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Joe Manuel posted an update in the group
9 months agoKnowledge Shared = Knowledge Multiplied “Good To Know “
Six Japanese teachings that will help us improve our productivity and efficiency.”
(Contd..)Series-5
5.SHOSHIN
This is a concept in Zen Buddhism known as shoshin, which means “beginner’s mind.” Shoshin refers to the idea of letting go of your preconceptions and having an attitude of openness when studying a subject. When you are a true beginner, your mind is empty and open.
It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying, even at an advanced level, just as a beginner would.
This concept also refers to a paradox: the more you know about a subject, the more likely you are to close your mind to further learning,”
The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial arts, and was popularised outside of Japan by Shunryū Suzuki’s 1970 book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.
The practice of shoshin acts as a counter to the hubris (Hubris means exaggerated pride or self-confidence ) and closed-mindedness often associated with thinking of oneself as an expert.This includes the Einstellung effect (Einstellung effect is explained in the next paragraph ) where a person becomes so accustomed to a certain way of doing things that they do not consider or acknowledge new ideas or approaches.The word shoshin is a combination of sho (Japanese: 初), meaning “beginner” or “initial”, and shin (Japanese: 心), meaning “mind”.
(The Einstellung effect is the negative effect of previous experience when solving new problems. The Einstellung effect is a phenomenon that occurs when designers are so used to approaching problems in some ways that they overlook better ways. It is a cognitive trap arising from a desire to find familiar features in problems and reuse shortcuts. So, experience can prime the mind and block creative problem-solving.)
How to practice “Shoshin” – (“The Beginners mind “)
Start noticing your judgements more — when you jump to conclusions about anything, remind yourself to question them. Noticing your own judgement relies on a capacity for metacognition (thinking about your thinking). You can also question everything you have assumed to be the only truth.
“Allow yourself to want to understand anew. Approach it with don’t know mind. With openness. How does don’t know mind affect the situation? Does it improve it, make it wiser, easier? More relaxed?”
There’s a significant value in approaching life from a fresh perspective — even if you already know a lot about what you want to learn, improve or change. It makes you more willing to try something new, to ask ‘why’ and question conventional wisdom.
