Work-in-progress: Learning agility from the scientific method.

Assumptions can get us into trouble and it is wise to be mindful that we might not know it all. Beginner’s mind is the concept of remembering that we never know something with absolute certainty.

In the scientific method we can see this understanding baked into the process: where our best knowledge (like that of gravity) is not absolutely proven true, but rather is a working theory that has not yet been proven false.

Let that sink in for a moment. According to science, things we accept as obvious (like gravity!) are still only our best working theories rather than fundamental truths.

Does this weaken the reality of gravity? No! Rather, it allows the concept to not be rigid so that it can be iterated upon if we learn more in the future.

Let’s dig in deeper with a closer look at how this can play out in our daily lives.

The scientific method – hypothesis, experiment, analysis, and conclusion – can be a powerful framework for personal development. Its principles promote agile learning and sustainable growth.

Applied to daily life, the method might look something like this (though, most likely, less formal):

1. Form hypotheses about yourself: This step flows naturally from our internalized ego and sense of self. It is the belief system that we operate from – who we are, how we fit into the world, how we like to be perceived, etc.
2. Design small experiments: This also comes naturally, as living from our belief system means that these beliefs get challenged in our daily actions interacting with the wider world.
3. Gather data and analyze results: This stage typically requires a concerted effort to spearhead critical reflection – perhaps through journaling, a conversation with a friend, or third-party mediation. How did my actions land in the wider world? Did my role unwittingly trigger conflict or harm? What was the unconscious belief that might have made me act a certain way?
4. Iterate and refine your approach: What worked and where might there be room for improvement? We enact change, iterating and finding growth.

This systematic yet flexible approach allows us to test assumptions, learn from experiences, and continuously improve ourselves in an agile manner.

Reflection and enacting change can be uncomfortable; an experience that is simultaneously riddled with excitement and fright, mirroring its potential for either betterment or disaster. Emotions often get in the way and, if we don’t work at it, our response to friction like conflict can be an unquestioning doubling down on one’s stance and viewpoint.

"Sure things could get better, but they could also get worse. It’s safer to stay with what I already know", go our internal monologues. Yet, despite any and all our efforts to dodge it, change is unavoidable.

Our capacity to iterate and adapt to shifting circumstances is a beautifully human trait. Caution is understandable, but avoiding change altogether is a short-term solution with long-term consequences. Embracing it is a key to growth.

To look back at who you were as a kid (or even just last year) and cringe at your behaviour is a sign that growth has happened; something that you shouldn’t be embarrassed about. Be proud that you are an evolving version of yourself.

Conflict is inevitable, but it is also a fertile experience where we have a chance to iterate on ourselves and find growth – that is, if we approach it with the right mindset. Training helps. That’s why the team at Mediation Services offers a FREE Conflict 101 webinar as a resource for us all to be better ‘scientists’ in the lab of life.

Life is exciting, messy, and never fully complete. Let’s embrace this fact as a chance to grow, one experiment at a time.