Reflection. The Power of Humanistic Thinking in the Age of Algorithms

Apology of human intelligence in the era of big data tyranny.

Exact sciences are a good way to explain many things on our planet, specifically material things. Chemistry, engineering, or physics are incredibly effective. But they do not explain ourselves. The famous physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson states: "In science, when human behavior is taken into account, things become nonlinear. That’s why physics is simple, and sociology is complex".

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much precise data we have, how many brain scans we've studied on screens, or how many different ways we've segmented our markets. Without understanding human behavior, all our knowledge is powerless. When we lose connection with the human behind every political decision, every groundbreaking innovation, and every successful corporate project, we limit our ability to truly understand the world.

If we want to really understand the problems, we have to return to a process that seems old-fashioned and outdated in the modern world – in a world where all pain is drowned out by algorithmic prospects. All our organizations, all participants in civil discourse are in urgent need of this. It's about critical thinking. It has never seemed so revolutionary and so advanced.

Christian Madsbjerg in his book explains how many modern success stories happen not due to quantums and big data, but due to thinking, deep study of nuances, and connections between culture, language, and history.

In the book, he formulates five principles for modern leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to solve complex problems, and shows how successful people utilize the power of humanistic thinking.