Are you familiar with the song from the 1960’s musical Oliver! entitled “I am reviewing the Situation? The lyrics go like this:
“I’m reviewing the situation
Can a fellow be a villain all his life?
All the trials and tribulations!
Better settle down and get myself a wife.”
In other words, because he reviewed the situation, meaning he assessed it, he realized his best choice was to find a wife.
This song started going off in my head as I was re-reading the excellent book by Malcolm Gladwell: David and Goliath. In it he does research, meaning he assesses why David, a mere boy, was able to slay Goliath. He asks why the Bible says that Goliath told David to come to him. When Goliath finally sees David, he asks, “Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?” when David only had one stick. Gladwell speculates that Goliath might have been suffering from acromegaly, a disease caused by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. “The tumor causes an overproduction of human growth hormone, which would explain Goliath’s extraordinary size.” [p. 14] This condition leads to double vision, and could explain why he saw more than one stick. He needed a guide to bring him closer to David because the world was blurry to him. Gladwell concludes that for all these years, we may have gotten the story wrong.
There is power in being able to pause and assess a situation. In LGI we suggest that people “ACT” a situation, meaning they first carefully Assess it before considering their Choices which then helps them consider how they can Take action. Without a careful and thorough Assessment, their Choices may be limited or even inappropriate. Then when they Take action, they may not succeed in their goal because they did not take the time to Assess.
There is power in using this process that can lead to greater success in whatever you are trying to accomplish. Suppose you want your child to stop having a tantrum. Instead of yelling at them or punishing them, you might do better to first Assess the situation. Is your child hungry, sad about something, frustrated, emotionally hurt? If so, if you gently say something like, “I wonder if you are very hungry now?” or “are you feeling left out?” or something that reflects the child’s possible feelings, you then might be clearer about your Choices, such as offering some food or asking the child if they want to sit on your lap and get a hug. Based on the child’s response (which could include continuing to tantrum) you then Take action. Overall, when doing this, you are probably calmer and more in charge. And your child has received messages that say you are sympathetic to their feelings and are available to help.
Being a good assessor goes hand in hand with the important concept of being a wise critic and careful consumer. It is a power available to all of us. We only have to reach out and grab it, as Gladwell did when assessing what probably was going on with Goliath.
Invitation for Reflection
- How did you respond to what Gladwell speculated could have been the reasons behind Goliath’s behaviors? Do you wonder, as I do, how many theologians ever considered Gladwell’s hypothesis?
- Consider recent confusing or challenging situations in your life. Did you take the time to make a thorough assessment? If not, how might the outcome have been different if you did, followed by considering your Choices and options for Taking Action?
Diane Wagenhals
Director Emeritus, Lakeside Global Institute