The Path Of Least Resistance

Attendance: Chris, Justin, Mike, Vora, Ram

At first glance, The Path of Least Resistance looks like a sweet, innocent and easy read. It comes in paperback form and has a small physical imprint. However, it does not take long after beginning to read the book before one realizes that it is actually dense, thought provoking and controversial. It also made for one of the more difficult discussions we have had so far.

Robert Fritz starts his book by explaining how everything tends to follow the path of least resistance. This is true of water in a stream, or walking through a house. Things follow the structures that are setup for them. Upon establishing this basic concept, the rest of the book is a thorough examination of two different structures.

The first structure examined is the one that is commonly used by most people. It is what Fritz calls the reactive-responsive orientation and it is the lens that most people view life through. The reactive-responsive orientation is focused on circumstantial problem resolution. Something broke? Fix it. Have a fight? Win it. Overweight? Go on a diet. People starving? Feed them. He says these structures are not actually resolvable because only the symptoms are being addressed. Diets don’t work because the people on them still like food. Feeding the poor is only good for a day because it leaves them with no way for them to feed themselves going forward. The internal conflict still remains. Efforts in this orientation are ultimately futile, but this is nevertheless how people try to operate.

The second structure examined is the one that Fritz hopes you will begin using. It is called the creative orientation. It is driven by the desire to make something exist, or to create things just because a person wants them to be. Painters, writers, and composers all use this orientation when making things come into being. The revelation here is that this structure can be applied into any area where things are not already in the state you would hope for them to be in.

Create a vision, decide that you want it to be, formally make a commitment to it, and then make it happen. That is the essence of the creative orientation. Don’t like being overweight? Focus on the desired result. What do you really want? Do you want to be on a diet? Not really, that is the process. OK, what is it you really want then? “I want to be healthy.” How healthy? Decide that too. Now you have done the essential thing for bringing something into being. This is focusing on the desired result, rather than focusing on the process. You now have a chance at being successful.

While I have attempted to break down the basic concept of the book into a few short sentences, the book is very dense, and I ended up with 3 full pages of mind map by the end. Usually, I can easily fit a good book into one and half pages. The density of this book made for a difficult read and discussion for the group.

Some of the problems we ran into were:

- A general confusion on some of the basic concepts of the book. Ironically, the thorough detail in the book made it hard for some to digest even the simpler parts.

- A bit of controversy. Can you really switch to the creative orientation for everything? Don’t you still need to address the problems that exist? Does this really make sense through the lens of business?

- What about unexpected circumstances? Is the creative orientation helpful here?

- A general lack of time. There were too many details and opinions in this book to cover them all in two hours. I was unable to achieve the right level of balance between concept and detail to emerge from the discussion with a proper conclusion.

My hope is that upon further reflection, the members will be able to swallow the concepts and use them in making decisions. I know I plan to.

——————Questions used for discussion——————————————————-

1) What is the central idea or premise of The Path Of Least Resistance? What are some of the problems or issues raised?

2) Describe the reactive-response orientation. What are it’s basic characteristics? Do you tend to operate out of this orientation?

3) What are the basic steps of the creative process? How does this process differ from the traditional model of problem solving? Do you really think the creative orientation is that much different from the reactive-responsive orientation?

4) Tension seeks Resolution. How does tension become a serious problem in a structural conflict? Can you solve a structural conflict? What other ways do you deal with structural conflict? Can you give an example of being stuck within a structural conflict from your own life?

5) Structural tension involves having a tension resolution where the tendency is to resolve completely. How is this different from a structural conflict? Can tension actually be useful in the creative process?

6) Fritz says the best place to start the creative process is at the end. Why is it so important to focus on a vision? When you start a project, do you spend enough time focusing on the vision? How does this process work for you? Is there anything that gets in the way of this type of thinking?

7) How does Choice come into play in the creative process? What are some typical ways people in the reactive responsive orientation make choices? How is Robert Fritz suggesting people operating the creative orientation make choices?

8) Fritz suggests there are three different types of choices made in the creative orientation, Primary, secondary and fundamental choice. What is the basic idea behind these decisions? Do you think that this model will help you make better decisions?

9) What do you think it means to become “the predominate creative force in your own life?” Can you see where you might be able to adjust your life or thought process to accomplish this?

10) Assimilation is the second step of the creative process, where you begin assemble your ideas into tangible assets. What makes this stage different from germination? How can you give this stage the best chance of success?

11) What mistakes do people commonly make when assessing reality? How can reality assessment become a distraction in the creative process? Can you be successful without keeping your current situation in mind?

12) Why is completion a hard stage in the creative process for many people? Do you sometimes have a hard time accepting something as completed?

13) What have you learned in this book that you can apply by next Tuesday?