012Tad)