The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

"We'll get the boat out, and paddle upstream. The moon will be up in an hour or so, and then we will search as well as we can - anyhow, it will be better than going to bed and doing nothing."

(The Mole to the Rat – The Wind In The Willows, Ch 7: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Kenneth Grahame)

The Book

The book consists of sections that can be read in any order:

• A definition of explorativity

• A short fable or extended metaphor of three cats, about just three levels of explorativity

• A more analytical description of the nature and scope of explorativity

• A light-hearted questionnaire aimed at gauging one’s current level of explorativity and illustrating the approach with examples

Some examples from the questionnaire follow:

Explorativity Questionnaire

For each of the questions, select an answer on the scale of A to D, where A indicates the least and D the most. The questions are not arranged in any kind of priority, and can be answered in any order.

1 Have you ever set off on a journey with no specific destination in mind?
A Never
B Very rarely
C Sometimes
D Frequently

2 Have you ever been encouraged to do something you were embarrassed about, but then been glad you did it?
A Never
B Once or twice
C Yes, a few times
D Often

3 When hosting a social occasion, such as a BBQ or a party where you are preparing the food, how likely are you to try out a recipe you have never used before?
A Definitely not
B Probably not, unless it is pretty simple
C I might well give it a try
D Yes, I probably will use something new

4 Do you enjoy being in a noisy, talkative group of people?
A Not at all
B I don’t mind it, but don’t seek it
C It is quite fun
D I really love it

5 Do you like to travel outside your home district?
A No
B I don’t mind, but only if I need to
C Yes, I like to occasionally
D Yes, I like to get away a lot

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

How to be explorative

How to be explorative

Some people just do it naturally. Some never will. Others can learn to be explorative. One can try using a “Personal Explorativity Kit”. This is simply a checklist of procedures and approaches to carry with you. The first part is a list of Contexts of Explorativity. Think about these places in which you can consider being explorative:

o Your own head, heart, soul
o Your working life
o Your leisure and recreational life
o Your relationships
o Your physical environments
o The Internet

Next, check if you might benefit from carrying out any of the following Explorative Actions:

o Go somewhere
o Ask a question
o Research something
o Make a telephone call or send a message
o Learn something
o Practise something
o Change something
o Make, compose, perform, prepare or build something
o Take a chance

Finally, make sure you do not do nothing.

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

Let something happen

email the community to share explorative experiences!

A vital element of explorativity is the creation of circumstances that make it more likely for certain things to occur:

connections, developments, coincidences, relationships, communications, solutions, new ideas, inspirations, stimulations...

So it is important to carry out some explorative actions in order to allow these to happen, as illustrated by some examples in the book.

It would be interesting to hear from others of instances in which they have done something explorative and been rewarded by some positive outcome. Sometimes these outcomes are fascinating or simply diverting, and at other times they can be of major significance.

Please let us know about:

An explorative act

A positive consequence

Send an account of your explorative experience to:

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

As a footnote, one might add that sometimes there seems to be little option other than “just doing something” – but usually even doing something that does not have a predictable impact or even relevance is better than doing nothing. This was a point made by Dr Rieux, the narrator/main character in “La Peste” by Albert Camus.

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

“Sa seule tâche, en vérité, était de donner des occasions à ce hasard qui trop souvent ne se dérange pas que provoqué. Et il fallait que le hasard se dérangeât.”

(“His only task, in truth, was to give opportunities to that element of luck that too often stirs itself only if provoked. And luck needed to stir itself.”)

Camus, Albert, 1947. La Peste. Editions Gallimard, Collection Folio. France

Or, more eloquently:

“Indeed, the only way in which he might help was to provide opportunities for the beneficence of chance, which too often stays dormant unless roused to action. Luck was an ally he could not dispense with.”

Gilbert, Stuart (translation of La Peste), 1948. The Plague. Hamish Hamilton, Penguin. UK


The narrator/protagonist continues to administer treatment even though there is little evidence of its efficacy. Thus, he allows chance to play its part. In some cases, this occurs; in others, the patient has no luck. The important point is that Dr Rieux does something…

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

Do something

Some quotations:

“Logic will not change an emotion, but action will.”
Unknown source

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

What is it exactly - how do you define it?

For those who have not read the book, a few indications of the essence of explorativity will be helpful.

What is “Explorativity”?

Hundreds of conversations with friends and colleagues over the years have made it clear that it is far too easy for people to suffer from stresses and feelings of helplessness caused by two quite opposite processes: rapid or uncontrolled innovation, and a sense of frustration with a lack of change in life.

“Explorativity” is a means of overcoming feelings of stress and helplessness and of opening the way to a more rewarding existence (for oneself and those around us), by the development of attitudes, approaches and simple practices that can exploit the potential that each of us has in our own way - so that we do not become either the mere victims of external forces or the prisoners of our own inertia.

“Explorative” refers to attitudes and practices that bring new information, inspiration, opportunities, experiences, connections and developments that are likely to enhance situations, states of mind, relationships, environments or lifestyles.

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk

More about explorativity

What does an explorative person look like?

Explorative people (let’s call them EPs for short) will have some of these qualities:

1 EPs are alert to opportunities and ready for different situations. Rather than rejecting innovation in favour of the comforts of the familiar, an EP stays on the lookout for ways of embracing innovations. EPs are interested in what is going on around them, in the close and distant environments.

2 EPs are good at making links, and they like to communicate. They are not so arrogant (or frightened?) as to think that they can or need to do it all themselves. All those other minds, all that other knowledge, all those other stimuli... EPs are ready to ask for directions, to check if they are on the right train, and to find out about other routes. EPs read, research and listen, and are keen to join in with dialogues in person, by letter, and by email or internet.

3 EPs know that it is better to do something, even if the direct usefulness of a particular action is unknown, than to remain static. Their attitude is often: “Do something - anything!” Instead of feeling paralysed, they make something happen.

In my book, the list continues, with further illustrations, such as:

11 EPs believe in serendipity – but they don’t ever rely on it. They know that it is out there, but do not consider that it has any obligation to come their way. They have a knack of creating their own luck – they give things the chance to happen. They may never make a great scientific discovery, like that of penicillin or x-rays, but they are aware that many an invention has been achieved partly by chance.

12 EPs are prepared to rekindle dormant talents. They are willing to reach back into their youth and take up afresh something that they did not develop then....and so on.

explorativity@yahoo.co.uk