"To be or not to be", this is the famous first line of the monologue "Hamlet", written around 1600 by William Shakespeare.
In order to get into the subject, we necessarily have to answer the age-old question, what is reality ?, a question that was not necessarily asked but was present when the first man began as a Shaman, giving shape, color and texture to the ancient culture, known as shamanism, being this one, the person in charge of administering traditional beliefs and practices with the objective of establishing communication with the spirit world, or perhaps, this question arose together with yoga; Considered as the oldest philosophical and metaphysical doctrine, according to some, it is the art and science of the mental discipline through which the mind is cultivated and matures, offers the means to understand the functioning of the mind, or even would be the art of studying their behavior. From a yoga point of view,The Real and the reality intermingle in daily life, the beauty of the world around us captures our attention until we make us believe that it is authentic, but is it?
In these moments the famous movie Matrix comes to my memory where the real world and the virtual world intermingle. The film highlights the classic concept of philosophy about whether the world around is real or fictional (Plato's theory of the two worlds).
In order to speak of Reality, we must necessarily keep in mind the role and importance of the Ego since it plays a fundamental role in its definition. But, what do we understand by Ego ?, according to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), the concept of "I" (and its Latin ethic ego) is a difficult term to define at first sight given its different meanings. Throughout history its definition has been related to other terms such as psyche, being, soul, consciousness. The academic approach makes details according to the discipline from which it is stated. The study of the self encompasses both disciplines of biological orientation (psychobiology, neurobiology, neuropsychology, etc.), as well as disciplines of a philosophical and humanistic nature. The term "I" is associated with the concepts of consciousness and cognition.
When it comes to elucidating what is our reality ?, our first and main inconvenience lies in the fact that we are initially imprisoned, governed and controlled by our own Ego structures. What is paradoxical here is the fact that the Ego not only deceives us by not allowing us to recognize that we are locked between its bars, but also yearns and cries out for Freedom, which only he can give us. Following this order of ideas we find the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud who tells us that the Ego (the self), mediates between the reality of the external world, the ideals of the superego and the instincts of the id, it evolves with the age where the first years of our childhood (interaction with our parents,siblings and relatives) are crucial since precisely at an early age is when the thought and emotion patterns that make up are formed, give life, color and texture to the reality that surrounds us, and thus in a simple and shallow way we can affirm that today we are the result of what we learned, absorbed, witnessed and experienced yesterday, that is, today we are the product of yesterday's dialectic and we will be tomorrow's dialectic.
The British Nobel Prize-winning philosopher, mathematician, logician and writer, Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872 - 1970), in his work "Conquest of Happiness" (1930) describes how early childhood beliefs are made unconscious and can acquire a disturbing character in the subject's later life.
Excellent, but we cannot continue with the dialogue, ignoring the leading role of our five senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste, these constitute the physiological mechanism of perception, allowing us to perceive what is within our reach. around, perception that reaches the brain and this, through an interpretive and assessment process, defined by our ethical and moral principles, by our beliefs, opinions, attitudes and ways of seeing the world learned and reinforced in daily life, builds the mental models that will allow the brain to draw the reality that surrounds us.
Now, in these mental processes the Ego comes into play, and with it, the accumulation of cumulative experiences that we have lived, in this way we have the equation:
Ego + cumulative experiences + 5 senses → mental processes and models = Reality
Understanding by Ego: the psyche, the being, the soul, the conscience and with the accent on cognition
Now let's see what is cognition?
According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), the concept of cognition (from the Latin: cognoscere, "to know") refers to the power to process information based on perception, acquired knowledge (experience) and subjective characteristics that allow us to assess information.
Obviously, the cognitive level is directly proportional to the quality of the knowledge acquired, the greater and better knowledge, the higher our cognitive level will be, therefore, and according to the equation, our definition of reality will be closer to the correct and true reality.
Well, it is time to define "distortion".
According to the Royal Spanish Academy in its second meaning, it tells us that it is the deformation of images, sounds, signals, etc., produced in its transmission or reproduction, in other words, it is the difference in signal between what enters and what comes out through a computer or system.
Excellent, but the distortion that interests us for the development of this article is cognitive distortion and thus, the doctors Aaron Temkin Beck and Albert Ellis (founders of cognitive therapy) assure us that in general our thoughts, far from being faithful to reality, make us have a distorted image of it.
Thanks to your research and contributions, today we know that we have a considerable number of these types of distortions, here is a very brief description of just some of them:
Polarized or dichotomous thinking (all / nothing)
Interpret reality in categories of good or bad, white or black, always or never, all or none. The facts are valued in an extreme or opposite way, the shades of gray are not known.
Interpretation or reading of thought
Tendency to interpret the feelings and intentions of others. We "read" people's minds and attribute to a certain way of thinking without much foundation. It is our tendency to assign to others our own feelings and motivations, as if others were similar to oneself. "I know very well what you are thinking"
Personalization
Basically it consists of the bad habit of believing, without any basis, that the events of the environment are related to oneself. "I know he says it for me."
Fallacy of Justice
It consists of the habit of valuing as unfair everything that does not coincide with our wishes. We simply value as unfair everything that does not happen as we want. "There is no right to…", "It is unfair that…".
Selective abstraction or filtering
It consists of taking with a clamp only the negative aspects of a fact and with it, valuing the global situation as negative, with a "tunnel vision" we only take, exalt, and focus on the negative, the positive is obvious. Everyone tends to match the information they receive to what already exists in their mind.
Over-generalization
It consists in drawing, without any basis, a general conclusion from a particular fact. Very common logical distortion. Something happens once, therefore it will always happen.
Obviously, defining the reality that surrounds us is not an easy task since there are many, but many variables that come into play and if we will make decisions based on it, things are greatly complicated.
In management, decision making is a challenging task and represents 90% of every manager's daily chore. Compare various courses of action, assess the risks and finally select the action to be taken. The quality of the decisions made makes the difference between success or failure. When a manager is faced with a decision, in addition to knowing the situation that arises, he must have the ability to use information, gather alternatives, incorporate guidance, the ability to discern, analyze, evaluate and be vigilant, since risks can crystallize.
And as if that were not enough, depending on the strategic importance and complexity of the situation, the manager faces his own defense mechanisms (these are activated unconsciously). According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies put into play by various entities to face reality and maintain self-image. And it continues telling us: The behavioral models that make up the psyche in the human being are a composite of forces. These forces are genetic characteristics, instinctive characteristics that reside in the unconscious, and developmental factors, including: training, the individual's environmental circumstances, experience, and training.
On the other hand, today we know that decision-making goes beyond the boundaries of psychology and the economic sciences, cybernetics, political science, ideology and the same managerial sciences among others, all present and amalgamated, come into the picture, that only their Correct coordination and strategy will irremediably mark the success or failure of the decision to be made.
My dear manager, your task is not easy, stop for a moment, take a deep breath and let's start at the beginning. Principle that, unquestionably, is marked by the perception of reality. Reality that is irremediably permeated by cognitive distortions and these, catalyzing the production of cognitive biases or prejudice (according to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), is the psychological effect that produces a deviation in the processing of the perceived, which leads to a distortion, inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or what is generally called irrationality, which occurs on the basis of the interpretation of the available information, even if the data is not logical or is not related to each other)
Now, how can interference from cognitive distortions and biases be reduced? How can we create, stimulate, and promote appropriate decision-making?
Small questions, the answers to which are titanically complex. However, and fully in tune with the Libertad Martín Alfonso and Adolfo Álvarez Pérez Masters, today we can assure that “the biomedical and social sciences have allowed us to approach solutions within the framework of the development of individual thought and creativity. Taking Roger Sperry's discoveries in the 1960s about the specific functions of the cerebral hemispheres as background, Edward de Bono creates the expression "Lateral Thinking" to refer to thought that is highly related to the mental processes of creativity and ingenuity. He considers this to be a provocative type of thinking, to generate new ideas, which escapes from traditional molds, is highly flexible, illogical and can be learned.Lateral thinking is an activity, a process that allows generating new ideas, through the restructuring of conceptual schemes and the provocation of others. ”
In short, and by way of conclusion, the study and only the study of the psychological, economic, cybernetic, political, ideological and managerial aspects, among others, that characterize the internal dynamics of the decision-making process, may constitute an important point for its improvement. That is, depending on the dimensions of the situation and the problem posed, decision-making must be the product of an interdisciplinary process where the manager, using planning, organization, direction and control, supported by his advisers, directs and coordinates said work team, ultimately achieving an armored decision based on scientific, social, economic and administrative bases.
Never consider study as an obligation, but as an opportunity to penetrate the beautiful and wonderful world of knowledge. Albert Einstein
Foot notes
- Shaman (from the Tungu language, from Siberia, xaman or schaman, and this from the verb scha, "to know", is an individual who is attributed the ability to modify reality or the collective perception of it, in ways that do not respond to a causal logic.) From Sanskrit ioga, which in turn comes from the verb iush (yuj in AITS), refers to a traditional physical and mental discipline that originated in India. The origins of Yoga go back to the oldest archaeological evidence found, dating from approximately 3000 BC, and these are stone seals with figures of yogic positions belonging to the civilizations of the Indus and Saraswati Valleys. Ancient Greek: Πλάτων) (Athens or Aegina, ca. 427-347 BC), was a Greek philosopher, follower of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. Plato proposes that there is a double scope,level or region in reality: the sensible world, formed by material objects, which is the one we grasp by the senses, changing, and the intelligible world or world of ideas, formed by souls and ideas grasp only by intelligence, and where the perfect and permanent world is located.According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), It is the primitive, disorganized and innate part of the personality, whose sole purpose is to reduce the tension created by related primitive drives with hunger, sexuality, aggression and irrational impulses. The superego is the part that counteracts the id, represents the moral and ethical thoughts received from the culture. The Self is intended to realistically fulfill the wishes and demands of It with the outside world,at the same time reconciling with the demands of the Superego. The Ego evolves according to age and its different demands on It, acting as an intermediary against the external world. The self follows the reality principle, satisfying the impulses of the It in an appropriate way. Master Libertad Martín Alfonso and Adolfo Álvarez Pérez (2000). Manager's Cognitive Biases: Their Influence on Decision Making. Rev Cubana Salud Pública 2000; 26 (1): 5-11Bravo Oyarse E. (1991). The development of cognitive abilities. Editora Reana. Lime.Manager's Cognitive Biases: Their Influence on Decision Making. Rev Cubana Salud Pública 2000; 26 (1): 5-11Bravo Oyarse E. (1991). The development of cognitive abilities. Editora Reana. Lime.Manager's Cognitive Biases: Their Influence on Decision Making. Rev Cubana Salud Pública 2000; 26 (1): 5-11Bravo Oyarse E. (1991). The development of cognitive abilities. Editora Reana. Lime.
