I believe that the moment is near when by a procedure of paranoiac thought, it will be possible to systematize confusion and contribute to the total discrediting of the world of reality।
~ Salvador Dali
My daughter explained to me on the way to school this morning why birds can fly and dogs can't. She said that birds can fly because they need to sleep in the trees. Dogs can't because they would fall out of trees if they fell asleep on top of one. When I asked about the role of feathers she said they keep the birds warm in the air because its cold and they wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Of course she left me completely confused and in awe for the next 30 blocks. Why is it that children don't seem to get bogged down by distracting details and would rather just focus on what makes sense? Have you ever looked at a child after answering a question and simply said, '..it's just that simple for you isn't it..'. I will admit that I had to read the quote from Mr. Dali about three times before I understood it enough to have a take away from it. I tend to discount reality when I find myself too tired to properly explain why things are the way they are. It is not until I begin to have 'paranoiac' thoughts that I seem to consciously ignore anything that is distracting to the answer and focus only on what makes sense. It is at this moment that I would argue we are at our best. It was Tom Peters who stated, 'If you're not confused, you're not paying attention'. You find me a group of people that are confused about a problem and I'll bet that they, by far, will design the best solution.
My challenge to you this week is to address an area of confusion in your life. It can be a competency skill at work, an inability to connect with a child, or problem solving an equation at school. Our greatest conveniences of today are rooted in utter chaos and mass confusion. Every time you use the phone, turn on your lights, or start your car this week, thank the people from the past for being both confused and relentless. Leaders have no sense of prevailing reality because, quite honestly, we can't afford to. While confusion can be the biggest contributor to daily frustration, it is also the hunger for the solution that will separate the leaders from the followers.
Alonzo Kelly
President
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
