Be aware of the lens you're using

Different ways of looking at things have different expectations. We should be aware of the lens we're currently using to view the world and we should be aware of what we're expecting to see. If only to mark the difference with reality. We should look with intent.

When viewing the world through a systems lens for example, don't always expect a single root cause

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• Use lenses to view the world
  • Different lenses can often be linked to different mental models. Building up an intuition for which lens to use at which time is possible. Be aware of the lens you're using
• Don't always expect a single root cause
  • The systems lens doesn't show a single root cause for most problems. Classic 'rational analysis' expects a root cause, so the systems lens can be unsettling. You need to be aware of the lens you're using.
• Understanding concrete ideas is easier than understanding abstract ideas
  • Abstract ideas are lenses are mental models - they're the same thing. A way of generalising a pattern we have recognised. This means it is still important to be aware of the lens you are using.