Most of us think we know more than we actually do. We believe this because we ignore complexity and believe that our brain is like a computer; designed to store information (this isn't the case). Instead, our brains evolved to work with other brains and to engage in collaborative activities. Indeed, it's our ability to divide cognitive labor and share intentionality that's led to our species' success. So, when thinking about intelligence, we should take into account people's collaborative aptitude. We'd do well to encourage more collaboration – not just in school, but in society as a whole.
Redefine Smart as “Collaborative Aptitude”
We Never Think Alone
You’re no doubt familiar with Albert Einstein. As anyone will tell you, this titan of the twentieth century was responsible for one of history’s major scientific paradigm shifts (the theory of relativity). But here’s what often goes unmentioned: he didn’t work alone. He benefited from a vibrant network of collaborators, the scientific community, and the universities in which he was a member. His work also stood on the shoulders of the hard-working individuals who’d come before.
We forget this because the whole story is far too complicated for most of us to remember in great detail. His name functions as a sort of shorthand for something remarkable. This shorthand leads to a problem, however. Most of us begin to believe the simplified story – that a small cohort of individual geniuses is responsible for history’s great deeds and discoveries.
It would be wise to abandon this view. Perhaps instead, we need to redefine “smart” and reassess education.
Remember, we didn’t evolve to be repositories of knowledge. We did not evolve to work in a vacuum; we evolved to divide cognitive labor and collaborate with a significant number of others.
A new definition of smart would take these abilities into account. So, rather than merely measuring a person’s IQ, we ought to assess her ability to contribute to group tasks. We should also encourage collaborative skills in school by eschewing lectures and introducing hands-on activities.
Most people’s view of education is quite limited. Attending school isn’t all about memorizing facts. After graduation, one shouldn’t necessarily possess more knowledge than one’s undergraduate self. What one should possess is the ability to engage in collaborative enterprises.
The purpose of education isn’t only to pass on knowledge but also to remind people of their ignorance. After all, once you’re aware of how little you know, you’ll be much more likely to seek help from the community of knowledge possessors where you’re a member. That’s not only an invaluable skill. It also shows that you understand something we should all keep in mind: we never think alone.
Most of us think we know more than we actually do. We believe this because we ignore complexity and believe that our brain is like a computer; designed to store information (this isn’t the case). Instead, our brains evolved to work with other brains and to engage in collaborative activities. Indeed, it’s our ability to divide cognitive labor and share intentionality that’s led to our species’ success. So, when thinking about intelligence, we should take into account people’s collaborative aptitude. We’d do well to encourage more collaboration – not just in school, but in society as a whole.
Transactional Competence™ allows you to develop your collaborative aptitude – to engage in a purposeful relationship in which all parties strategically choose to cooperate to accomplish a shared outcome. Moreover, it trains us to do so from a transactional approach to action (to include other people and the whole environment) vs. a self-actional (I alone am cause) or inter-actional (mechanistic cause and effect) approach.
We must overcome our conceit and hubris that we, individually, can accomplish mighty things. In the words of Kenneth H. Blanchard, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
This month, we offer many opportunities to collaborate with others.
The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone
Book by Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach
Publisher: Riverhead Books, 2017
“Human intelligence is far more communal than it is personal. Indeed, without a community of cognizant fellow citizens, most of us would barely be able to think at all.”
AUTHOR
John Patterson
Co-founder and CEO
INFLUENTIAL U
John Patterson co-founded and manages the faculty and consultants of Influential U global. Since 1987, he has led workshops, programs, and conferences for over 100k people in diverse professions, industries, and cultures. His history includes corporate curriculum design focusing on business ecosystems, influence, leadership, and high-performance training and development.
