Feedback

“Feedback” is an interesting word. In a way, one lives by it, though subconsciously. There is this famous phrase “Live like a Roman, when in Rome” – and the explanation is simple, that one is not going to be accepted easily if he does not belong to the place – and so behavior is to be defined as per the acceptance (to be) received, or with feedback received or assumed. 

I have done a google search on the word, to understand more on it, and saw many results, including Wikipedia definition, relate it either with electrical systems, or with biological systems. I remember that I also modeled my audio data for classification purpose, using “Error Back Propagation Algorithm in Neural Networks”, where error between the estimated and the actual value of the output is used to correct the system, and build the right model – for classification, in my case – and published research papers too. That time, I was younger, and student, and never thought of this mechanism with philosophical angle. 

But today I do, I see feedback as a way of evolving on this earth. We live, experience difficulties, and seek and define feedbacks – both ways, give and take – and evolve out of them. That is when we develop a better way of living, green environment, new and cool technological product, and so on.

Also feedback forms a loop - a circle - a rhythm of life – and then things that we do, or want to do for a better living. Feedback is a mechanism to be able to do so. 

Further, being humans, we understand and do things which may not always be articulated. Feedback also works best when captured in manner that may not be well articulated, but experienced. Here are a few ways, in which one receives feedback – 

• Many times, people have bad experiences with a product or service, and give loud and angry feedback – which surely, has to be taken constructively. 

• However, there are people, who may not want to say a thing in the interest of not going through arguments, and saving energy for “better” things in life, and may decide to not repeat THE experience. 

• There are also times, when one wants to scream out loud because of a bad experience, but has no position to give feedback.

• On the good side, there are again examples, where one can be very loud about his or her good feelings associated.

• And a few may not be that vocal about the same, but have actions to be taken based on their good experiences.

• Good experience and feedback, doesn’t say sit idle and relax, but it puts a responsibility on the creator of that experience to continue being excellent, and keep on refining.

• Many times experiences are neutral, and the provider has to be careful, and he has to refine, to not to be or remain as just one of the options for one who is using his service or product. 

So the conclusion is that may be it a bad, good or neutral feedback, one has to refine, and better the self. 

Feedback may communicate what and individual might have not thought of, or an action point, but that’s not the only criteria to refine.

Refinements are the way to live, to sustain. There is a term “Life Long Learning”, and it’s applicable on everything that one does, personally or professionally. 

And it cannot depend on feedback always. The best way is to sit-back and reflect, introspect, increase the awareness of self, and things around and refine and keep on refining. I think the inner-voice, which could only be heard by a calm mind, conveys it all – the need is to develop a skill of learning to listen to it. 

In technology world, an achievement would be to build a product to capture or represent these senses, and define the human-like meaning, and articulate it in the form of action-items for a quick execution.