Are We Prisoners of the Past—Or Architects of Tomorrow?

Exploring Etiology and Teleology

Some concepts have a before and after impact. Once you see it you can’t unsee them. There’s a concept that’s done that for me, with an impact that goes beyond business and influences how I interact and perceive people in general.

For anyone interested in psychology or answering the question of why are we the way we are, there is a popular school of thought of Etiology that suggests we are shaped primarily by our past experiences (what’s happened to us). I struggle with that concept because it eliminates the role of the individual agency.

That’s where the counter-thought of Teleology comes in. Etiology and teleology offer two powerful yet contrasting perspectives to understand human behavior.

• Etiology traces actions back to their roots in past experiences (the seed)

• Teleology looks forward to the aims and purposes that drive us (the tree)

They form two different schools of thought that change the way a person perceives the world. Grasping these concepts does more than explain our circumstances. It reveals how we justify our choices, and reminds us that change is always possible. No matter how entrenched our history, we retain the power to choose our actions and redefine our path forward.

Here’s a simple example to contextualize it of a founder building their business, one is solving backwards, the other is building forward:

• Etiology-based thinking:

  "Employee turnover spiked last quarter due to unclear roles, so we're restructuring based on what didn’t work."

• Teleology-based thinking:

  "I envision a culture where people feel ownership and growth — so I’m designing teams and systems to make that future possible."

  

While Etiology dominates modern psychology, Teleology never picked up the same momentum. Since being exposed to Teleology I’ve been wondering why it isn’t more popular. Etiology was popularized by Freud whereas Adler, another Austrian thinker, was not as successful popularizing Teleology. The only conclusion I can come up with is that it is easier for us as humans to relinquish the responsibility of our actions rather than fully embrace it.

While this is a clear promotional piece preaching for Teleology, this post is simply me wondering, what would the world be like if we took 100% responsibility for all of our actions? Understanding how we see the world helps us understand how we can change it. Whether your mental frameworks are rooted in Etiology or Teleology, our purpose can move us beyond both.

One of the things I score highly above anything else when investing with founders or hiring for a team is agency. And I think by default anyone that subscribes to Teleology has high agency and is thus more likely to take initiative.

Answering the initial question, are we prisoners of the past or architects of tomorrow; I’ll leave you with one of my favorite poems Invictus by William Henley which I think gives a very Teleological response.

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.