HINDSIGHT+FORESIGHT=INSIGHT
Recently, I happened to read an article in the “Brand Equity” section of the daily “Economic Times” titled “Trapped Intelligence” — How organizations can turn data into golden insights”. The article focuses on the need and importance for organizations to exploit the limitless data at their disposal (whose range, depth and width has now reached levels unheard of and unthinkable) and using the power of analytics to understand and decode it and ensure that the resultant intelligence is “made to use” failing which the chances are that it would remain “trapped” as unused and just a futile heap consigned to the quick-sands of time. Written by corporate honchos Devender Chawla and Sunil Alagh, the article focuses on the need for organizations to convert data into “better actionable outcomes for business” to deal with challenges, as and when they arise, specially in the post pandemic scenario. The theme of the article is absorbing, but strikes the mind is the conclusion “Remember that Hindsight + Foresight = Insight” — a fact undeniably cast in stone for some but stored irretrievably in the most inner recesses of the grey matter by most. The relationship between the three has also been very aptly described by the celebrated writer and life-coach Robin Sharma in the following words: -
“The real trick in life is to turn hindsight into foresight that reveals insight.”
It is also by sheer chance that rummaging through the Internet I happened to come across an article written, almost a decade back, by the celebrated writer Devdutt Pattanaik, who although originally trained in medicine, switched roles to start writing on the relevance of mythology in modern times specially in the areas of management, governance and leadership. In the article titled “Every Organization needs people with foresight” he analyses organization structures, behaviour and functioning with reference to two Titan Gods of Greek mythology- “Prometheus” and his brother “Epimetheus”. While Prometheus (traditionally interpreted as “foresight) is the Titan God of Fire, known for his intelligence and for being a champion of humankind and is credited with the creation of humanity, his brother “Epimetheus” (literally meaning “hindsight” or “after-thinker”) is considered to be a Titan God of afterthought, a God of excuses, as his head started thinking only when he realised that he had not done something right and is depicted as foolish. According to Devdutt Pattanaik every organization is a combination of people representing “Prometheus” (people who think before a deed is done — who I equate it to foresight) and people representing “Epimetheus” (people who think after the deed is done — who I equate it to hindsight).
History might have portrayed these Greek Gods with shades of positivity (Prometheus) and negativity ( Epimetheus) which portrayal has come to be accepted by Litterateurs, History scholars and what have you, it appears that for optimum results, an amiable environment, sustained progress and emotional balance, the need for a delicate yet harmonious blend between hindsight and foresight is necessary for organisations to sustain, foster, grow, develop and expand and even at a societal level for families to be the storehouse for emotional stability, interpersonal bonding and overall congeniality.
“Epimetheus” might represent a person who thinks after the deed is done, however, the need for analysis, introspection and a realistic assessment of the facts does definitely help to learn lessons from the past and avoid pitfalls, which we might have faced earlier, in the future. As elders and respected thinkers repeatedly emphasize, any decision arrived at by due analysis, bona-fide, reasonable application of mind, consideration of all possible ramifications is correct in the circumstances and situation in which it has been made — the benefit of subsequent experience (hindsight) should not be used to judge or examine its correctness or success — of course the experience gathered, the data garnered and the effects subsequently visible (again hindsight), after due analysis, introspection and deliberation can only serve to foster improvement in future endeavours.
“Epimetheus” might seem to exemplify the person who thinks or seeks remedial action after the deed is done — or to use an oft-quoted phrase — “locks the stables after the horses have bolted” — it not only appears, but to my mind is evident, is the need and importance of using the benefit of hindsight as the pedal for not just sustained but also accelerated future progress — something that should become ingrained in the ethos and DNA of all organizations- in whichever domain, sector or territory that they might be functioning. Even at the familial level the need for using the benefit of hindsight as the fulcrum for the future and as an aid to perspective planning, and in some cases for course correction can and will lead to astounding results. Hindsight in its truest sense symbolises the ability to determine, understand and analyse what went right or wrong in the past. The benefits of hindsight need not be dealt with a “I told you so attitude” but used to develop a vision for the future.
“Prometheus”, the Greek Titan God of fire, is associated with — foresight — the ability to gaze ahead of the pack and see beyond the horizon, to see what will probably happen in future, and to use this knowledge to plan accordingly. While I would not like to go into further details of Greek mythology and the legends associated with these Greek Titan Gods, suffice to say the analysis of hindsight while definitely important would not by itself be sufficient unless supported by foresight — the ability to look into the future, may be not from the mindset of a soothsayer, but may be that of a visionary, even a dreamer, specially in a world where change has not only become the only constant but whose pace of change has tended to scale inter-galactical heights. Foresight can neither the practiced, learnt or acquired but more often than not is reincarnation and inborn. It is only organizations that have leaders with vision that are able to not only survive and sustain but also prosper, grow and diversify. Even families that are blessed with Patriarchs with foresight exhibit decidedly higher degrees of inherent stability and emotional bonding. I personally was fortunate to have been blessed on both fronts — born into a family with a Patriarch who was way ahead of his time and got the opportunity to work in one whose founder and leader is a man with extraordinary vision.
Talking about foresight I am reminded of a story I read in my teenage (if my memory serves me right, written by Stephen Leacock, the Canadian writer and humourist) wherein the writer, while dreaming about the future, thinks of a day when classrooms would become non-existent and lessons periodically injected or implanted into human bodies — thereby giving process of class -room teaching a veritable pass-through. Well, we laughed and it then and the ideas seemed outlandish, it took only a couple of decades for us to be proved wrong. Certainly while surgical implants of Physics lessons might be some distance away, the voluminous and space -consuming tomes of books have certainly given way to pocketable storage devices wherein interminable amounts of data and information can be stored, transported and readily retrieved — talk about foresight and the realm of impossibility- both seem to converge at increasingly shorter time frames. It took decades for the ubiquitous floppy to become obsolete and even shorter time for CD’s to follow that path, to be replaced by pint-sized pen drives capable of storing data which would otherwise occupy monstrous space — the progress is the result of the ability to use foresight, analyse hindsight and develop insight and resulting in the ability to exploit the vision and bring it to reality — sometimes the vision might turn out to be a mirage but that is just a small price to pay for the excitement and satisfaction that is the end-game for the process — a pleasurable and wholesome one at that.
We all need the delicate yet perceptible balance between hindsight and foresight to arrive at the correct insight — wherein, as I said earlier lies the roots of organizational and familial growth, stability and sustenance. A critical honest yet realistic appraisal of the past i.e. hindsight coupled with an ability of some amount of star-gazing i.e., foresight (ironical as it may seem but sometimes hindsight only creates foresight) can only provide a balanced insight into what was, is and can be. It is only when the relationship between these, there is really understood that resources, whether natural, physical, financial or human world be optimally utilized for maximum returns.
Before closing the following Irish Blessing really brings out the complex yet interesting interplay between hindsight, foresight and insight very succinctly and clearly: -
“May you have the hindsight to know where you have been;
The foresight to know where you are going;
And the insight to know when you have gone too far.
