Avatar Pt. 1: What to Do When the Map in Your Head Doesn't Align with Reality
When Jake Sully reaches Pandora in Avatar, he comes pre-loafed with a series of mental maps that he uses to navigate reality: his maps of reality. Jake's maps include all kinds of useful tools that he's learned on earth from how to navigate the world without the use of his legs to how to respond to combat situations. We all have our own maps of reality that we use to navigate and become reliant on, but we're all flawed, so what happens when those models prove ineffective in a new situation?
When Jake is failing to adapt his earthly maps of reality to Pandora, Neytiri tells Jake, "It's hard to fill a cup that's already full". Doesn't it fill like each of our cups gets too full to take on new information sometimes? Too full to have empathy for someone who sees the world from a different perspective? As leaders, we want to ensure our mental maps correspond to reality as much as possible, so how might we learn from Jake how to un-write and re-write those maps for the good of others?
When Jake Sully reaches Pandora in Avatar, he comes pre-loafed with a series of mental maps that he uses to navigate reality: his maps of reality. Jake's maps include all kinds of useful tools that he's learned on earth from how to navigate the world without the use of his legs to how to respond to combat situations. We all have our own maps of reality that we use to navigate and become reliant on, but we're all flawed, so what happens when those models prove ineffective in a new situation?
When Jake is failing to adapt his earthly maps of reality to Pandora, Neytiri tells Jake, "It's hard to fill a cup that's already full". Doesn't it fill like each of our cups gets too full to take on new information sometimes? Too full to have empathy for someone who sees the world from a different perspective? As leaders, we want to ensure our mental maps correspond to reality as much as possible, so how might we learn from Jake how to un-write and re-write those maps for the good of others?
When Jake is failing to adapt his earthly maps of reality to Pandora, Neytiri tells Jake, "It's hard to fill a cup that's already full". Doesn't it fill like each of our cups gets too full to take on new information sometimes? Too full to have empathy for someone who sees the world from a different perspective? As leaders, we want to ensure our mental maps correspond to reality as much as possible, so how might we learn from Jake how to un-write and re-write those maps for the good of others?
Creators and Guests
Host
Brian Nutwell
Brian Nutwell is an experienced product, process, and analysis leader. He loves connecting with other people and their passions, taking absolutely everything back to first principles, and waking up each day with the hope of learning something new. He is delighted to join Wonder Tour, to help discover pragmatic leadership lessons in our favorite mythic stories.
Host
Drew Paroz
Drew Paroz leads at the intersection point of people, data, and strategy. For Drew, nothing is better than breaking down problems and systems into building blocks of thought except using those blocks to synthesize fresh models. Drew is on a lifelong Wonder Tour to help take those building blocks into life change in himself and others.
