DON’T JUST HAVE A THEORY…

This week I want to talk to you about how there's no point in you just having a theory, as you always have to first test it to out over and over again to make sure that it works and then do it until you are sure it works properly.

A strong theory guides you only, as it has to work in tandem with experimentation for true progress. The only way to test a theory is to put it to the test over and over again, until you’re confident that it’s not just a fluke and always works in practice.

Just having a theory or idea is never enough; you must always test it repeatedly to ensure its validity. Testing theories is crucial in many areas, not only in science, research, or product development, but even in other seemingly disparate things, such as cooking, education, or psychology. 

Remember, your theory is only ever your starting point. The real magic only happens when you put your ideas to the test. This process of experimentation and testing is always crucial, as it is only through this process that we will uncover new discoveries, advancements and ways of doing things. 

Here are some examples:

- When cooking, there’s no point in you just following a recipe. You actually have to cook the dish and taste it first to make sure it’s delicious enough before serving it to other people and then always see if you can improve it the next time you make it.

- With education, there's no point in you just having a teaching strategy. You have first to implement it in the classroom and assess pupils' understanding to see if it's effective in helping them to learn and then continually be prepared to tweak it for individual pupils, as everyone learns differently.

- In personal psychology, there's no point in just having a hypothesis. You have to first conduct your own experiments and gather your own facts to always support or refute your hypothesis, leading to your better understanding of any behaviour by yourself or anyone else.

However, whilst testing a theory is always essential to validate credibility and ensure practicality, without a clear theory to test, you may be aimlessly conducting experiments without a clear goal. Theoretical frameworks help shape questions, ultimately leading to more focused and purposeful outcomes, but also provide context for understanding results.

So, this week, remember how theory and experimentation go hand in hand. Don’t just settle for having a theory, take practical steps to first test it practically to confirm validity.  Then take time to analyse results, to refine your thinking based on evidence. This is how true progress is made!