3 ms·

This is the first time I read a macro application of the OODA loop, I somehow only saw it on the micro level. How do you observe and orient on a macro level wit

This is the first time I read a macro application of the OODA loop, I somehow only saw it on the micro level. How do you observe and orient on a macro level with respect to culture? Or to be precise, how would you observe and orient in a new country that you moved into on a cultural level? Also, what other ideas from Boyd did you find useful in your everyday life?

bkohlmann 9y ago
For me, to Observe, you have to be willing to be a blank slate. You have to suspend all "knowledge" and absorb as much as you can. You need to reserve passing judgment. When you have an inkling of understanding, you begin probing to validate your understanding. This is the start of the Orient phase. You may be wrong or right in your assessments - but you iterate from the small experiments. You hone in on what is actually true, which takes some iteration. As for other Boydian ideas...here are a few: Broadly applied synthesis: What made Boyd powerful was his deep intellectual curiosity. His broad understanding of history and thermodynamics made for a unique and insightful combination. He frequently quoted and made use of Heisenberg, Godel and other philosophers in his engineering work. E-M diagrams: As a fighter pilot, I used his "Energy-Maneuverability" diagram literally every day. It's the foundation of all dogfighting across the world. And it was created from the computer time he stole from Wright Patterson AFB...and was then courtmarshaled because of it. E-M is closely tied to the OODA Loop, although the latter is far more broadly applicable. Dont Forget Your Family: This was "anti-lesson" from Boyd. He immersed himself in his work. But it absolutely destroyed his family. He left them penniless because he refused to take any meaningful money from the government as a contractor in his post-military career. He was a Lion - but all men have their flaws.

bkohlmann 9y ago

For me, to Observe, you have to be willing to be a blank slate. You have to suspend all "knowledge" and absorb as much as you can. You need to reserve passing judgment. When you have an inkling of understanding, you begin probing to validate your understanding. This is the start of the Orient phase. You may be wrong or right in your assessments - but you iterate from the small experiments. You hone in on what is actually true, which takes some iteration. As for other Boydian ideas...here are a few: Broadly applied synthesis: What made Boyd powerful was his deep intellectual curiosity. His broad understanding of history and thermodynamics made for a unique and insightful combination. He frequently quoted and made use of Heisenberg, Godel and other philosophers in his engineering work. E-M diagrams: As a fighter pilot, I used his "Energy-Maneuverability" diagram literally every day. It's the foundation of all dogfighting across the world. And it was created from the computer time he stole from Wright Patterson AFB...and was then courtmarshaled because of it. E-M is closely tied to the OODA Loop, although the latter is far more broadly applicable. Dont Forget Your Family: This was "anti-lesson" from Boyd. He immersed himself in his work. But it absolutely destroyed his family. He left them penniless because he refused to take any meaningful money from the government as a contractor in his post-military career. He was a Lion - but all men have their flaws.