This narrative discusses the separate strengths and weaknesses of analytical and intuitive thinking, which combined may be called holistic thinking. Because mental is in its nature imperceptible and abstract, the narrative uses an analogy by way of representation: the anatomy of the cornea.
At the very center of the cornea are clustered cone cells, which have the function of focusing on objects far or near. Surrounding the cone cells are the more numerous rod cells, which supply peripheral vision. If the cone cells deteriorate, when one attempts to focus upon an object, it disappears; a black spot in the center. But if you lose peripheral vision, even if you maintain the potential to focus, it is like observing the world one speck at a time straight through the means of the focused beam of a flashlight. It is much easier to get around with only peripheral foresight than with only focused vision.
Holistic Center
This analogy can be convincing when seeking to persuade lawyers that prognosis is not the whole universe of thinking. Lawyers are taught to specialize in analytical thinking. They may do this to such an extent that they dismiss intuition as "touchy-feely." That term betrays unawareness of the fact that just as the cone cells are surrounded by more numerous rod cells, so the translucent power of analytical mental is only made inherent by the provision of context afforded by the intuitive. If you have no intuition of where to look, you cannot focus the concentrated beam of prognosis at the right target.
Analytical mental is historically quite recent, whereas intuitive mental has been mankind's chief ownership since the dawn of time. As far as Western civilization is concerned, the classical Greeks "invented" analytical thinking; the Romans built well straight roads with it, the Dark Ages lost it, and the Enlightenment rediscovered it. We can partly attribute the triumphs and perils of our modern civilization to the relative imbalance in the point afforded to analytical versus intuitive skills over the last four hundred years. The current dysfunction of the legal theory is also in part a consequence of this imbalance. The broad mission of mediation may be to restore the balance, because we are now in a time when the perils threaten to outweigh the triumphs. Overly analytical people are to a large extent "blind;" what our society needs is people who can "think" with a whole eye, which is called holistic mental - only those who are out of touch with feeling call this 'touchy-feely.'
Analytical mental is powerful. It is focused, sharp, linear, deals with one thing at a time, contains time, is deconstructive, contains no perspective, is subject to disorientation, is brain centered, and tends to the abstract. Analytical mental is efficient in the following conditions - enough time, relatively static conditions, a clear differentiation between the observer and the observed. It is best considerable for dealing with complexities, and works best where there are established criteria for the prognosis (for example, rules of law). It is necessary when an explanation is required, seeks the best option, and can be taught in the classroom to beginners.
Intuitive mental has contrasting qualities: it is unfocused, nonlinear, contains "no time," sees many things at once, views the big picture, contains perspective, is heart centered, oriented in space and time, and tends to the real or concrete. Intuition comes into its own where analytical mental is inadequate: under time pressure, where conditions are dynamic, where the differentiation between observer and observed is unclear. It works best where the observer has taste in the single situation, is difficult to teach in the classroom, eschews seeking the 'best' selection in favor of the 'workable,' and is prepared to act on feelings or hunches where explanations are whether not required or there is no time for them. Intuition is taste translated by expertise to yield rapid action.
Intuition is petite where the task is complicated and uncertain, where the observer lacks experience, or the observation is distorted by biases or fixed ideas. Its infirmity is a tendency to yield a fixed attitude or mindset that ignores new data; that is why the analytical mental of the Enlightenment was so revolutionary. Intuition is ineffective for predicting the stock market, or for discovering that the heart is a pump, or for dissecting a legal problem.
When analytical and intuitive abilities are combined, the consequent is 'holistic.' In order to consequent settlements and resolutions, it is necessary to move people out of a rights/obligations/win-lose mindset into a needs/interests/mutual gain mindset, which is what mediation is all about - this requires holistic mental abilities.
Analytical
Time
Static
Linear
One thing
Small picture
Focused
Deliberative
No perspective
Classroom taught
Objective
Best option
Needed when explanation required
Deconstructive
Object differentiation
Objective/subjective differentiation
Brain centered
Disoriented
Abstract
Historically new
Lawyers
Intuitive
No time
Dynamic
Non-linear
Many things
Big picture
Non-focused
Instantaneous
Perspective
Experience taught
Subjective
Workable option
Needed when action required
Constructive
Pattern matching
No clear objective/subjective
Heart centered
Oriented
Concrete
Historically old
Firefighters
Analytical / Intuitive thinking
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