Tried and Tested

The world is full of formulas. And no i am not talking only about science or maths here.

If we observe closely around us, as humans we seek formulas of success. That which has been once or more than once successful tends to be accepted of considered positively in the society.

No i am not generalizing this neither am i saying formulating the world is a wrong thing.

Sometimes formalization helps, like formalizing the way I operate a machine helps. Because I dont have to learn how to operate the machine in a new way everytime.

Most of the times we see people finding a successful way to operate or perform an action that leads to their goals. While other times when they dont want to put an effort to learn it, they then to pick up ways methods, processes from others who have done the same successfully.

So let me give you examples of what i am saying. For example if you see a person go to a doctor for a particular type of disease and then get cured by it. Then you firstly register that the doctor is a success in the disease that he just cured.Imagine you get the same disease in some days. Now the formula that we pick up is without searching for more doctors in that domain, we pick up the "tried and tested" way of going to the doctor.Our belief sets are naturally inclined towards this new doctor since the last cure has registered success.

However what also matters is the relationship with the person who got cured.

There are thousands of other ways in which people pick up existing prefixed formulas to avoid wastage of time, money and above all thinking.

What we actually pick up most of the times is the methods or the processes that others have successfully applied. See for that instance corporates and the industry.

Most industry practices are based on "best practices", i.e. an attempt to minimize risk of failure, and hence maximize chances of success.

Formulas or successful patterns are the way in which many people have been making their cars,products, software or even relationships.

Lets look at it deeper. Where do these formulas come from? where do these "tried" and "tested" methods come from? The answer lies in the question itself.

The person who tries it for the first time, is the person who actually breaks the chain. Even he as an individual had a choice when he had to take the decision to use an existing successful formula of that time and space. However either due to his Exploratory nature or due to his situations he opts to break away from the redundant cycle of existing and chooses to act in a non existing manner. However when does he or his method become accepted as a formula? or a pattern that people would use?

It is only when the pattern that he uses becomes successful in the context of his usage.His own success may lye in a shorter goal however the greater goal is created when his formula succeeds. It is this explorer or inventor who takes a risk of failure which others choose to be stay away from to assure success in their limited lifetime. Yes one could argue that each one of us gets a limited life and why then should one spend his life exploring when so many successful ways or methods already exist. But if you look deeper. By just living your life, you are living in this one lifetime. But by exploring or trying out different things. You are living many lifetimes. And i believe that its not just about writing research papers or publishing books that will put your explored formulas among other humans. But there are numerous natural ways in which these methods processes or formulas are passed over. Be it you to your child or to your friends. Yes following a few formulas is necessary for a lifetime. But at the same time trying out when you have the risk taking capability either emotionally, financially, temporally or socially, one should make the best of it. At max you may not succeed but that itself is success becoz one knows that a certain formula you tried does not work.

So in short I just want to say... as human beings, to help our race grow, progress or evolve we need to break from the "tried and tested" at times ( not always becoz then life will be confusing) and try to explore new ways, methods, processes or formulas to succeed.