Measuring Passion LO26404

From: Winfried und Kirstin Dressler (KiWiDressler@t-online.de)
Date: 03/20/01


Replying to LO26358 --

> If we just let go and listen.

What is it that makes passion and learning, passion for learning and
learning, so unique? How is it possible that learning can be accelerated
to a region far beyond dumb trial and error? I have heard that undirected,
unintended(?) Darwinian mutation and selection is not sufficient to
explain the emergence of complex biological species as we are in the
timeframe we had for evolution. So what made learning so effective, so
unbelievably fast that in only a few billion years the surface of our
earth evolved up to the form we know today?

I have nothing to offer but my own experience. And it tells me that I have
had learning experiences where suddenly seemingly unrelated topics started
to fit. I remember that in an important oral test the question of the
professor made me understand how a passage I read before but did not
understand fits in as the answer. There are experiences where I can only
say I got help, it is not my earning. When I open a book and just read the
answer to an old question, when I go to bed with some puzzlement and wake
up with an insight. Is it necessary to define such kind of experiences?
Could it be that fellow humans have no idea what I am writing about?

If this kind of experience is common to all of us, although with varying
frequency, it must be possible to count them. If this kind of experience
is closely related to fast and effective learning the count could serve as
a measure for learning.

I have no idea how to make this practical, but as a thought experiment I
like the measure. I imagine that an organization which has enough of it
will not see the point of measuring it, because the measure does not give
the slightest hint on how to improve it. Second I imagine that a linear
"the more the better" will not apply. I expect empirical findings that the
measure will be within a certain bandwidth. Too little and too much such
experiences are not sustainable. Third I imagine the poor scientist how
tries to operationalize this measure and try to compare the measure for
different organizations objectivly. He will find an "undisciplined" mess
in the variety of such special events although each single one may be
clearly identifyable as belonging to the requested class for the reporting
person.

I agree wholeheartedly to John Dicus:

> If we just let go and listen.

Liebe Gruesse,

Winfried

-- 

KiWiDressler@t-online.de (Winfried und Kirstin Dressler)

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>


"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.