

The one thing worth living for is to keep one's soul pure. ~ Marcus Aurelius

Dissected Frog Trap

When dissecting a frog (problem/issue) you no longer deal with the frog (i.e. you lose the context and dynamics of the problem or issue).The dissected frog trap comes into effect when we - due to stress, anxiety, panic, frustration, confusion, uncertainty or helplessness - are over analyzing events, situations and circumstances to such an extent (i.e. in a pedantic and extremely detailed manner) that we lose sight of and no longer are able to see the “bigger picture” (i.e. unable to see the wood through the trees). This frequently result in evoking the incident-isolation trap and we lose our grasp on and understanding of the dynamic context related to this particular issue or problem experienced.

Granted, analyzing and “dissecting” a troublesome event - a turbulent spot, daunting questions and uncomfortable experiences in our lives - implies that we have orientate ourselves and identify possible future strategies and direction. Thus, “know they enemy”… because we have to determine what we are up against and/or what we are dealing with. However, we should never analyze matters to such an extent that we fixate our focus on pedantic details, because it derails us, cloud our judgment and perspective to such an extent that we lose sight of the context, dynamics, mechanics and interactions of the overall situation.

For example…

When we take a frog, cut it open to discover what is there (i.e. the health of the frog's different components), such as which organs is healthy, sick, in working order and how the different components fits together. This dissecting analysis provide us with plenty of useful information and enable us to identify possible “trouble spots”. However, we learn very little about the frog's interactions and how it functions in its natural habitat or environment. By dissecting the frog we discover the components of the frog, but do not learn how these components function in a symbiotic synchronicity to ensure the “true” existence or beingness of the frog. To really understand - for example - the survival techniques of a frog in “real life” situations, we need to expand the extent of our investigation to also include the dynamic system or systems in which the frog operates and functions.

Understanding the “different components” of a frog by dissecting it, don't really prove anything about the beingness of the frog… because the whole is much more than the sum of its separate parts. One specific element can only be fully understood, when seen in the context of the whole (i.e. “frog dynamics”) and its symbiotic interdependency with the environment.

Differently stated: A map IS NOT the territory, it only represents - when accurate - a similar structure to that of the territory, which accounts for its eventual usefulness. Whenever we indicate that something is within the context of a map… it still isn't the reality. Therefore, we ought to be extremely cautious not to mistake the map for the real territory, we should rather regard the map as a “more accurate”, probable and valid representation of that territory.

Facts can provide some answers, alternatives and focus, BUT “facts in function” provide us with sound and balanced troubleshooting strategies and a way to efficiently identify possible solutions to the problem as presently experienced.


All living organisms on this beautiful planet of ours is always symbiotic & synchronized components in action… including us as human beings!

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