Jamais Vu
Déjà vu is the experience of being in a new scenario, yet feeling familiar with it.
It is more than seeing a black cat twice or experiencing a glitch in the Matrix.
While the neurological underpinnings of déjà vu are somewhat contested, the experience is well established: seeing something unknown with familiar eyes.
Jamais vu is the experience of being in a well-known scenario, yet feeling unfamiliar with it.
In some ways, jamais vu can be quite unsettling or even alarming.
Your mind is built around interpreting with certainty the world around you, so the experience of a “known” occurring as unfamiliar could be uncomfortable.
As a leader, the notion of jamais vu challenges years of experience-based reinforcement and relying on expertise; it also explains why the learning environment is inevitably accompanied by some discomfort.
Jamais vu underlies your ability to engage with confidence and observe with a fresh perspective.
In particular, when you are in a position to make a decision or learn, consider: where might I see something known with novel curiosity?
Cortado, the spirit of February: short and punchy,
- Morning Cup