Safety Culture

Culture Cloud part 6: Embodied Learning

ByMatt Thorne
2 Comments

Embodied Learning and Somatics: When we understand the somatic and kinaesthetic nature of human embodied action we know that the whole body participates in decision making and that the brain is NOT a computer. The use of this computer metaphor is as silly as thinking of the human eye as a camera. Neither are true and both metaphors are myth.

We also know that humans resonate with each other through mirror neurons and other psycho-social factors that all affect us. In SPoR we call this Socialitie. We teach this in 117 many ways mostly introducing people the three ways of knowing/deciding through the head, heart and gut knowing (1B3M).

One of the challenges with the engineering-behaviourist worldview of safety is that it has no answer for the question, what is the body for? (https://safetyrisk.net/what-is-the-humanbody-for-in-safety/). (Other than it is simply a carrier for a computer)

So much of safety work is brain-centric and Cartesian. There is really no sophisticated understanding of human judgement and decision making in safety that includes the body. So often, the response to problems and accidents is more programming for the brain assuming, that accidents are caused by bad programming or free choice.

In SPoR, when we use the word ‘Mind’ it never means brain. We don’t have a mind, we are a Mind. That is why the model of 1B3M (https://safetyrisk.net/body-memory-and-safety/) is so important to understanding personhood, ethics and decision making. It is why Triarchic thinking (https://safetyrisk.net/triarachic-thinking-in-spor/) is so important for understanding why people do as they do.

Without Embodied movement there is no learning. Hence AI that has no body, cannot know embodied feeling to move and doesn’t learn. It just regurgitates algorithms. It is not ‘I think, therefore I am’ it’s ‘I move, therefore I am’

When we accept the connectedness of the body, we accept its associated necessities, mortality, weaknesses, vulnerabilities and obligations. When we think of the human sense we don’t just think of those inside the head, all knowing is embodied. For example we feel and experience the world through our skin. AI cannot ‘feel’ because it has no body.

So here is the video, Enjoy!

Matt Thorne

Matt Thorne

Executive Director at Risk Diversity
Risk Diversity coaches and mentors Companies and People to understand Leadership, Culture and Risk, helping them to humanise and harmonise their systems.
Matt Thorne

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Matt Thorne

2 Comments

    1. Thanks Brian, with so many organisations relying on ‘the vibe’ as a Culture strategy, it pays to look closer at what Culture actually is.

      Reply

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