Overcoming the Fool's Ultimatum

In my last post, I talked a bit about the crippling polarity we see in our culture today. Thanks to some ideas from a couple of books that have been on my radar lately (Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, and The 3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey), this idea has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now.

First of all, I need to explain exactly what I mean by the fool's ultimatum. I'm referring to the plague of 2-way thinking that is instilled in all of us from the time we start kindergarten. Take for example the classic classroom debates. You take a group of kids, divide them up according to position on a particular issue, and have them adamantly and passionately defend their point. In these forums, there's no such thing as compromise. Now don't get me wrong, debating skills are a great thing to develop, but they also instill a deep sense of 2-way thinking during the most formative years. In my experience I have found that compromise and innovation are becoming increasingly hard to come by. This can be seen in the public school systems, in the political arena, and even in personal relationships. Take for example a couple that is having relationship issues. They might each be thinking that there are only two options: either suck it up, or talk about their issues and hurt their partner. But maybe that isn't always the case. Maybe that's a fool's ultimatum. Maybe there is another way.

During his college years, Martin Luther King Jr. was known for his aptitude for "3rd alternative" thinking. His teachers noted that he had an uncanny ability to develop a thesis, counter it with an antithesis, come to a synthesis, further counter that synthesis with an antithesis, and so on until he reached an entirely new conclusion. This willingness to stray from the conventional, and understand the opposition enabled King to become one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. This kind of thinking produces a kind of synergistic result that rises above the standard solutions presented by unoriginal and unyielding minds.

Right now, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is sponsoring a project that embodies this synergistic thinking, and is working a product that will change millions of lives. The project is made up of a coalition of specialists in a number varied and diverse fields, who came together to come up with a solution to a big problem: malaria. As the group began to brainstorm ideas, one of the rocket scientists in the group playfully suggested that they shoot infested mosquitos out of the sky with lasers. But what began as a laughable suggestion became the crux of the project. The team combined their specialties to design a laser that can literally shoot the mosquitos out of the sky. If these lasers were to be mounted on fences, they could line the perimeters of villages across Africa, saving countless lives. Surely this is something to strive for. The idea was an unconventional and almost humorous one, but this unique group of individuals gave it serious consideration, and made it work.

So what does this mean for us? Well, aren't we all a group of diverse individuals using digital tools to convene and build on each other's unique ideas? We have the power to attain this synergy. We can release early and release often; we can develop thesis, antithesis, and synthesis for as long as it takes to come up with something sound and worthwhile. We can share information at no personal cost, and, better yet, we can acquire information at no personal cost. So I'd like to suggest that we try to tackle the urge to stand by the same old ideas, and instead try to create something new using the tools and the power that have been given to us by the synergistic thinkers that came before us.