Only the session was not so much grueling as it was refreshing. And it was arguably a rather cool summer morning, as it usually is. Nonetheless, Summer@INSEAD remains a place of miracles; only here can you experience the phenomenon of teenagers waking up at 7:00, in August, during their summer holidays.
Your current state of bewildered awe is understandable, and most likely relatable.
A handful of cold showers later, paired with the onomatopoeic clatter and clang of breakfast, and 70 fresh faced students (this is an overstatement) sat in Amphi B awaiting eagerly the arrival of Miguel Lobo (this is an understatement).
In his return to Summer@INSEAD, Miguel reshaped our view of decisions in his course Decision Making: The Hidden Traps. Although they may appear as one dimensional, black and white choices that we must make every day of our lives, there is a multitude of aspects to be considered when approaching a decision. We must analyze the language of the decisions we are asked to take in order to protect ourselves from any bias’s subconsciously felt when considering the best course of action. How do we do this? Miguel Lobo never ceased to remind us; ask questions. Questions allow us to deepen our understanding of what faces us throughout decision making, and allows us to pass from a state of unconscious incompetence to one of conscious competence (that was a mouthful!)
An important conclusion that can be drawn, on which both Professor’s Lobo and Sinaceur were adamant is the following: questions will always pave the way to a better understanding. We must never shy away from because they are “stupid” or because we think we “know” something. An important quote comes to mind:
” To know that we know what we know and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge”.
August 4th finished with an intense face off between the rugby and football factions of Summer@INSEAD. Inevitably, rugby players were forced to play football, due to the wildly ephemeral nature of football players. From afar, it probably resembled rugby; the footballers lay rolling around on the ground clutching their uninjured limbs, while the rugby players kept abreast of their ignorance of footballing law, by blissfully breaking every rule in the book.
A hearty dinner later, the campers enjoyed their small festivities before returning to their natural habitats; their beds.
Special thanks to Miguel Lobo!
Will Galunic
Student at Summer@INSEAD