Passionate Inquiry Unveils and Transforms Cognitive Bias and Skilled Incompetence
In the intricate web of our minds, where biases play the role of unseen puppeteers, another pernicious force is also shaping our actions: the theory of “skilled incompetence,” as illuminated by Chris Argyris. When woven into the fabric of cognitive and confirmation bias and the Enneagram’s wisdom, this concept offers a profound reflection on how we navigate—or, more often, stumble through—our spiritual journeys.
The Mastery of Misalignment
Argyris’ theory describes a phenomenon where individuals, often unconsciously, become highly skilled at self-deception. In the workplace, this might manifest as highly competent professionals who, despite their expertise, consistently avoid uncomfortable truths or challenging situations. They become masters at maintaining the status quo, even when it contradicts their organization’s goals or growth.
It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble, it’s what we know that ain’t so.
Will Rogers
This skilled incompetence isn’t just a corporate issue; it’s a mirror reflecting the broader human condition. Our minds, driven by cognitive biases, craft narratives that protect our egos and preserve our comfort zones. These biases, particularly confirmation bias, ensure that we selectively perceive and interpret information in ways that reinforce our preexisting beliefs and behaviors.
An example of skilled incompetence, both on the spiritual path and in other areas, is the tendency to profess transparency as an ideal while being unable to be forthright when one’s ego is at risk. This form of self-deception illustrates how we can become adept at upholding specific values in theory yet struggle to embody them when they challenge our self-image or expose our vulnerabilities. This disconnect between belief and behavior manifests how skilled incompetence can undermine our spiritual growth and integrity.
Nine Paths of Skilled Incompetence
With its nine distinct personality types, the Enneagram provides a map for understanding how skilled incompetence manifests in different individuals. Each Enneagram type has its own set of unconscious patterns and biases that shape how they interact with the world.
For example, a Type One, driven by a need for perfection, might unconsciously avoid situations where their flaws could be exposed. They become skilled at justifying their actions through moral superiority, even when this rigidity stifles their growth and alienates others. Meanwhile, a Type Nine might avoid conflict at all costs, becoming so adept at maintaining peace that they lose touch with their desires and needs, drifting into a state of inertia.
Unraveling the Knots of Incompetence
Spiritual work, like the Diamond Approach, can unravel these knots of skilled incompetence as we work toward embodying our true nature. It requires a willingness to confront the uncomfortable truths our biases and defense mechanisms work so hard to obscure. This process isn’t about intellectual understanding alone but a deep, experiential recognition of how we’ve been fooling ourselves.
The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail.
Sri Ramakrishna
Through self-inquiry and meditation, we can see the layers of bias and incompetence for what they are: protective mechanisms that, while once necessary, now hinder our spiritual evolution. The Enneagram serves as a guide in this process, helping us to identify the specific ways our type contributes to these patterns. But beyond mere identification, the work requires a relentless commitment to truth—a willingness to let go of the comfort of our biases and step into the unknown.
Integrating Argyris’ Theory into Spiritual Practice
Argyris’ insights into skilled incompetence challenge us to look beyond surface-level self-awareness. It’s not enough to recognize our biases; we must also see how we’ve become adept at avoiding the work that would free us from them. This avoidance often masquerades as rational behavior—after all, who wants to confront their incompetence? But it’s only by doing so that we can begin to dismantle the structures that keep us stuck.
This might mean acknowledging how spiritual practices can become forms of avoidance in spiritual work. Meditation, for example, can be a way to escape uncomfortable emotions rather than honestly face them. When used superficially, the Enneagram can reinforce our identification with our type rather than help us transcend it.
The integration of cognitive and confirmation bias, the Enneagram, and Argyris’ theory of skilled incompetence provides a multi-faceted framework for understanding the complexity of the human psyche. It invites us to look deeper, question the stories we’ve built our lives upon, and embark on a path of genuine transformation that requires courage and humility.
Confronting Skilled Incompetence
As we delve into our biases and incompetencies, the challenge is clear: are we willing to confront how we’ve become skilled at avoiding actual growth? Can we use the Enneagram not just as a tool for self-understanding but as a catalyst for profound change? And are we prepared to dismantle the structures our biases have built, even when it means stepping into the unknown?
Some people see things that are and ask, ‘Why?’ Some people dream of things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’ Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that.
George Carlin
In this journey, we must remember that spiritual work is not about becoming more competent in self-deception but about becoming radically honest with ourselves. Only then can we unravel the biases and incompetencies that keep us from living authentically.
Objective perception means pure perception, free from all positions, bias, filters, conflicts, intentions, etc. It is perceiving whatever it is without any obscuration or intermediacy, so we see it just the way it is in itself.
A. H. Almaas, The Void: Inner Spaciousness and Ego Structure
Love of Truth as a Compass
At the heart of this work lies the Diamond Approach®’s “love of truth,” a passion for inquiry with no goal or agenda other than the truth itself. This love of truth is the antidote to the biases and skilled incompetence that often govern our lives. It calls us to question our beliefs and the frameworks we’ve constructed to protect ourselves from discomfort and vulnerability.
You can observe a lot by just watching.
Yogi Berra
When we orient ourselves toward truth, we move beyond the superficial layers of our personality and begin to dismantle the defenses that keep us stuck. This journey isn’t about achieving a specific outcome but embracing the inquiry process, allowing truth to guide us, however unsettling it may be. This unwavering commitment to truth ultimately frees us from the limitations of our biases and the false safety of our skilled incompetence, opening the door to genuine transformation.