Escape from Flatland

Do you find yourself stuck in the same old ways of thinking and doing? Take a journey out of “Flatland” and see what other dimensions you can find.

In 1884 Edwin Abbot wrote a book called Flatland. In it, the character A Square lives in a two-dimensional world – only able to move in two directions, back and forth. More than a century later we find ourselves behaving more like A Square than we’d like. Moving restlessly back and forth in our perceived boundaries.

But shouldn’t we be consciously trying to break away from our traditional limits of thinking and action? What if we allowed ourselves to be freely influenced by a more four-dimensional way of looking at things? Imagine the solutions that might present themselves if we looked past the limits of our preconceptions – beyond the obviously visible…

Now I am not suggesting we all run out and become immersed in science. But stepping outside of the places we traditionally seek inspiration can have pleasantly unexpected results. New ideas and new energy can come from just about anywhere; see where a few of these places take you.

While we are all familiar with the three dimensions of free movement, what happens if we consider the fourth dimension as a new direction?

Fred, Bob and Emily can help us further understand the concept and context of a fourth dimension. Follow their story.

“We should make things as simple as possible, but not simpler,” said Albert Einstein. Read the article To clarify. Add Detail and see an application of four-dimensional thinking that shows how the information can be better represented beyond the obviously visible.

Enter the knowledge web or k-web for short. Brainchild of James Burke – author, teacher and host of PBS television series Connections – k-web will allow visitors to travel along interconnected pathways, exploring links between people, ideas and events, reminding us that knowledge is a journey, not a destination.

See you next week.

Alignment is Michel’s passion. Through her work with Brand Alignment Group she helps organisations align who they are, with what they do and say to build more authentic and sustainable brands.

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