Everyone knows how beavers build dams, but… have you ever wondered why?
The answer may be surprising: the dam is only the final part of a complex process whose ultimate goal is to create the safest possible shelter.
In fact, a beaver first digs a burrow near the water with various chambers where, on the upper levels, it will live with its family, raise its young, and store food reserves—all of this construction work being done in dry soil. Only after finishing the construction of the house will the beaver build the dam so that water floods the lower levels of the shelter: this way, it and its family will be protected from aquatic predators, since they actually live on land, and will be protected from terrestrial predators, since the latter would have to submerge to enter the shelter.
Even if we disregard the construction of the den and the dam—which are in themselves engineering masterpieces—it is evident that, if a project of this kind were carried out by a human, we would not doubt for a moment that it is the product of an intelligent mind, certainly one far more intelligent than the one we attribute to a beaver. However, in the case at hand, we dismiss it by saying it’s a matter of “instinct.”

The Master Builders of the Animal Kingdom

Since we’re talking about a single animal, perhaps its achievement doesn’t seem so impressive… What then do you say about a termite mound, built by thousands upon thousands of individuals, which is more complex than any skyscraper constructed by humans and which has, for example, a ventilation and temperature-regulating system inside that would impress any engineer (and not just figuratively: termite mounds are actually studied to discover new and effective ideas applicable to building ventilation and heating systems.)
Not to mention the fact that we have not the slightest idea how termites know what to do during construction and how they communicate with each other to regulate airflows, given that this is a process of unparalleled complexity. All “instinct”?

We find examples of this kind at every turn, whether we look at the animal world or at ourselves: do you ever worry about blood circulation? About hair growth? About maintaining body temperature? About digesting food? About keeping microbes at bay?
No, obviously not: we know there are “somewhat” intelligent programs that we trust completely—we have no choice…—which handle these aspects without any need to bother our rational mind.

It doesn’t really make sense to ask whether these programs are the result of the intervention of a higher being—whom we usually call God—or the product of millions of years of evolution.
Everyone can choose the answer they prefer.
But one thing is certain: these intelligent programs exist, and, if we think about it, we are forced to admit that every being that exists on the planet—and perhaps in the universe…—is equipped from birth with all the necessary resources to find its purpose and fulfill its “mission.”

The Invisible Programs Running Your Life

Let me be clear: our DNA contains a vast number of programs that have enabled our survival, successfully facing all kinds of challenges and threats throughout history. We are completely unaware of many of these programs, and in contemporary society, many of them will never be used, but when needed—and perhaps to our surprise—some will be “activated” when the situation (the need for survival) demands it.

What is Tacit Knowledge?

This is what is known as “tacit knowledge” or hidden knowledge. It is a vast reservoir of knowledge, ready to come to our aid, and which forms the fundamental basis of any higher-level knowledge.

In fact, any new “technique,” in any field, can only be formed from lower-level or elementary programs, and it is extremely interesting that this elementary knowledge cannot be “taught,” but only “activated”: can you really explain to someone how to ride a bike?

You Can’t “Study” How to Ride a Bike

Does it make any sense to read books about riding a bike, to study its history, to watch videos? Will all of this teach us how to ride a bike? No, obviously not. And when, finally, we get on the bike, no one can “teach” us how to balance: simply, at some point, the body will feel an “aha” moment that tells it “this is it” and signals which of these programs stored in tacit knowledge need to be activated to achieve that goal.
Unfortunately, much of the knowledge that makes up tacit knowledge is blocked by education, by fear, and by limiting beliefs.
Sometimes I even get the impression that formal education is specifically designed to hide our innate potential, rather than to harness it.

Learned Disability: How Education Blocks Our Genius

Don’t believe me? Throw a baby a few months old into the water, and he’ll know perfectly well how to float, keep his mouth closed underwater, and lift his head to breathe. Who taught him?
And how do we explain the fact that the same child, a few years later, might be afraid of water and “doesn’t know how to swim”? (By the way, here’s a perfect example of a learned disability, which I’ve discussed on other occasions).

And what about a child learning to walk? Is he frustrated because he falls? Does he give up? Does he get depressed? Does he quit? No: he falls, gets up, falls again, and gets up again, until he succeeds. In other words, he has all the psychological resources of a winner, capable of tackling an extremely complex task with success and enthusiasm.
Why does that same child become a depressed and frustrated adult who gives up in the face of difficulties?

And what about the social sensitivity of a six-year-old child, who knows perfectly well how to manipulate their parents, who is the best salesperson in the world… and who—once an adult—becomes a fool who can’t handle even the most basic situations?

Reclaiming Your Innate Resources

I could go on forever, of course. But my inevitable question is: how many other processes exist within us just waiting to be activated? How many of these fantastic programs are blocked by fear, lack of confidence, or poor upbringing? How do we access this immense reservoir of knowledge that we don’t even realize we have at our disposal? Do we truly already possess within us all the resources and all the knowledge we need—as biological evidence suggests, as Socrates and Plato argued, and as the latest findings from some coaches affirm?

Clearly, the answer goes far beyond the scope of a single article, but I trust I’ve piqued your curiosity and given you food for thought. So I look forward to seeing you on October 9 at the Marriott for a workshop on “Tacit knowledge: how to access it and use it.”
Perhaps together we can embark on a journey into what I am convinced is the true realm of unlimited possibilities.

by Bruno