In theory...

“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.” - Albert Einstein

I should likely begin with an apology.  It’s been several months since I last posted my thoughts here on Purple Patch.  There are a number of reasons for that but if I’m being honest, the novelty (of sorts) had worn off so I simply and perhaps lackadaisical moved on.  The novelty wasn’t that the “shiny object” has lost it’s luster so much as it was a case of the underlying reason I began Purple Patch having been called into question.  If you’re reading this, you’ll likely know that I launched Purple Patch at the request of those around me…friends, colleagues and clients who believed that the things I focus on, that I think about, that I’m passionate about…the things that have allowed me to perform, to achieve and to overcome the things I have, might also be of interest to others and allow them to achieve their purple patch.  I hoped that would be true and initially it seemed to be.  Gradually though, posts began to garner less response.  I assumed that because a post received fewer likes, comments or shares that it must by extension, also lack value.  I focussed almost exclusively on that to the detriment of something equally as important or to any other perspective on the posts themselves.  I’d lost sight of the fact that another goal I’d set out to achieve was simply to create a platform on which I could download my thoughts, a catharsis of sorts…from mindset strategies and strategic analysis to idle thoughts and “things that make you go hmmm”.  In addition to that and as some of you have pointed out (thank you for your messages, they gave me cause to reflect), although a like, a comment or a share almost certainly implies engagement…a lack of those things does not necessarily imply the opposite.  I’m a grown man, in theory I should know better!

That said, this post will be of the shorter variety.  It stems from several recent interactions I’ve had…I won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty details.  You’ve likely heard the saying “Those who can…do, and those who can’t…teach”.  Now to be clear, I don’t agree with that but I do believe that buried within it is a nugget of wisdom.  There’s a big difference between theory and practice.  In research for example, “applied research” tackles real world questions and attempts to solve real world problems, whereas “theoretical research” attempts to gather knowledge about circumstances whose presumptions may or may not have any real-world application.  

In business, in politics, in personal health and well being…hell, in day to day life and yes, in teaching…success is most often achieved when on top of a sufficient understanding of the theory, a unique application required to move forward is built.  Too heavy a reliance on theory and a person inevitably finds themselves as the proverbial nail to the world’s hammer, left scratching their head thinking “but that’s not the way the book said it would happen”.  Too heavy a reliance on practice however and regardless of success or failure, they’ll have no idea as to why…just as likely to succeed or fail going forward.  Neither should consider themselves aptly prepared, let alone adept.

The reality is that we should spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to understand the theory behind our endeavors…there’s great value, even virtue in that.  Simultaneously though, we MUST develop the flexibility and in many cases the critical realism to understand how those theories may fall short of addressing the realities of our endeavors.  Only then can we claim to be prepared for anything that comes our way.

With that, I’ll leave you with this allegory I keep on my desktop as a cheeky reminder.  It’s served me well and I read it without disdain or malice, only acceptance. As the opening narration of the once famous crime drama Dragnet said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

I told my son, “You will marry the girl I choose.”
“NO!”, he said.
I told him, “She is the world’s wealthiest man’s daughter.”
“OK.”, he said
I then contacted the world’s wealthiest man and said, “I want your daughter to marry my son.”
“NO!”, he said.
I told him, “My son is the CEO of World Bank.”
“OK.”, he said
I then contacted the President of World Bank and asked him to make my son the CEO.
“NO!”, he said.
I told him, “My son is he world’s wealthiest man’s son-in-law.”
“OK.”, he said”
This is how the world works.