Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Ambiguity vs Definition

There’s an interesting conflict with people.  They hate being told what to do, but they also loath ambiguity.  If they are in a controlled environment or the goal is clear, they will do what needs to be done.  However, when they are in an uncertain situation and the outcome is unknown, people err on the side of caution, or better yet, do what someone tells them to do.

When people take vacations, do they go places where they have to figure out the culture, find what to do, experiment with new foods, operate in countries where they don’t speak the language?  No, they go to Disneyland or Cancun or their mothers house.  Places where they know what will happen, how they are expected to act, what the outcomes will be.  Safe, warm, beautiful places.  Go to a place like Colombia or Myanmar or somewhere that might have wonderful adventures, but they are not clearly defined.  They are  places where you have to research, then get a read of what’s happening on the ground to determine what to do.  They are ambiguous, so you  have to cultivate local contacts to discover what’s interesting and worthwhile.

One place has definition and the other has ambiguity.  Which do you choose?  Why?

Do you prefer defined vacations where you know what will happen or do you prefer ambiguity? 

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