Donald Schön Quotes

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A social system does not move smoothly from one state of its culture to another... Something old must come apart in order for something new to come together. But for individuals within the system, there is no clear grasp of the next stable state - only a clear picture of the one to be lost Hence, the coming apart carries uncertainty and anguish for the members of the system since it puts at risk the basis for self-identity that the system had provided.

Donald Schön

Belief in the stable state serves primarily to protect us from apprehension of the threats inherent in change. Belief in stability is a means of maintaining stability, or at any rate the illusion of stability. But the most threatening situations are those that confront us with uncertainty, and by 'uncertainty', I don't mean risk, which is a probability ratio which we all know how to handle, particularly those who are managers of industry. We can deal with risk.

Donald Schön

Old questions are not answered—they only go out of fashion.

Donald Schön

There is a high, hard ground where practitioners can make effective use of research-based theory and technique, and there is a swampy lowland where situations are confusing "messes" incapable of technical solution.,..In the swamp are the problems of greatest human concern.

Donald Schön

Donald Schön

Donald Schön

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Born: September 19, 1930

Died: September 13, 1997 (aged 66)

Bio: Donald Alan Schön was a philosopher and professor in urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who developed the concept of reflective practice and contributed to the theory of organizational learning.

Known for:

The reflective practitioner (1959)
Beyond the stable state (1971)

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