A long, long time ago two shoe-salesmen went to Africa. (Yes, yes, I’m sure you’ve heard this one before. And often. But have you heard it with a cognition spin? Thought not.) (And they were men. Hence, not “salespeople.”)

As I was saying, a long, long time ago two shoe-salesmen went to Africa. Soon the one wrote to his boss, “Coming home. People don’t wear shoes.” The other telegraphed his office. “Urgent. Send shoes. Huge untapped market.”

Both were looking at the same market, but seeing it differently. (Their mental process of acquiring information and making sense of it differed greatly. Or, if you will allow me, their cognitions were contrary.)

Peter Drucker once wrote that selling refrigerators to Eskimos to keep food cold is one thing. But selling fridges to Eskimos to keep food from freezing is creative.

Unless you understand the relationship between people, objects and their environment, you will believe that Eskimos don’t need fridges. (Even though Eskimos could use something which will prevent food from freezing while keeping it fresh.)

And you will believe that people who don’t wear shoes don’t need shoes.

Do you think that seeing is believing? Don’t. Scientific evidence shows that if you believe something, chances are you will see it. (Seen any UFOs lately?)

No doubt, seeing differently creates insight. But you won’t see differently unless you first open your mind to different ways of believing.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.