'How do YOU see the world?' with Dr Richard Claydon

“He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In the era of Big Data, we also need Big Theory.

There is so much information in the world that we often fail to cope. With our brains designed to be energy efficient, we try to avoid cognitive effort and tend to jump to whatever conclusion feels right at a gut level.

We make decisions based on this System One mode of operating. When new information challenges our certainties, we become anxious and defensive. We cling on even tighter to our beliefs and opinions, and resist and reject the opportunity to reflect. This leaves us impoverished and unable to self-actualise. We never know:

1. Where these beliefs and certainties came from. Are they real or just self-constructed figments of our imagination?
2. Whether they are sourced in a deep intellectual history of the world. Are we aware of the giants upon whose shoulders we stand?

In this week’s Dialogic Drinks, we invite you to jump into the deep end of Big Theory and find out. We will explore:

• The Scope of History: How do you think Western history unfolded, and what shape do you think it might take in the future?
• The Shape of Society: Do you think we should maintain Western societal form, redesign it, or focus our energies on learning to better live in it?
• Your Sense of the Self: Do you have a deep awareness of your inner or authentic self, or are you reliant on the psychology of the stranger in your self-descriptions?

We will draw from a range of eclectic thinkers, schools and disciplines. Pinker v Peterson v Graebner. Marx v Nietszche v Bauman. Objectivism v French Existentialism v Phenomenology v Conflict Theory. Psychotherapy v North American statistical psychology v interactionism v role theory.

It’s not going to be for the faint-hearted. Or those who want to tightly hold onto their version of the world. But for those comfortable with challenges to their worldview, we guarantee it will be interesting.

Dr Richard Claydon is the co-founder of EQ Lab, and the designer of the Future of Leadership module at Macquarie Business School’s Global MBA Program (ranked #6 globally by CEO Magazine).

He was awarded the highest achievable marks for a Ph.D in behavioural science. A Harvard Top-200 Management expert and business columnists for the Guardian newspaper have described this research as “a touchstone for the future work in management and organisation”, “outstanding in daring imagination” and “at the forefront of modern discussion and debate.”

Richard is a tier one tennis player, have coached tennis professionally, and also designed the tactics creator for the multi award-winning and world-leading management simulation, Football Manager.