One Apple A Day #1211

There is much more

Oval Boxes (ca. 1936) by Alfred H. Smith. Original from The National Gallery of Art. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

I love maps and models. They are a powerful way to observe, read and understand the reality of things and people.

However, whenever I use a map, I constantly remind myself that "the map is not the territory."

It is such an easy mistake to make. Yet a perilous one, particularly when dealing with human beings.

Maps and models make everything clear, neat and easy to manage. You are this or that, type I or X, introvert or extrovert, and so on.

However practical and valuable a map can be, it's never the whole truth.

First of all, reality as a whole is unknowable. Both the reality of things and the reality of a person. Whatever map or model you use, you should never forget that it's partial at best.

If you put too much value on the map you use, you may seek confirmation more than trying to truly understand. As a result, you will see only what fits your map or model, completely overlooking the reality's complexity and richness.

On top of that, people are not fixed and isolated entities. We constantly change over time depending on a myriad of factors. We also interact with the environment in which we live and operate at any moment, influencing and being influenced. So, your experience of anyone is just a fragment of their reality.

Whenever you feel compelled to label someone according to a map or model, remember there is much more in them. So, stay curious.