Insight Paths, a book summary in 24 slides

S E E I N G W H AT O T H E R S D O N ’ T T H E R E M A R K A B L E W AY S W E G A I N I N S I G H T S

B R I E F S U M M A R Y O F G A R Y K L E I N ’ S

1 9 2 6 4 S TA G E M O D E L

G R A H A M W A L L A S T R A D I T I O N A L M O D E L F O R

C O N T E X T

This is a look at two theories about how we gain insight taken from Gary Klein’s book. This serves as

a practical guide to understanding insight.

2 0 1 3 3 PAT H M O D E L G A R Y K L E I N P R O P O S E D M O D E L R E S E A R C H P S Y C H O L O G I S T S T U D Y I N G D E C I S I O N M A K I N G

– G A R Y K L E I N

“Insights shift us toward a new story, a new set of beliefs that are more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful.”

W H AT D O I N S I G H T S D O ?

G R A H A M WA L L A S

T H E F I R S T M O D E R N A C C O U N T O F I N S I G H T

!4 S TA G E S O F C O N T R O L

From The Art of Thought (1926)

1. Preparation - examine the problem

2. Incubation - seek out mental relaxation and stop thinking about the problem

3. Illumination - the result of a train of unconscious associations

4. Validation

G A R Y K L E I N

A U T H O R O F S E E I N G W H AT O T H E R S D O N ’ T

• Collected 120 different stories of insight

• Coded each with similar factors and proposed a three path model

• Feels the Wallas model helped foster the idea of insight as magic

* S P O I L E R A L E R T : I N S I G H T S A R E N ’ T M A G I C

W H E R E I N S I G H T S C O M E F R O MT H E T H R E E PA T H M O D E L O F I N S I G H T

C O N N E C T I O N C O I N C I D E N C E C U R I O S I T Y:

S P O T A N I M P L I C A T I O N

C O N T R A D I C T I O N F I N D A N I N C O N S I S T E N C Y

C R E AT I V E D E S P E R AT I O N

E S C A P E A N I M PA S S E

U S E W E A K A N C H O R T O R E B U I L D T H E

S T O R Y

A D D N E W A N C H O R

D I S C A R D A W E A K

A N C H O R

C H A N G E S I N H O W W E

U N D E R S TA N D A C T | S E E | F E E L | D E S I R E

T R I G G E R

A C T I V I T Y

Change the story that anchors your thinking

O U T C O M E

T H E M O T H E R O F A L L S C I E N T I F I C I N S I G H T S

C O N N E C T I O N PA T H

D A R W I N & W A L L A C E

• both of these men were naturalists exploring different regions of the world

• Darwin exploring the Galapagos, Patagonia & Cape Verde amongst others

• Wallace exploring the Malay Archipelago

• both read An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus

• both applied the idea of population growth dependent on competition for resources to explain species variation

• Their insight - natural selection

C O N N E C T I O N PAT H

The connection path was by far the most dominant path to insight. However only 45 of the cases

codified used connections alone. An additional 53 cases used connection + one other path to insight.

C O N N E C T I O N PAT H

R E A D H I S B O O K F O R M O R E E X A M P L E S O F I N S I G H T G A I N E D T H R O U G H T H E C O N N E C T I O N PAT H

T H E B A T T L E O F TA R A N T O A L I S O N G O P N I K - B R O C C O L I & G O L D F I S H

L E R O Y B U T L E R & T H E S U P E R B O W L A L E X A N D E R F L E M M I N G & P E N I C I L L I N

W I L H E L M R O E N T G E N & X - R A Y S R U S S E L O H L & T R A N S I S T O R S

J O C E LY N B E L L B U R N E L L & P U L S A R S

C O N N E C T I O N PAT H

C H O L E R A & T H E B R O A D S T. P U M P

C O N T R A D I C T I O N PA T H

J O H N S N O W

• The existing theory is that cholera was spread in the air- the Miasma theory

• John snow saw a few contradictions

• there was no impact on patient’s lungs

• patients in the same room did not get it

• His insight was that it was spread by what people ate or drank

• An outbreak of cases seem to surround the Broad St. Pump

• However, workers at a local brewery didn’t get cholera even though they were breathing the same air

• Later it was found the Broad St. Pump had a cesspool that ran into some of the cracks in its pipes.

N O T T H AT O N E

T H AT O N E

C O N T R A D I C T I O N PAT H

Contradiction insights showed up in 38% of the cases making it the second most common path to

insight, after the connections pathway.

C O N T R A D I C T I O N PAT H

R E A D H I S B O O K F O R M O R E E X A M P L E S O F I N S I G H T G A I N E D T H R O U G H T H E C O N T R A D I C T I O N PAT H

S T E V E E I S M A N & S U B P R I M E M O R T G A G E S J O H N PA U L S O N & T H E R E A L E S TA T E B U B B L E

M I C H E L B U R R Y ’ S H E D G E F U N D G R E G L I P P M A N N A N D M O R T G A G E D E FA U LT R A T E S

G E N E PA R K A T A I G M E R E D I T H W H I T N E Y & T H E C O L L A P S E O F B E A R S T E R N S

A L B E R T E I N S T E I N & T H E T H E O R Y O F R E L A T I V I T Y

C O N T R A D I C T I O N PAT H

F I G H T I N G F I R E W I T H F I R E

C R E A T I V E D E S P E R A T I O N PA T H

W A G N E R D O D G E

• 12 of 15 smoke jumpers were killed in a fire after being trapped by an unexpected collision of fire and wind in Mann Gulch

• A fire on an opposite slope jumped sides putting the smoke jumpers in danger

• Dodge had four beliefs to anchor his understanding

• A steep uphill slope that favors fire over runners

• Fire behind picking up speed

• Safety ahead - a rocky ridge would be safe (two people made it to the ridge)

• Heavy dry grass fueling the fire

• Dodge started a fire in front of him and took refuge in its ashes - no one else on the team understood what he was doing he didn’t have time to explain the idea of an “escape fire”

C R E A T I V E D E S P E R A T I O N PA T H

The least common path to insight from this work included creative desperation in 25% of the cases

often in combination with another path.

C R E A T I V E D E S P E R A T I O N PA T H

R E A D H I S B O O K F O R M O R E E X A M P L E S O F I N S I G H T G A I N E D T H R O U G H T H E C R E AT I V E D E S P E R AT I O N PAT H

A R O N R A L S T O N T R A P P E D B Y A B O U L D E R C H E R Y L C A I N & T I M E C A R D S

D A V I D C H A R LT O N & T H E G L A S S C O A T I N G S N A P O L E O N A T T O U L O N

C R E A T I V E D E S P E R A T I O N PA T H

R E V I S I T I N G W A L L A S 4 S T E P M O D E L

1. Preparation

In 18% of Klein’s cases insights were accidental and had no preparation.

2. Incubation

Only 5 of the cases clearly involved incubation and the creative desperation path has no time for incubation to take place. In 39% of cases incubation was impossible.

3. Illumination

56% of cases included an epiphany the other 44% were gradual. The coincidence path requires seeing an anomaly several times and testing hypotheses before coming to a conclusion

4. Verification

Still seems like a good idea.

K N O W T H E PAT H Y O U ’ R E O NM I N D S E T S T H A T H E L P D E L I V E R I N S I G H T

C O N N E C T I O N C O I N C I D E N C E C U R I O S I T Y:

S P O T A N I M P L I C A T I O N

C O N T R A D I C T I O N F I N D A N I N C O N S I S T E N C Y

C R E AT I V E D E S P E R AT I O N

E S C A P E A N I M PA S S E

U S E W E A K A N C H O R T O R E B U I L D T H E

S T O R Y

A D D N E W A N C H O R

D I S C A R D A W E A K

A N C H O R

C H A N G E S I N H O W W E

U N D E R S TA N D A C T | S E E | F E E L | D E S I R E

• Is insight about breaking out of an impasse? Yes, for the creative desperation path, but not the others.

• Does incubation help? Maybe in the contradiction or connection paths but it is impossible on the creative desperation path.

• Does experience get in the way? Yes on the creative desperation path, but not on others.

• Should we keep an open mind? Yes, on the connection and creative desperation paths, but not on the contradiction path.

• Should we be skeptical? Yes, for the contradiction path, but not for the others.

• Is insight about filling a gap? Yes, on the connection path, but not the others.

H O W T O I N C R E A S E P E R F O R M A N C E

P E R F O R M A N C E I M P R O V E M E N T S

G R O W T H

C O N T R O L

Errors & Uncertainty

Insights

Problem solving approaches (sigma six)

Managers of algorithms

Innovation approaches (design thinking)

masters of heuristics

– G A R Y K L I E N

“When we put too much energy into eliminating mistakes, we’re less likely to gain insights.”

“ T W I N ” S T U D Y F I N D I N G S

H O W T O D I S C O V E R A N I N S I G H T W I T H T H E S A M E A M O U N T O F I N F O R M AT I O N A S O T H E R S

G R I P P E D B Y F L AW E D B E L I E F S

L A C K O F E X P E R I E N C E

PA S S I V E S TA N C E

C O N C R E T E R E A S O N I N G

E S C A P E D F I X AT I O N O N F L AW E D B E L I E F S

E X P E R I E N C E

A C T I V E S TA N C E

P L AY F U L R E A S O N I N G

N O I N S I G H T G A I N E D I N S I G H T

– G A R Y K L I E N

“The magic of insights stems from the force for noticing connections, coincidences, and

curiosities; the force for detecting contradictions; and the force of creativity

unleashed by desperation. That magic lives inside us, stirring restlessly.”