A Forgotten Model

In Greek mythology, Antaeus was the son of Posedion (God of Sea) and Gaia (Mother Earth). Antaeus fell in love with wrestling so whosoever passed through his city was challenged for the wrestling match. The goal of the players was to throw an opponent to the ground. Antaeus was invincible. A temple is built from the skull of his opponents which was dedicated to his father. One day he had to play the match with one of his laborers named Heracles. Heracles had the knack for deep observation. He noticed Antaeus gained strength from his mother Earth. The only way to defeat him was to break his contact with the ground. The moment Heracles lift Antaeus off the ground he lost all his strength which ultimately lead to his defeat.

Understanding the reality, the components it is made of and their interactions is the key to do an impossible feat which is the gist of the above story. Without proper understanding, Heracles won't be able to defeat the invincible Antaeus.

You might be thinking about how one should understand reality, its components, and, their interactions. What are the factors that are responsible for observing any phenomenon?

Let's uncover this mystery. You were dependent on your parents to fulfill all your basic needs in the initial phase of your life. As time passes, you were sent to school to gain the elementary wisdom that forms the foundation of your life. A wide array of subjects and strict discipline are taught to nurture your personality. After completing the formal education, you entered into the practical world to apply the knowledge you gained in your high school. You have taken a leap from the theoretical world to the practical world. Wisdom gained in elementary school and college is not enough to handle the complexity of the practical world. Skills are needed to thrive in the new environment.

The question is how to acquire those skills?

An apprentice model is needed to acquire those skills. It involves three steps:

1. Deep Observation (Passive Mode)

2. Skill Acquisition (Practice Mode)

3. Experimentation (Active Mode)

Deep Observation: Before starting any venture, deeply observe the experts who are already working on it for decades. Humans are highly imitating creatures. Consciously or unconsciously, you imitate the actions of others due to the presence of mirror neurons. According to the five chimps theory (a model taken from zoology), the mood and the behavior of one chimp can be predicted by observing the five chimps he hangs out with the most. Likewise, you are an average of five persons you hang out with the most. Choose your friends wisely. Observe your mentors and find out the strategies they were using to solve any critical problem. By and by, you will also start thinking like them.

To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. Marilyn Vos Savant

Skill Acquisition: It forms the backbone of the apprenticeship model. There are some basic principles that need to keep in mind before acquiring any skill. Keystone species (a model taken from biology) helps to define an entire ecosystem. Without them, the ecosystem would be entirely different or ceases to exist. In simple words, keystone species form the backbone of an entire ecosystem. How can we use this idea here?

Keystone skills exist in every field. If you have successfully navigated your first phase, now you are in a position to define them. Practice those skills religiously which in turn helps you to gain mastery in the new field.

The initial stages of learning are very painful and boring. The pain and boredom toughen you mentally. Humans have an affinity towards pleasure and an aversion to pain. Instead of going through a painful process, you are in search of shortcuts that will deteriorate your skills. Change your mindset towards pain and boredom. The more you grow, the more psychological pain you will experience.

Transformation is inevitable if you are able to withstand it.

What do you want to choose?

Easy choices, Tough life Vs Tough choices, Easy life. The choice is yours. You are the creator of your destiny. Always choose the less traveled road. Fear is bound to come in the beginning but life is full of adventures. The latent potential will flower within you as you encounter tough challenges along the way.

The best way to describe is through an analogy of seed and flower. What do you want to become, a seed or a flower? When you become a flower, you can dance in the rain, in the wind, in the sun, and in the moon. Your divine fragrance will mesmerize whosoever comes near you. You are overflown with love. The downside is anything can happen to you. You are very delicate and innocent. A strong wind will blow away your petals. Any insane can destroy your delicacy. So you are in constant danger. A seed is very strong and secure but it is dead. There is no joy in it. Life means living in insecurity. Transformation is possible if you allow yourself to grow in the climate of insecurity.

Practice is the foundation of the second phase. Practice as hard as possible. Eventually, everything will turn out to be in your favor.

Experimentation: You are now in a position to navigate the unknown territory on your own. Start tinkering with the strategies you have learned from the experts. Develop your own style. Don't confine yourself to just one domain. It is detrimental to your thinking. The future of science doesn't lie in increased specialization but rather in combining and cross-fertilization of knowledge from various domains.

Don't think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible, and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach. Marcus Aurelius

Checklist to keep in mind while pursuing an apprenticeship.

Value learning over money: Go through intense learning in the initial phase even if you are not well paid. Absorb as many ideas as possible. Be a constant learning machine. Say yes to every opportunity. Never think twice while spending money on books. Reading books are like drinking the glass of wisdom.

Keep expanding your horizon: Increase the surface area of your luck by learning a wide range of skills. Never be content with surface learning. Dig deeper to find out the mystery. Keep experimenting until you resolve an issue. Diversify yourself to look at the bigger picture. Develop the prowess to know where to look and what to avoid. Be selectively ignorant about certain things. Never waste your neurons to retain garbage information. Expand your skills by using your energy constructively.

Avoid the feeling of superiority: Accepting that you knew it won't let you learn anything. There is always a scope for improvement. Develop a growth mindset. Be brutally honest with yourself. Never fool yourself because you are the easiest person to fool. Fake confidence leads you nowhere. A person who asks a question will look like a fool for a minute and the one who doesn't ask will remain a fool forever. Never let the student die within you. Stay curious and keep improving.

Have faith in the process: Curate your environment that will push you towards your goal. Fear will definitely arise in the beginning. Take it as a sign that you are heading in the right direction. Action is better than no action. Even if you start from the wrong place, by and by you will correct yourself. Take criticism constructively. Observe your emotions. Bear them patiently. Develop more and more consciousness. The flame of your consciousness is enough to dispel the negativity.

Failures are your best teachers: Things will never work out on the first attempt. If it works out, you will feel that you have a golden touch. Failures make you humble and you stay grounded. It occurs when there is a gap in your knowledge. It is a sign that you have more to learn. There are two kinds of failures. One failure comes when you never try out your ideas because of the fear of looking like a fool. Another one comes when you try something audacious. The blot on your reputation will be outweighed by the things you have learned in the process. It gives you maturity.

To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can. Richard Feynman

A new revolution is possible at the intersection of art and science. An artist is obsessed with outward appearance and the scientist is interested in finding out the inner details. While building something unique, be a scientist by profession and an artist by heart.