Practicing the Idea of “Inversion” to Live Well - with Calm and Quiet Mind

Why we do what we do? How to avoid making the same mistake? How to make a good judgment? May we have a calm and quiet mind to make a good judgment?

Charlie Munger often points; “Do not go where you die.” Such a simple statement captures his idea of “Inversion.”

Have you heard of such an idea? Sounds counter intuitive? Un-appealing? Even boring?

Yet, rushing to get things done, chase our dream or desire, or being swamped with too many ideas or unknowns, are we not missing something? Overlooking certain trends or perspective? Actually, are we not like a bird in a cage although the door may be open if we look around carefully?

Here is more of his saying; “Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.” It is like, expect the unexpected... So, counter intuitive, isn’t it? Yet, he is a billionaire and alive at the age of 97 years old.

So, may we listen to his words, carefully -- then, digest, and "practice" such ideas to learn to live our life better? There is another saying; “If we do what we have done, we will get what we’ve got.” ?

My sense is, Mr. Munger may be pointing ways to overcome our ignorance, greed, and hatred/aversion (the three poisons in Buddhism). If so, what stops us to get into this - sincerely and truthfully?

In fact, doing nothing but observing what is going on - in and around us may be much better than confusing ourselves and making haphazard decision. Don't you think? Or, are we aware that we are aware, really?

Actually, I just realized my experience of applying this inversion idea some 20 years ago without knowing. At the time, I was experiencing a severe pain from long sitting as I was going through 10-day meditation retreat. On the eighth day, I questioned in the middle of my never ending severe back pain, I thought; "Am I having a pain because I am trying to escape from this pain?" As if finding a source of energy welling up inside me, what followed was my major spiritual awakening. (I posted the experience at my archived home page here: https://web.archive.org/web/20181107062000/http://www.geocities.co.jp/Suzakicojp/revisitingvipassana-2000.html )

As such, if we sense we should try this inversion idea, may we practice this whenever possible - to the point of overcoming our habitual pattern? Repetition is the mother of skill, is it not? And if we develop a knack of it just once, perhaps, that may help us to know more about what this is all about.

If we do not, we may keep practicing what he calls; the hammer and nail syndrome. That is, when we have a hammer, everything may look like a nail. What it points is; do not only think of the way to succeed, but also think of ways for failure and avoid them from happening.

By the way, I now realize that the subject of Lean - or waste elimination - is a form of inversion that Toyota has been practicing, making a huge impact to many. An idea called Poka-yoke, or fool proof mechanism is to assure a good quality, among many other ideas.

Starting little by little to implement such idea, and work on housekeeping and workplace organization, etc., people get the idea of finding wastes and eliminating them while developing good habits. Actually, I remember my last meeting with Mr. Ohno, who is known to be the father of Lean/ Toyota Production System. He did not give me a sense of me getting the essential skill of Toyota Production System. However, in silence, he taught me to find my own solution in my way.

Charlie Munger points that we should know the edge of your competence. No mastery is possible when the environment changes and we change as well.

Best wishes for us gain some insight - as if to open the hidden door somewhere.
Kio

PS
I found it took ten times or more energy to write this than talking into the voice memo for Youtube. I feel it is because my learning comes with sincere, truthful and determined effort to clarify ideas and have good spirit to practice them!

When we listen to any idea, we may say, we know it, we know it.. But, talk is cheap. Yes... I am talking to myself (as usual) Let me work on it. It is about time. :-)

PS2
I found this inversion video I did 7 months ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aevfYABPS2c

My impression was different then from this new one. Still, it is interesting to listen to.

FYI
This site is very well done re inversion. Highly recommended:
https://www.wealest.com/articles/inversion-examples

FYI2
The pictures in the display on the right is from my book, New Manufacturing Challenge (1987), on TPS and Lean where the situation in the company is chaotic when not well managed. It may also represent what happens inside of my brain. Wew need a good traffic control and good discipline to streamline the flow to the appropriate direction.