I’ll be showing my age by the next sentence I write. When I was a kid TV stations didn’t broadcast after midnight. When I turned on a station I saw a test pattern. I could use it to fine tune my TV reception. I’ve found other patterns to be useful in my life. Being a five on the enneagram helps me notice things others might not see. Often patterns emerge from these observations. It’s given me an advantage in coaching and the business world. I use them as a forecasting tool.
Several years ago I heard a radio show that talked about this subject. It said the human brain is a pattern seeking machine. Being able to spot patterns has helped humans survive. Knowing what to expect gives our species a huge advantage. However, they also said that humans see patterns that aren’t really there. We jump to conclusions that cause us to operate on suppositions. That can be a real problem in modern society.
After hearing this program I decided to use a pattern test. My dad had a saying. “If a horse and a man race and the horse wins it’s luck. If the horse wins the second time it’s a coincidence. If the horse wins the third time, bet on the horse.”
Luck does happen, both good and bad. There doesn’t have to be any reason for it. That’s not a pattern. It can happen twice. That’s a coincidence, not a pattern. The chances of a coincidence aren’t as good, but it is possible. I don’t dismiss that there could be a pattern, but I’m not sold on it either. If it happens a third time I take a hard look at the situation. The question I ask is why does this happen. I look for the reason to identify this as a pattern. If it makes sense for the reason to remain, I’m much more likely to call it a pattern.
Times are very different than when people were struggling just to survive day to day. Missing a pattern that was a real danger could be fatal. Living with false ideas from erroneous patterns is more of a problem for me.
The world is full of different beliefs, way too many for all of them to be true. My experience tells me that most are based on perceived patterns. Being able to identify patterns has been a big blessing in my life. However, it doesn’t help to jump the gun. A pattern test helps me fine tune my perception, which is just as valuable as spotting patterns, maybe more.
May you have enough today, one moment at a time.
THIS HELPED ME 