Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing Paperback – October 11, 2016

This was our book group selection for Sunday January 17, 2016. We did enjoy the book and the discussion though a larger than normal number of us were absent for not reading the book or travel purposes. I found it amazing how focused many were on the 15 questions that are supposed to measure how tolerant you are of ambiguity. I found the questions too ambiguous to be valuable especially since they are self-graded questions. How ambiguous that makes it! When pressed I chose three as my rating for me for all of them giving me a score of 45. But even in the discussion ensuing I found everyone taking the questions in such ambiguous ways that what was most obvious was that all of the members of the group were really very comfortable with ambiguity. Considering they are also all members of the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship – perhaps the sect with the most ambiguous principles – that should not have been in doubt. So what is the take away of this interesting selection of stories about how individuals more tolerant of ambiguity end up doing better in certain situations? From events like Waco, finding Nazis, selling clothing, and dealing with cultural differences, the measures seem to indicate more power to those who are either genetically predisposed to deal with cognitive dissonance well instead of getting angry or antsy to those who perhaps can learn to have such an acceptance disposition by learning multiple languages (perhaps the most interesting chapter to me) we get the sense that acceptance of complexity is the more mature, more progressive, characteristic to have.

After the destruction of hurricane Hugo caused 24 counties in South Carolina to be declared disaster areas, there was a sharp increase in both marriages and divorces among couples affected by the storm. Apparently the disruption of the disaster caused many couples to reappraise their uncertain romantic relationships and seek comfort in a new certainty.This book explores the many important human effects of ambiguity. One thesis of the book is that after experiencing physiologically acute threats, humans crave decisiveness. “A subtle physical anxiety is in fact the engine motivating us to reestablish order after encountering disorder.” “We’re endlessly reducing ambiguity to certainty.” Another thesis is that embracing ambiguity can result in better, and often more creative outcomes. “Dwelling calmly among feelings of uncertainly…will help you make a more rational decision.”The book relies on many diverse examples to develop its thesis. Anecdotes include stories about: learning languages, advertising, perceiving reverse colored playing cards, inventing Mad Libs, humor, pattern recognition, commitment to existing beliefs, cognitive dissonance, meaningful lives, aftermaths of natural disasters, decision making, cults, hostage negotiations, intelligence briefings, finding Osama bin Laden, medical testing and diagnosis, midi skirts, inventory planning, CEO tolerance for ambiguity, designing motorcycles, learning, creative writing, science, digital currency, innovation, jigsaw puzzles, art, stereotypes, problem solving, bilingualism, culture, prejudice, and creativity.These many examples illustrate the general concepts the book explores, but are sometimes presented in a somewhat disjointed narrative structure. It is not always clear what point is being illustrated by each example.Author Jamie Holmes makes it clear our response to ambiguity has important consequences. Grasping prematurely for closure can solidify our resolve to purse wrong action and leads to prejudice. “The roots of prejudice can be traced to a general cognitive outlook characterized by the hunger for certainty.” Fear can preempt our search for alternative solutions or explanations and propel us toward false certainty and false choices. “Feeling threatened is often all it takes to raise our desire for certainty.” “Just as the great artists or scientist are inspired by contradictions, the prejudiced person seeks to eradicate them.” The good news is that dwelling in complexity, ambiguity, and nuance can increase creativity and improve problem solving. Quoting Eric Fromm, “The capacity to be puzzled is indeed the premise of all creation, be it in art, or in science.” We can learn profound lessons from failure.The book begins to present approaches we can use to increase our tolerance for ambiguity and harness ambiguity to increase our creativity, tolerance, and innovation. Examples include: “Thinking about prejudice as entrenched in a high need for closure might help us see the problem in a slightly different light.” “Culture is a…collective denial—of ambiguity.” “Eras of artistic creativity often follow periods of openness to outside influences.” “We can’t always resolve ambiguity by seeking out more information.” And “having a playful disrespect for norms…can be very valuable.”This is the only book I am aware of dedicated to exploring the topic of ambiguity. The book highlights a topic that deserves more exploration, attention, and understanding.This easy to read book makes a credible argument supported by 77 pages of endnotes as it introduces and explores an important topic.

I almost didn’t read this book after reading some of the more pessimistic reviews. I am so glad I went ahead to read it anyway. During a time of AI and moves toward authoritarianism, this book on ambiguity and uncertainty feels more important than ever. At times the author is a bit disconnected in his ideas, however I stayed with it, with the mindset that I was reading creative non fiction. And I was so glad that I did. The ideas in this book have asked me to rethink ambiguity and uncertainty and how our embrace of paradox might be a path to a more creative, more human, and kinder world.

I began Nonsense with great enthusiasm. For the first 25 pages or so, I was enthralled. But by page 100, it became clear that this book was primarily a collection of well-written anecdotes and paraphrases of published research. Together these made for snippets of interesting reading- and interesting tidbits to share at social functions. But they weren't powerful enough to overcome the overall lack of a meaningful point.Ultimately, Holmes offers some wise cautions against rushing headlong into decision. For instance:"When making a decision, make a habit of consciously considering your stress level at the time. Are you feeling rushed? Are you tired? Are you having personal problems? Formalize reminders of how different kinds of anxiety affect your decisions and the consequences of those judgments" (80).Certainly this is good advise, but it doesn't warrant an entire book. An article would suffice.

I loved Jamie Holmes writing style because I love Malcolm Gladwell's. Engaging, immersive anecdotes that reveal the major themes at deeper and deeper levels. Extremely well researched. Once I was done reading the book, I started reading it again from the beginning to let the themes sink in at a deeper level. This book has important implications for how we teach our children. Do our students always expect problems to have one clear answer? Based on most classrooms, the answer is "yes." How do we prepare our students for the ambiguity of the real world? I am discussing this book with my teaching colleagues for how to change our classrooms.

Amazing! Totally recommend.

Enjoyed the book, enjoyed the whole premise and it was very well-written.I'm hoping it will be a helpful reminder for me, during these rather unpredictable times, that not knowing what's coming is not necessarily a bad thing.

Good txn

Very interesting book, some very good observations on ambiguity and how we try to resolve it. Well written and engaging.

Very mind provoking, but a bit rambling at times. However the answer to one of the problems posed would only be correct in a US context as our plugs will not fit. Read the book and you will understand what I mean!