In 1994, as a business analyst delving into the world's first collaborative software platform, Lotus Notes, I found myself pondering a peculiar question: what aspects of human relationships could be translated into code? It was a fascinating time, a frontier where the potential of digital connection seemed limitless.

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Our exploration led us to a pivotal conclusion: only interactions that could be measured, quantified, and reduced to binary data points were suitable for online migration. The nascent social technology, we surmised, should serve primarily as a filter – presenting content for simple acceptance or rejection. The underlying logic was to free up precious face-to-face time for the nuanced, creative interactions that truly defined human connection. We sought to augment human experience, not replace it.

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However, my path took an unexpected turn. I began working with young people who, ironically, experienced social connection primarily through rejection. These were individuals on the fringes, struggling to find their place in the social tapestry. I discovered the power of sports, particularly basketball, to provide a sense of belonging, connecting them to something larger than themselves – a team, a shared goal, a collective identity.

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The Unforeseen Divide

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Back in 1994, none of us could have foreseen the ubiquitous internet and mobile technology of today. We didn't anticipate a world where connection is so often reduced to instantaneous yes/no decisions, a constant stream of superficial judgments. Nor did we imagine the degree to which nuanced, face-to-face connections would fade, replaced by the cold glow of screens and the fleeting validation of likes and shares. The original intention – to enhance human connection – seemed to have gone awry.

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This dissonance led me on a quest for understanding, eventually leading me to the profound work of Dr. Iain McGilchrist. To quote Iain: “Our talent for division, for seeing the parts, is of staggering importance – second only to our capacity to transcend it, in order to see the whole". I recognised that social technology, in its relentless focus on the parts, on individual data points and isolated interactions, had inadvertently amplified this tendency, making us forget the holistic perspective.

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Personally, I have always struggled with division, with seeing the parts. I always start with the whole. In a world that increasingly values specialisation and analysis, this holistic perspective often made me feel…pointless. As if my natural inclination was somehow a liability in a world built on breaking things down.

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Finding My Place

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Iain McGilchrist's work provided a much-needed validation, a framework for understanding the intrinsic value of seeing the whole. As my confidence grew, I began to explore the concept of 'Gestalt' – the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This exploration proved to be transformative. I found a way to articulate my value, to explain why my perspective was not a liability but a crucial asset in a world that desperately needs to re-learn the art of seeing the whole.

 

The journey from Lotus Notes to Gestalt has been a winding one, filled with unexpected turns and profound insights. But it has ultimately led me to a place of clarity and purpose. In a world obsessed with division, I am embracing the challenge of championing the whole, of reminding us all that true understanding lies not in the fragments, but in the connections between them. The true human connection is felt as a whole, never as a number.

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