500 Words a Week - Procrustes

Procrustes is a figure from Greek mythology, he was an inn keeper who would kindly allow any stranger passing by to stay in his inn. He had a special bed to which he claimed would fit the traveller to perfection. However, there was nothing hospitable in how he would ensure this. Those too tall he would chop of their limbs, and those too small he would stretch in a contraption he made.

I read about this in Nassim Taleb’s book “The Bed of Procrustes”, in which he makes some wonderful points to show at some level we are ourselves Procrustes.

Taleb highlights how we can often be unwilling to accept that elements of our life are unpredictable and we can’t understand everything. When confronted with something we don’t understand we therefore have to reduce all the information into something we do understand. Hereby, stretching or chopping the limbs of what we don’t understand to fit our bed of understanding. Due to our limitations in understanding and observing, we are constantly simplifying and leaving out important factors.

Rather than sustain judgement and holding no view, we would rather impose a simplistic wrong view. At times we have to suspend judgement/ simplifying and not be afraid that we don’t know the answer to everything.

Admitting we don’t know the answer can be intimidating, especially when we don’t feel comfortable and secure in our position or ourselves.

With training and coaching, we can be quick to formulate our opinions around various topics. Stating how certain exercises or forms of training are poor, or only help with very specific issues. Rather than suspending judgement and realizing they are all just tools to accomplish a task. They can be used in many different situations to help achieve a variety of results. The amount of times I have thought to myself a certain form of training/ exercise is useless before realising down the line that it has a place is endless. Something I still catch myself doing.

This also goes with only accepting information that fits our already determined narrative. We get so wrapped up with what we believe in with regards to our work that we can’t accept any alternatives. We alter the information we read to make it fit our narrative and end up leaving important details out. We identify so closely with our work that a challenge on it, is a challenge on our very own person. One of my favourite principles is from Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar), in his book Creativity Inc he states “You are not your idea”. It took me awhile when I started working within S&C to get this, and not relate any form of criticism of my work to also a criticism of me as a person.

For those worrying about Procrustes the next time they check into a hotel, don’t fret, as the myth goes he was made to fit his own bed by Thesus.