“A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic.” — Maria Konnikova 1
There is a very interesting Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) video featuring the psychologist Maria Konnikova (@mkonnikova), author of the book Mastermind: How to think like Sherlock Holmes. The video is an excellent description on the power of observation versus the cluttered mind.
One might suggest that we as physicians should not just stuff our minds with useless knowledge, which may interfere with our decision-making process, but instead we should strive to stay focused, become more selective when we read, and be better observers when we practice medicine. The creator of the crime stories “Sherlock Holmes” was a Scottish physician, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, who based the fictional character on one of his mentors, Dr. Joseph Bell.
The Scientific Method Of The Mind:
What Sherlock Holmes can teach us about decision making
In summary, Sherlock Holmes’ mind according to Maria Konnikova understands and appreciates the following:
- The importance of what and how we memorize information
- System 1 (Dr. Watson, hot, reflexive) vs System 2 (Sherlock Holmes, cold, analytical) thinking
- Drawbacks of multitasking
- Importance of meditation and creativity
- Knowing when to pause and not rush into conclusions when solving problems
- Absent information is as important as information which is present.
- “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
- Going back to the beginning to update and acknowledge your errors
- Learning should be fun. Ask questions.
- Keep being curious. Stay engaged.
"""Mjinga huchukua mbao zote za kila aina anazokutana nazo, hivyo kwamba maarifa ambayo yanaweza kuwa na manufaa kwake yanakimbia nje, au kwa vyovyote vile yanachanganyikiwa na vitu vingine vingi, hivyo kwamba ana ugumu wa kuweka mikono yake juu yake.""" "Mwanamume huyo mwenye ujuzi wa kazi ya kuunda akili, Maria Konnikova, anaandika kitabu cha ""Mastermind: Jinsi ya Kufikiria Kama Sherlock Holmes.""" Video hiyo inaelezea vizuri sana nguvu ya kuchunguza mambo ikilinganishwa na akili iliyojaa mambo mengi. "Mtu anaweza kupendekeza kwamba sisi kama madaktari hatupaswi tu kujaza akili zetu na maarifa yasiyo na faida, ambayo yanaweza kuingilia mchakato wetu wa kufanya maamuzi, lakini badala yake tunapaswa kujitahidi kukaa umakini, kuwa kuchagua zaidi wakati tunasoma, na kuwa watazamaji bora wakati tunatumia dawa. """ "Mwandishi wa hadithi za uhalifu ""Sherlock Holmes"" alikuwa daktari wa Scotland, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, ambaye alianzisha tabia ya uwongo juu ya mmoja wa washauri wake, Daktari Joseph Bell." "Mtazamo wa ""Science"" wa Sherlock Holmes ni kwamba, kama ilivyoelezwa na Maria Konnikova, ""Mtazamo wa Sherlock Holmes unaelewa na kuthamini mambo yafuatayo: umuhimu wa nini na jinsi tunavyokumbuka habari, mfumo wa kwanza (Dr. Watson, moto, reflexive) dhidi ya mfumo wa pili (Sherlock Holmes, baridi, uchambuzi) kufikiri, hasara za multitasking, umuhimu wa kutafakari na ubunifu, kujua wakati wa kusubiri na si kukimama katika hitimisho wakati wa kutatua matatizo.""" "Ukiondoa kitu kisichowezekana, chochote kinachobaki, hata iwe ni jambo lisilowezekana, lazima kiwe ukweli."" - Kuenda nyuma hadi mwanzo ili kusasisha na kukubali makosa yako - Kujifunza kunapaswa kuwa na furaha." Uliza maswali. - Endelea kuwa na hamu ya kujua. Endelea kushirikiana.