The mind and the database. Could be you are one of the many that saw the title and thought “Josuël everybody knows that the mind is our database!”. But my maverick mind is all about helping others create new nodes, connections and realisations. So join me on this journey in which we take a moment to expand our mental databases.
A database is used when there are to many datasets or variables for us to give a quick answer. A database can take various forms it could be in MS Access but it could also be a customer management system. They are designed to give an answer at the push of button. Many have no realisation of what precedes the quick answer the button press gave. So you can also read this article as a simplified ‘how to build a database’ guide.
Nobody creates a database for something that they can easily use a calculator for or find with a simple search. No, a database is used when it is all to complex. When there are to many variables. When the human calculation is ineffective. When the data can change at any moment. A database is created one query at a time. In layman’s terms you create a ‘question’ which the database has to answer. This could be a calculation or a search based on specific parameters. In this manner building a database is much like having a coaching conversation. Asking the right questions gets you the right answers. But not all answers are obtained from just one question. In some cases, well actually most cases a myriad of questions are needed to get to the real answers.
Queries obtain answers by searching in specific data sets. Which is why you start building by first determining what data you want, what data you have and what data you need. You set a strong foundation which later can be built on by layering new datasets on it. You then create queries which search the dataset or data sets you have built. A query is able to gather answers from multiple sources in one go. The database which is our mind has been built in a similar manner it started during our upbringing and is a process we continue everyday. Sometimes we add data via academical means, other times we add data by having various experiences. And then someone might ask us a question to which the answer lies within different experiences and/or knowledge sets.
Within a database you are able to connect a query to one or multiple other queries. So basically going from question to question. Sometimes the answer to one of your question is another question. Sometimes it’s a simple question and other moments the question might be even more complex than the question which was originally asked. Which requires another round of questions and simplification. Our mind works the same way. Sometimes the data which we need is on the surface level other times it is deep within our subconscious. Which is why we ask a question in response to a question. We do this in order to gain a better understanding of the intention someone has or the specific knowledge someone is seeking. Coaches use this method to help clients access the answers within themselves. In some cases the answers are buried under the various datasets we posses and we need an extra nudge to access them.
Building a database is a great example of delayed gratification. You build, build, build and at the end of the process you are able to receive the information you require at the push of button. You created a sustainable solution which gives you the information you require even when the input data changes. The mind works the same way. You have spent years and years gathering information. Year and years connecting the information. Years and years asking various questions in order to understand the information. Which now enables you to use, implement and share all that information at the push of a mental button.
