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How to learn to change perspectives to understand other people's thoughts?

5 pointsby curious16over 2 years ago
In Lex Fridman&#x27;s interview with former CIA spy Andrew Bustamante: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;T3FC7qIAGZk?t=12627 he mentions the difference between perception and perspective and the results of gaining perspective into other people&#x27;s thoughts. The video url redirects to that particular moment in the discussion.<p>The thing is he doesn&#x27;t talk about how to learn that skill. Is there any way? Books maybe to get started?

1 comment

082349872349872over 2 years ago
He describes exactly how to do it. Have you tried listening to the clip and taking notes?<p>====<p>Maybe an example might help: Consider Kendo; it has the concept of &quot;3 killings&quot; <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;kenshijournal.wordpress.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;09&#x2F;12&#x2F;san-sappou&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;kenshijournal.wordpress.com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;09&#x2F;12&#x2F;san-sappou&#x2F;</a> .<p>In order, the 3 are:<p><pre><code> - kill the sword - kill the technique - kill the spirit </code></pre> &quot;Kill the sword&quot; only requires perception. You see where your opponent&#x27;s sword is, and block it to defend or strike it to open a line of attack.<p>&quot;Kill the technique&quot; can use either perception or perspective. It&#x27;s like skating to where the puck is going to be, not chasing the puck: you see the beginning movements of a particular technique, and you how it is going to unfold so you can be well prepared to intervene farther on in its development.<p>&quot;Kill the spirit&quot; requires perspective. You use perspective to figure out what your opponent would like to do, and so instead of seeing the beginning movements of a technique, you will see what their plan is, and guess how (and via which technique) it will proceed.<p><pre><code> you O &lt;-perception-- --perspective-&gt; O opponent &#x2F;|\ &#x2F;|\ &#x2F; \ &#x2F; \ </code></pre> Does that make any sense?<p>(Personally, I believe we only have consciousness because perspective is so useful: we have been evolved to model others via a theory of mind, and our sensation of consciousness is just the side-effect from applying that theory of mind to model ourselves)<p>A final word: note that just as shifting perception to perspective involves &quot;turning the arrows around&quot;, by turning the &quot;kill&quot; around to &quot;aid&quot;, we turn a duel into a dance, strife into teamwork. <i>Exercise: rewrite the 3 killings above into 3 aidings.</i>