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Federation Blog

Untagged  30 Jan 2010
'Ignorance' as Advantage by erik

The idea that ignorance could be a strength sounds odd (unless you're an Orwell fan), but the acknowledgment that one has significant knowledge gaps, rather than a full or almost complete understanding of an incredibly complex system, can be empowering, particularly in an evolving discipline.  That case is well made by Dr. Eugene Turner in the article linked here, "The value of 'ignorance' in restoration."

The central thesis is that the assumption that "restoration" is bound to work is very likely a road to perpetuating failure.  If we aren't monitoring what works and what doesn't, and revising our strategy when things don't work, we're going to end up wasting a lot of time and money and missing great opportunities to improve outcomes.