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If something IS,
does it always objectively look the same?
The same thing can look entirely different
from a different point of view, and to make it potentially even more difficult
consider this:
A viewpoint is not just a point of
reference it is also a WAY of considering something [a viewpoint within
a viewpoint!]
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Is complete knowledge
possible?
Not really!
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Is complete knowledge
desirable?
Well, it is more a question of whether
it is even attainable, but to address the question; the pursuit of it can
be a cop out on managing the process... focusing on finding out everything
about something [or everything!] begs the question of what the purpose
of knowledge really is. Lots of knowledge does not presuppose good
judgment. Certainly the more knowledge you have the better your potential
understanding of a subject is ...but it is also very easy to loose sight
of the forest for all the trees [to get lost in facts without a purpose].
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If complete knowledge
doesn't provide all the answers then why bother trying to attain it?
Actually knowledge is really good stuff,
but it is more important to look for the ESSENTIAL characteristics of a
system and to have a sense of, or an understanding of, where a system is
and where it is likely to go... to find a balance between knowledge and
understanding.
The really important thing is to develop
a sense of direction about where a system is likely to "want" to go and
to find ways to encourage convergence between where you think a system
should be and where the system is likely to be.... and to do it with limited
resources.
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Occam's Razor offers
a comfortable alternative.
The obvious solution to a problem has
about the same chance of being the best solution as a GUESS [maybe 50%].
So if you are satisfied with a 50% success rate then you can save yourself
a whole lot of effort trying to understand the nature of things.
What's more, broadening your viewpoint and increasing your vision does
not proportionally improve your chances of understanding, you have to work
harder and harder for increasingly smaller returns.
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Sound like a lot
of work?
Well it usually is, but the results
are ALWAYS more satisfying than the alternative [the 50% solution].
True some of the "magic" of a spontaneously and accidentally conceived
solution may be missing but in its place there is the sort of peace that
comes from harvesting the fruits of an intellectually honest effort.