03 I SEE JESUS IN THAT TORTILLA People see all sorts of things in all sorts of things—faces in clouds, figures in stars... even Jesus in tortillas. It’s not because they’re crazy. It’s because the human mind has the ability to recognize patterns. We’ve seen the depictions of Jesus. We’ve seen the texture of a tortilla. When the texture of a tortilla resembles the depictions of Jesus, we see Jesus in that tortilla. Patterns aren’t just child’s play; they help us identify what’s in front of us and make decisions. Being able to “connect the dots” is valuable in every aspect of our lives, from finding trends in sales to managing personal relationships to trusting Dino, your Great Dane, to stay behind that fence that’s half his height. The great part is that we get better at recognizing patterns and making decisions faster, as we go.
But, the power of pattern recognition comes with pitfalls. Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively gathering, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information in order to make decisions and take specific actions. Historically, this concept has been regarded as rather complex and posed a challenge for those attempting to master its benefits. Simply put, we are all inundated with a series of choices each day, each bringing both short- and long-term consequences. But when we can align our beliefs, principles and rituals, while giving ourselves healthy constraints, we are more likely to make decisions that will generate a desired outcome. As a Navy SEAL combat veteran turned business leader, I’ve experienced success and failure on literal and figurative battlefields, where learning to think both slowly and quickly can mean the difference between winning and losing. The proper use of critical thinking, in my experience, is very situational. BRENT GLEESON, CEO, TAKINGPOINT LEADERSHIP, BESTSELLING AUTHOR, FORMER NAVY SEAL
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Patterns can easily become fantastical if we don’t hone the way we seek and process them. Sure, there’s no harm in seeing the face of Jesus in a tortilla. But what about in the business world? Where is the line between identifying a behavior pattern and imagining one? Referring back to the fateful yawn from the previous chapter, let’s pretend that a week later, that same person yawns again while you’re speaking.
Stop your mind right there. Do they only yawn when you speak, or do they also yawn while others speak? Do they show other signs of apathy or lethargy? Is a second offense really enough to call it a pattern, or are you jumping to conclusions? Is it worth it to take offense at their yawning? Break it down before you build it up. Seeing Jesus in a tortilla is not a far cry from interpreting a yawn as a sign of boredom. Know when patterns hold meaning and when they don’t. In other words, control your pattern recognition; don’t let your pattern recognition control you. 17