Birds of Different Feathers

Published

February 19, 2021

Modified

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Introduction

Socrates said, “Gnothi seauton”(Γνῶθι σαυτόν), know thyself. Let us do that, as we create some novel situations for ourselves in a Game.

Look at the slide full of numbers on the screen. I would like you to:

I have divided you up into 4 groups. Each group will be given a specific task. You will need to:

Discuss how to complete the Task
Complete the Task and document your work
Also document the main aspects of Discussion in your group. Who said/ suggested what; what were the points of agreement; what were the contentious points etc.
Present all of this : 7 + 5 minutes / team

Here is the MBTI Test site: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Ice-breaker Activity Presentation (Go to Webpage)
MBTI Game: PDF

In the Icebreaker Game, some of you would have difficulty trying to spot the pattern WITHOUT discussing with your friends!
Others would have perhaps frowned at the slightest whisper in the class, as they were concentrating!
In the Team Game, you might have realized that each of the 4 teams had members that were different in ONE of the MBTI characteristics! So I had pitted I vs E people; N vs S people; T vs F people, and J vs P people. The tasks allocated to each of you was precisely one to make that dichotomy surface in your discussions. And of course, the documentation of the discussions was far more important than the end results !! ;-D

So what have learnt then? From the two exercises, we see that:

Reality depends upon the viewer: and that there are many possible points of view. Note that this is about our cognitive bias that may depend upon our cultural outlook, and our ability to miss things.
It is emphatically not about alternative facts which is arrant nonsense.
We all have our “default modes” for behaviour, that give us a restricted appreciation of the World
As creators we need to be able straddle, if possible, the spectrum of the 4 preference pairs, in order to comprehend reality better.
Comprehending reality better gives a stronger basis for Art/Design decisions and plans for action.