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Mary Morgan's avatar

I read through your piece and then looked at the watch swinging in the picture, staring at it and found myself superimposing a teapot, until my visualization only saw the teapot. This is going somewhere! Firstly, I should begin to explain where I learned this technique, it was initially a problem solving activity. As a student I needed to find a solution to a problem and couldn't find the answer. I went to a Tutor for guidance and was asked if I owned a teapot? I said that I did and was asked to place it on a table and walk round, blotting out everything else in the room. Additionally, I was not allowed to pick it up. I was invited back the next day and discuss the experience. I returned, and said that depending where I was, I could see the handle predominately and a bit of the sides. When I looked at a side I could see a bit of the handle and spout but not all of it. When I looked over the top, I mostly saw the lid. I explained my frustration that I wasn't to pick it up and look underneath. This was my blind spot. I was then asked to write down the problem and walk round it mentally and see if I could find possible solutions to my problem. From this I discovered multiple solutions. I was aware that I hadn't necessarily found every solution (my blind spot) but did select the one that was my best shot. I have found this technique very useful in so many situations, including ideologies, groups of people and am more questioning of things. So we don't have to be in this camp or that camp and we do have the right to change our minds as we become receptive to other possibilities. People often like to identify themselves with particular beliefs and seek out those who share these, to become part of a group, to have an identity, this is part of many people's way of being, enabling them to feel safer and feel they are a part of something, not alone. This isn't necessarily a conscious act as we are shaped by parents, friends, working environments and other things we engage in and develop biases. About 20 years ago I came to the realisation that I don't really know anything much at all, at best a little about a few things, this has been so liberating.

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