Beginner's Mind

As a computer scientist, I think in terms of generalizations. One of the fundamental rules of good code is not repeating yourself. This is often achieved by altering solutions that work only work in one case and expanding them to work in other scenarios. Training and practice allow me to spot these patterns quickly.

In life, I seek to understand what makes people behave the way they do. I observe the way people speak and behave and look for patterns. I then (though rarely consciously) form hypothesis' about how they will act in different scenarios and adjust my hypothesis accordingly. This habit helps me adapt to a variety of social situations rapidly.

In short, I have an expert mind.

The trouble is, expert's can be extremely short sighted. A false positive in science is when something resembles a pattern you were looking for but turns out to be something completely different. Expert minds are prone to false positives.

My friends have taken to surprising me with increasing regularity. It's not that they're behaving inconsistently with what they've always done but my understanding of such is continually augmented by a deeper understanding of what moves them. That understanding does not come about by scientific method but from simply asking them to tell me more.

In Zen, there is a concept of the beginner's mind. That is, a mind that doesn't approach with all the answers mapped out but instead, allows new information to fall like a fresh rain into an empty cistern. It is never so full of answers that it quits asking questions.

In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities
but in the expert's, there are few.

~Shunryu Suzuki