The ‘heuristic’ approach to disrupting time and meaning
Paula Kensington
The ‘heuristic’ approach to disrupting time and meaning
This era of COVID-19 has given me pause to think about – and rethink – a lot of my assumptions and things I have taken for granted. Like the concept of time and the meaning of the words we throw around with abandon.
The elasticity of time
My days, like most people’s, were usually full of keeping busy with important things. Or so I thought. While locked away at home, I’ve developed a whole new concept of time and how I spend it. I know some people have found their days have been hit by the warp factor, moving at the speed of light. But for others, like me, time has slowed down, allowing for a more considered approach and a new focus on areas we have not considered a priority.
Along with the time, I’ve also appreciated having the space – and, along with it, the lack of distractions and external noise – to reassess my priorities. It’s been quite liberating to let go of the pressure (usually coming from within) to keep up with everything and to worry less about what I might be missing out on. I’ve gone from FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (joy of missing out), which has allowed me to sit in my office and focus on what’s important to me and my business.
One of the uses I’ve made of this time and space is to think about the words and language I use …
The context of meaning
As a ‘numbers girl’, I’m a believer in pushing myself by learning new words. Apart from expanding my mind, the idea is to give myself more powerful tools for sharing ideas and conveying my message.
Some of my new words have really resonated with me – like eudaimonia (a Greek word for ‘human flourishing or prosperity’); ineffable (unspeakable, too great to be expressed); and heuristic (hands-on, able to be learned through experience). These three words, for me, speak of being human, of learning through doing and experience and of struggling to put a feeling into words. They kind of sum up this start to a new decade.
I’m not saying we have to run around spouting big words no one else understands; it’s just that some words really encapsulate a concept for you. The secret, I think, is to always provide context for, or reframe, the words you use so you are never making the mistake of assuming others understand what you mean.
Take the word vulnerable. It’s a word I’ve used constantly during my career and promoted as a tool of good leadership. I do recall, however, a CEO I worked for a few years ago who didn’t want a ‘vulnerable’ CFO. To him, it meant an old-school dictionary definition of needing special care. To me, it meant exposing yourself as a real human who others can relate to and want to follow. I realised that I need to reframe, or provide context for, what I meant by the word vulnerable.
Another word I use is ferocious. If we stick with the dictionary meaning, we’re talking about savagely fierce, violent or cruel. But, in reality, I mean standing up for what’s right and for those without a voice, and calling out unacceptable behaviour.
And then there’s the word humble, which the dictionary defines as showing or having a modest or low estimate of one’s importance. For me, being humble is having the ability to listen to other points of view and acknowledging you may have something to learn from others.
I don’t believe my meaning for these words is wrong – I just need to reframe it for my audience.
A new generation of meaning
I guess what this has all shown me is that while the basics of time and words have not changed – that is, there are still 24 hours in a day and the dictionary definitions of most words are still the same – the way we use them has. We’ve ‘refreshed’ them, if you like. And I think that’s a good thing.
Reframing the meaning of such things fits with that beautiful quote from Thomas Jefferson:
