Excellent article. I found myself thinking of change management theory as I was reading. The never ending competition and temporary weigh stations of “winning” remind me of the Hegelian Model of change management where the thesis is continuously challenged by the antithesis and the resulting conflict creates a new thesis which breeds a new antithesis. And thus change is forever and there is no end state to reach as it goes on for infinity. I also agree with your statements concerning Chinese chess, checkers and go. However, I like to use the analogy of futbol versus football. The world plays Futbol which is fluid, the ball and the players move in all directions at once while trying to make the opponent make a covering mistake to then move toward the goal and score. Football is uniquely “American.” It is kinetic and unidirectional always moving forward, 10 yards at a time, toward the goal line. It is built around mass, etc. The world plays Futbol while we try to impose Football. They have caught on and our blustering “we will blow your house down” no longer scares the piggies who have grown into wild bores.
Joe, EXACTLY... Paula pounds on the Hegelian Model but warns that in the US we seldom (if ever) change our strategy based on the clash of the thesis and antithesis. While the rest of the world is working with the precepts created by this clash, the US just pulls down its original thesis and confronts the newer, more complex problem-set with its original method. We're at least one progression behind the rest of the world in strategic thought... but generally several. Thanks for reading and for your insight!!
Thanks Joe for your cogent comments. I love the Futbol/football analogy. And John is correct-I do tend to double down on Hegal! I hearby nominate you to be our 2nd official vinoveritati!
Excellent article. I found myself thinking of change management theory as I was reading. The never ending competition and temporary weigh stations of “winning” remind me of the Hegelian Model of change management where the thesis is continuously challenged by the antithesis and the resulting conflict creates a new thesis which breeds a new antithesis. And thus change is forever and there is no end state to reach as it goes on for infinity. I also agree with your statements concerning Chinese chess, checkers and go. However, I like to use the analogy of futbol versus football. The world plays Futbol which is fluid, the ball and the players move in all directions at once while trying to make the opponent make a covering mistake to then move toward the goal and score. Football is uniquely “American.” It is kinetic and unidirectional always moving forward, 10 yards at a time, toward the goal line. It is built around mass, etc. The world plays Futbol while we try to impose Football. They have caught on and our blustering “we will blow your house down” no longer scares the piggies who have grown into wild bores.
Joe, EXACTLY... Paula pounds on the Hegelian Model but warns that in the US we seldom (if ever) change our strategy based on the clash of the thesis and antithesis. While the rest of the world is working with the precepts created by this clash, the US just pulls down its original thesis and confronts the newer, more complex problem-set with its original method. We're at least one progression behind the rest of the world in strategic thought... but generally several. Thanks for reading and for your insight!!
Thanks Joe for your cogent comments. I love the Futbol/football analogy. And John is correct-I do tend to double down on Hegal! I hearby nominate you to be our 2nd official vinoveritati!