Circumambulating: Weird Way To Solve Problems

Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol. It is present in many religions, a translation of the spiritual concept of transition through various levels of life into bodily movements by the worshippers as they move inwardly to the most sacred center of spiritual energy. Typically it is done as part of ritual, meditation, or contemplative practice. The word comes from Latin circum, or around, and ambulare, or to walk.

Yet circumambulation is rich with symbolic meaning. Circles and cycles reflect much of life. The circular path shows the eternal cycles of life, nature, death, and the cosmos, like the flow of the seasons. It symbolizes wholeness and completeness, as the cycle has no beginning or end. Physically moving around a center mirrors a psychological journey toward understanding and peace. It highlights the concept of gradual, deliberate progression, in lieu of direct confrontation and linear achievement.

The act of walking around a focal point signifies a relationship between the outside world, the periphery, and the inner existence, the center. The repetitive nature reinforces a meditative state, emphasizing clarity, grounding, and connection. Beyond the spiritual context, circumambulation is a mental model for indirect, patient, and/or exploratory approaches to problem-solving or understanding complex systems. The benefits are concentrating on the process, not the immediate progress, preventing hasty and reductionist solutions to convoluted problems. It aligns action with intent, reducing wasted effort.

Real life applications of circumambulating:

• Problem-solving: faced with a complex issue, instead of tackling it head on, circumambulating the problem by considering it’s various dimensions and perspectives can result in a lasting solution—reducing impulsive and narrow mending;

• Personal: in self-improvement, circumambulating can take the form of revisiting challenges or aspirations from different angles over time, reflecting on your journey periodically to align with your purpose;

• Goal-setting: in lieu of aiming directly for a goal, concentrating on building complementary skills, relationships, and habits can result in a more holistic and sustainable path to success;

• Meditative practice: walking meditations, where the act of circumambulating acts as a calming and grounding practice, can reduce stress and enhance your focus, reconnecting you with the present moment;

• Innovation: when brainstorming, circumambulate an idea by exploring it from various perspectives, like customer needs, technical feasibility, and societal impact, encouraging out-of-the-box solutions;

• Relationships: to resolve conflicts, avoid direct confrontation, and instead approach issues gradually by addressing peripheral concerns, engaging in empathetic dialogue and shared activities for mutual understanding.

How you might employ circumambulating in specific contexts: (1, strategic thinking) when faced with a significant decision, avoid rushing to conclusions and circumambulate the problem by analyzing its facets—risks, benefits, trade-offs, and long-term and short-term implications; (2, learning) when aiming to deepen your expertise, circumambulate the same subject matter from different angles to build a multidimensional grasp of the concept; (3, conflict) when resolving disputes, don’t directly confront the adversary, and address the peripheral issues with empathy instead; (4, personal growth) when reflecting, circumambulate your life’s direction, values, and purpose by revisiting them and putting yourself in different perspectives; (5, creative) use circumambulation to explore a project or creative idea from varying perspectives; (6, systems-thinking) when analyzing complex systems, circumambulation allows you to simplify complexity without oversimplification by mapping the center and the interconnections; (7, negotiation) when negotiating, circumambulate by exploring mutually beneficial solutions and angles prior to tackling contentious points, identifying a shared, win-win milestone.

Thought-provoking insights. “The journey itself is the destination.” is something Steve Jobs constantly put forth, emphasizing the value of the process in lieu of rushing to achieve the goal. “To see a thing clearly, walk around it.” suggests gathering multiple perspectives before jumping to conclusions, understanding the situation well prior to acting to achieve a goal. “Circling the mountain, we ascend higher.” symbolizes incremental progress, gaining perspective over time. Circle your subjects. Circumambulate. Make it your ritual.