Introducton
Hope you all had a fantastic holiday celebrating christmas and the beginning of 2021?
This very short post about a ‘black box’, is an interesting one, if I say so myself.
It was born out of a conversation with a young adult who I love dearly😎. How we got into the topic of the ‘black box’, I can’t remember. However, I am sure most people have experienced this in life and in the workplace. https://lifeofadocpreneur.com/about/
Words with alternate meanings
Just like numerous words/phrases, ‘black box’ has alternative meanings/connotations. Some words with alternative meanings include ‘BAD’ means good, ‘WOKE’ means take a stand and be active, ‘THROW SHADE’ means a subtle disrespect or ridicule of someone verbally or nonverbally, ‘BEAT’ means apply makeup/cosmetics, ‘NO CAP’ means no lie.
Definitions of black box
The flight recorder in an aircraft is called the ‘black box’. It records information about flights and is often used to provide evidence about air traffic accidents. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/black-box
Another definition of black box relates to automobiles (cars). Black boxes are installed in cars to record information on how well the car has been driven. The term for this is ‘Teletmatics’. Parameters recorded include careful cornering and good braking. Some insurance companies use this and it may lower premiums.
‘Black box’ as it relates to this post
The black box metaphor dates back to the early days of cybernetics and behaviourism, and typically refers to a system for which we can only observe the inputs and outputs, but not the internal workings. https://towardsdatascience.com/the-black-box-metaphor-in-machine-learning-4e57a3a1d2b0
This definition is easy to understand when we speak of electrical circuits. However, to have electricity, I am happy to flick a switch. The internal connections that make this happen does not interest me.
In life or in the workplace, I would like to know the workings on the ‘internal connections’ as it happens , especially if it is a situation that directly involves me. Finding out the ‘internal connections’ 5 years down the line is the definition of the ‘black box’ .
Incase you are wondering, ‘Internal connections’ means how, why, when, what and where🤔.
‘Black box’ in context
Hindsight is a good thing. The penny drops, most times, in our hindsight thoughts. The time frame in which Hindsight sets in varies. It can be immediate or happen in a few hours, days, months or years. We may know what the ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ (movers and shakers) of the situation but only realise the ‘internal workings’ in hindsight.
The realisation of the ‘internal workings’ can often be an ‘epiphany’. What action do we take, or not to take, about this ‘epiphany’? Some people define this a politics. As we all know politics is a very dangerous game.
Take home message: I don’t have any, do you?🤔
