In his most recent book, Wave Rider – Leadership for High Performance in a Self-Organizing World, Harrison Owen explains that confusion is the intellectual equivalent of chaos, and like chaos, it has gifts to give, albeit painful ones. Confusion serves the useful function of muddling made up minds so that new ideas make break through. It is always disconcerting when it happens, but as long as we are confirmed in our settled opinions, the likely of seeing our world in new, different, and better ways will elude us. The onset confusion is typically marked by the perception of anomaly. Things just aren’t working the way they are supposed to, and we are confronted with a choice. Perhaps our vision is impaired? Or perhaps the spectacles through which we have been viewing our life need to be replaced. It is all very confusing, but when, and if, the day arrives in which the perceived anomaly is no longer the exception, we will have reached the cutting edge of new knowledge. It may just be that confusion is the beginning of wisdom.
If you’ve attended an Open Space Technology (OST) meeting, you’ll have experienced both chaos and confusion. They seem to be essential to living. Learning happens when we experience chaos and/or confusion. Opening space in our personal and organizational lives allows for continuous learning and quality living.
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