In 1973 E F Schumacher wrote: “All real human problems arise from the antinomy of order and freedom.” If true, what are the implications for parents and managements?

By intuition we discover and by logic we prove, therefore this antinomy is about finding balance between intuition and logic.

With two sides of the brain, three mindsets exist. One needs schedules and efficiency, another needs wild freedom, and a hybrid walks the line between the two. 

Those of us who walk the line struggle like Jekle and Hyde. Those who are controlled by one side see conflict when pushed into the other side, which creates a realm of thinking that is counterintuitive. 

Those in the middle have the ability to see both sides with a balanced approach; a mind that dissects human truth.

For parents, this is evidenced in finding balance between a child’s instinctive behavior and a parent’s protective nature. In managements, especially communication organizations, it’s about effectively determining a proposition’s potential success. While a creative might see a campaign as inexplicably beautiful, a client will want to see that a campaign will grow their business.

Real human problems exist when you try to force nature against its path, when you cannot see from another perspective. To manage this requires trust that a certain level of expectation will be met. Without trust you have a dictatorship. With a dictatorship you have no intuition, no discovery, and no innovation.

Balancing order and freedom is like a kaleidoscope. Although its beauty comes from the planned patterns of its shapes, if you try to understand that order, it’s inevitable that you’ll loose its magnificence.