A630.2.4.RB_FogartyShawn

I think the RSA-Animated talk is titled 21st Century Enlightenment because it takes a modest approach at developing an understanding that we are bigger than ourselves, our values or lack thereof, and our politics. The world has essentially placed a harness on itself, which often feels like a muzzle, that limits the potential for individuals to act out of “empathetic recourse” as stated by Matthew Taylor throughout the video (Taylor, 2010). Thus, Taylor (2010) had ascertained that powerful new insights into human nature expressed an explicit ideals that the individual would be remised to attain.

            Matthew Taylor meant that in 21^st century enlightenment would take on a more “self-aware, socially embedded, model of autonomy” when he said "to live differently, you have to think differently" (Taylor, 2010). This predicated of that facts human beings operate relatively ignorantly with long-term decision making due to the reliance of automatic systems and limited conscience thought (Taylor, 2010). This is complex yet simple. In relation to the individual it boils down to how Taylor elaborated on the simplistic nature about happiness, “If you are unhappy, don’t read a self-help book, just have happier friends” (Taylor, 2010).

            At one point in the video (4:10), Taylor argues that we need "to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange." What he expressed is that individuals within society need to have a “relationship to our own actions rather than be captive of them” (Taylor, 2010). This further reflected on as having a vested interest in what is going on around you, in your community, society, and the collective world.         An example within my company is best summarized by another quote I lobby from time to time whereas “one can’t see the forest through the trees.” Expressing the absence of a simplistic view point to see what’s going on around them.

            Taylor argues that our society should eschew elements of pop culture that degrade people and that we should spend more time looking into what develops empathetic citizens. However, I do not think this will be possible due to the selfish nature of individuals. The goal, although noble, would be utterly impossible to shift the focus to a “healthy public disagreement rather public disparagement” (Taylor, 2010).

            I will take a lot away from this exercise for immediate use in my career. First and foremost, I‘ve reflected on fact that happiness is simple, don’t over think it. Second, as an individual, I am a part of the whole. Third, 21^st century enlightenment also calls for us to see past the simplest ideals of “freedom, justice, and progress” and to embrace a collective society that fosters empathetic ideals.

 

Taylor, M. (2010, August 19). RSA Animate - 21st Century Enlightenment [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be

A630.1.4.RB_FogartyShawn

After viewing the Youtube video, A Tale of Power and Vision, it brought to mind a recent event that left me scratching my head. I too observed as pessimists and pragmatists conjugate and in a self-sufficient manner stroke each other’s weak visions. I was serving as the Air Mission Commander for a MEDEVAC team based at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. We were on the cusp of a bad weather front and after receiving reports of decreasing visibility throughout our primary area of operation the general attitude is we weren’t in business until the weather lifted. The band wagon ran out of seat essentially with this myopic mindset.

We received a MEDEVAC mission to transfer a patient around 5 PM from a Role II facility some 45 minutes northeast of our base back to Kandahar’s Hospital, a higher level of care. We were no backed against bad weather and the general attitude was to delay until weather improved in the interest for safety. After vetting the medical priority it was discouraged to delay however the risks to the patient and crew were more threatening than to delay relocating the patient.  Weather was schedule to improve early morning, around 3 AM.

The pessimists, pragmatists practically started a fan club. Since weather was marginal the consensus was to launch and pick the patient up at 3 AM. However, that was still located in what’s known as RED ILLUM, a period of night with no moon and in a mountainous environment makes for a very dark mission even under night vision goggles. The now formed fan club lobbied that we should then wait sunrise. This was a marginal consideration given the increased risks of operating under RED ILLUM conditions. At this point, as the mission commander I was able to accept the delays after conferring with our doctor to ensure we were leveraging the patient’s needs against the risks. Overall, I was comfortable at this point, executing the mission at dawn.

However, the fan club now was operating under the presumptions that we needed more “good ideas.” The mission at dawn had us flying east, into a rising sun, which would degrade our visibility. As such, the pragmatists lobbied to delay the mission a few more hours. Since we operate on a night cycle this would place us in our prime sleep window, which was further lobbied. Between the pessimists thinking the weather would keep us from launching and the pragmatists shaking every last leave from the good idea tree I had to reframe this mission. The initial negativity of delaying to launch had continued on a downward spiral.

 I gathered the team and in an effort to reframe the mission reinforced the nature of our business. We provide care for wounded, moving them across the battlefield to the appropriate level of care. We had a Soldier needing those services, we are asked to do only what we’re trained to do and provide that critical transportation. I asked them, “How can we get this mission done, safely and timely?” After having engaged their minds and re-framed the concept of what we do their attitudes changed. They were motivated and now thinking of ways to mitigate the risks but in a forward looking aspect to get the mission accomplished.