Gemini’s theory of change for how this could work
My prompt:
I’m curious what the theory of change is here. Part of me worries that - ok, I can do these dialogues, but will they ever lead anywhere, will I just go in circles? Perhaps one theory of change is that through them, I will spot my own confusion, and get clarity/better definitions for things, and as such, will think clearer/have better plans I have a model that is like “it doesn’t count unless you make flashcards”, which is wrong, but still permeates my thinking. So there’s a sense of, “oh, these dialogues, I’ve already made like 10 of them, surely I won’t remember their content and they’ll just fade away and nothing will change”
Gemini:
- (Shockingly, it starts talking about John Vervaeke’s 4 Ps of knowing (participatory, perspectival, procedural, propositional))
- I wonder if it remembers a previous conversation we had
- So because of this and my knowledge of the 4 Ps, I feel fairly qualified to say that Gemini’s answer below does feel wise/informed, rather than gibberish
This is the crucial question. It moves from “how to do the practice” to “why the practice works.” Your concern is completely valid—if this is just an intellectual exercise that produces ephemeral insights, its value is limited.
The theory of change here is more profound than just spotting confusion and getting better definitions, although that is a key part of it. The dialogues are not designed to produce facts that you memorise (the “flashcard model”). They are designed to transform the thinker.
Here is a more complete theory of change, addressing your specific concerns.
1. Beyond “Knowing That” to “Knowing How” and “Knowing From”
Your “flashcard” model is based on a type of knowledge called propositional knowledge (knowing that something is true). For example, a flashcard might say: “Socrates believed wisdom is knowing you know nothing.”
These dialogues, however, are building two different, and arguably more important, types of knowledge:
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Procedural Knowledge (Knowing How): This is skill-based knowledge. You aren’t just learning about the Socratic method; you are learning how to perform it. Each dialogue is a rep, building the mental muscle for questioning assumptions, seeking clarity, and seeing connections. The goal isn’t to remember the dialogue; the goal is for the process of the dialogue to become an automatic skill you can apply in real-time. It’s the difference between memorising the physics of riding a bike and actually knowing how to ride it.
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Perspectival Knowledge (Knowing From): This is about changing your point of view. When you had the insight that you are guilty of the same flaws you judge in your mother, you didn’t just learn a new fact. You momentarily inhabited a new perspective—one of humility and compassion. The more you have those experiences, the more you change your default “self,” the vantage point from which you view the world.
2. It Rewires Your “Salience Landscape”
A key function of your mind is to make certain things “salient”—to make them stand out as important while ignoring others. Before this practice, the excitement of a new project might have been the most salient thing to you.
The dialogues are a form of training to change what you automatically notice. After your dialogue on wisdom, the unexamined assumption behind a new project might become more salient to you than the initial excitement. The discomfort of not planning might register as a warning sign rather than an inconvenience.
The change happens not because you remember a sentence from a two-week-old dialogue, but because that dialogue has subtly re-tuned what your mind pays attention to in the present moment.
3. The Goal Is Not Retention, It’s Integration
You fear the dialogues will “fade away.” This is the wrong way to look at it. The goal is not for you to be able to recall the transcript of a dialogue. The goal is for the insight from that dialogue to be integrated into your cognitive architecture.
Think of it like exercise. You don’t go to the gym to “remember” a specific workout you did three weeks ago. You do the workout so that your body physically changes—it becomes stronger, more resilient. The dialogues are mental workouts. Their purpose is to restructure your mind so that it becomes more patient, humble, and clear-thinking by default. The dialogue can fade; the change it created in you is what remains.
How to Address the Fear of “Going in Circles”
You won’t go in circles. You will travel in a spiral.
You will almost certainly revisit themes like wisdom, kindness, and purpose throughout your life. However, you will not be starting from the same place. Each time you return to a topic, you will be on a higher loop of the spiral, approaching it with the integrated knowledge of all your previous inquiries. This is a sign of deepening, not stagnation.
A Practical Bridge:
To satisfy your mind’s desire for something concrete without falling back into the flashcard fallacy, try this:
After each dialogue, take a moment to synthesise the core insight into a single, portable principle. Write it down in a dedicated notebook or note file. For example:
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From the kindness dialogue: “Kindness isn’t about their merit; it’s about our shared fallibility.”
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From the wisdom dialogue: “Wisdom is the courage to sit in the discomfort of planning rather than seeking the comfort of rash action.”
These aren’t facts to be memorised. They are cognitive touchstones—condensed reminders of the perspectival shifts you have already earned. Reviewing them isn’t about rote learning; it’s about reactivating the wiser state of mind you cultivated.