You know what it’s like to have an insight: one of those “aha” moments when something becomes very clear. You “get” it. Even though you may not be able to put words into it, you have a sense of clarity, a sense of possibility. In this article, I will talk about the fine line between insight and action.
I sometimes use provocative metaphors to make my point. This time, I’m going to use an analogy with safecracking. It’s not that I practice this art or expect you to have a first-hand acquaintance with it. But we’ve all seen it done in movies and TV shows. The perpetrator comes across as an artist with a superhuman calm, an excellent ear, and very deft hands. As he makes tiny movements with the locking mechanisms, he listens to the subtle clues of the wheels turning inside and adjusts his moves accordingly. And the supposedly impregnable safe gently opens up.
How is this related to exploring insights?
Well, that typical scene gives us some insights into the nature of safes and what it takes to open them. A large part of such a scene’s fascination is the contrast between two dramatically different qualities. There is the heaviness, the rock-solid stodginess of the safe on the one hand, and the gentleness and grace of the burglar’s movements on the other hand. This scene informs us that we should go beyond first looks to have a frank and open relationship with a safe. We’ll get more out of the safe if we relate to it as a complex mechanism full of delicate little wheels and cranks than if we see it as a thickly padded, compact box.
The above paragraph describes an insight. You and I understand it quite well. However, we’d never be able to open a safe even if our life depended on it. So, while this kind of insight is necessary to becoming a safecracker, it is certainly not sufficient.
What it takes to be a safecracker
What, then, is the difference between, on the one hand, people like you and me and, on the other hand, people who crack safes? I mean, other than the fact they’re criminals.
You and I would say: “Aha. I get it. I see how you crack a safe. I get the idea.” But that’s just a cursory overview of the process, as seen from the outside.
In contrast, the “pro” has gone beyond the mere concept to the actual practice. He (or she, for that matter) has invested time and effort to develop his powers of attention to understand the specifics of “communicating” with a safe. He has learned what different sounds mean and how to respond to them.
Each sound is like an insight into what’s happening inside the safe’s mechanism at a given moment. But it’s not a vague concept. It is very specific information that will inform the next steps for cracking the safe.
So, what was this article about? If you get from it is that I’m suggesting safecracking as a legitimate career change, there may be a miscommunication. I’d be happier if you saw this as a metaphor for how to deal with insights.
If all you’re asking from insight is to give you some general sense of a situation, the danger is that you won’t explore any further once you have it. But it’s not actionable, any more than seeing a safecracker in a movie teaches you to crack a safe.
Going further into it
Instead, it usually pays to see the insight as only a first step. It will take work to go beyond that first glimpse of understanding. It will take practice — confronting reality and learning from that experience.
Insight is a powerful way to open new doors. But don’t just stay on the threshold. Give yourself a chance to go beyond the gateway. It takes personal engagement to make things happen.